Sky Sports’ Nasser Hussain questioned key decisions from England captain Ben Stokes after Pakistan seized control of the series-deciding third Test.
England have a mountain to climb in Rawalpindi after another top-order collapse at the hands of Pakistan’s spinners left them 24-3 in their second innings – still 53 runs behind – at stumps on day two.
A defiant century from Saud Shakeel – which featured in stands of 88 and 72 alongside tail-enders Noman Ali and Sajid Khan – transformed Pakistan’s fortunes as they secured an unlikely first-innings lead of 77 having been 177-7.
In response, England lost their top three in just nine overs before stumps, as Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope fell, but, for Hussain, there was just as much damage done in the field with ball in hand.
“I think Stokes did (miss a trick),” former England captain Hussain told Sky Sports Cricket. “If you listen to the hype about the pitch yesterday, it was a really difficult pitch to bat on with only certain shots you could play.
“I think Stokes and England got into their minds that they would have their catchers (in close) and stop the boundaries. If Pakistan got the odd one or two, so be it, they wouldn’t get away from them and eventually there would be a ball with their name on it.
“What surprised me was not the fact Stokes had men out, he’s done that on a number of occasions, it was that he didn’t bring men up when Saud Shakeel was knocking them for ones.
“Stokes didn’t bring players up and tempt the batter to hit over the top, and fair play to Saud Shakeel, he said if you’re prepared to offer me freebie runs, I’m going to take them, and he kept taking and taking them.”
‘Maybe Stokes needs a bit of help’
A three-wicket burst from leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed prior to lunch had England hopeful of earning a sizeable first-innings lead of their own.
Stokes did not turn to Ahmed for the first eight overs of the afternoon session, a decision which allowed the familiar script of toil against the tail to unfold, as the spotlight turned towards the England captain.
“England’s struggles against the tail repeated themselves,” Hussain added. “It’s not just today or in this series, but in the last two or three years, they have struggled to get through tail-enders.
“Even when England have had pace, I think they’ve slightly lost the plot and gone just for a bouncer ploy. I’m not talking about here (in Rawalpindi) in these conditions, but even when they’ve had Mark Wood.
“Sometimes they will bowl beautifully to the top order and then, as soon as the tail-enders comes in, it’s bouncers right away and they get hit everywhere. They do lose the plot a little bit.
“Stokes maybe puts so much energy into his captaincy, into the week of captaincy, he may just need a bit of help when England are seven or eight down.
“There aren’t many senior bowlers around in this side, he may just need someone to drag him to one side and explain his reasoning.
“I was amazed Rehan Ahmed didn’t start after lunch. A wrist spinner who’d just got three-for before lunch. I’d have gone with the wrist spinner against the lower order.”
‘England aren’t out of the game’
Former England captain Michael Atherton conceded Pakistan hold all the cards after two days’ play but said Shakeel’s knock gives the tourists hope that Joe Root and Harry Brook can find the runs needed to get them back into contention.
“England were very thankful to come off when the umpires called time because they were right under the pump in a very difficult last few overs for them,” Atherton said.
“I wasn’t confident Crawley would survive, while Pope is having a bit of a horror trot on this tour. The wicket of Duckett was the real bad blow, he’s such a good player of spin.
“Now their two main men on this tour, Root and Brook, are at the crease. They will need a good start in the morning to dig them out of this hole.
“England aren’t out of the game. Pakistan hold all the cards, Pakistan are in a very strong position, and England are in a hole. But you cannot come out on the third day of a Test thinking you’ve got no chance of winning the game.
“England have to think about how they get themselves into a position to win the game, and the way they can do that is for Root and Brook, who put on 454 runs in the first Test in Multan, to get their heads down, get through the new ball, get the ball old and soft, and bat as Saud Shakeel showed you can bat on this surface. If they do that there are runs to be had.”
First Test: Multan – October 7-11 – England won by an innings and 47 runs
Second Test: Multan – October 15-19 – Pakistan won by 152 runs
Third Test: Rawalpindi – October 24-28
Watch day three of the third Test between Pakistan and England in Rawalpindi, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Main Event from 5.30am on Saturday, ahead of play starting from 5.43am. Stream with NOW
