As Pakistan and England prepare for the series-deciding third Test in Rawalpindi on Thursday, Michael Atherton asked on the latest Sky Sports Cricket Podcast, “are spinning pitches Bazball’s kryptonite?”
Pakistan forced a decider courtesy of a convincing 152-run win in the second Test in Multan, on a used pitch that had also hosted England’s opening victory by an innings.
The flat pitch from a week prior finally provided assistance to the bowlers second time round, with Pakistan’s spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan sharing all 20 England wickets, prompting efforts to produce a similarly turning track for the third Test – live on Sky Sports Cricket from 5.30am, Thursday (first ball, 6am).
“Since 2021, England have played 16 Test matches in Asia – nine in India, five in Pakistan and two in Sri Lanka – winning eight and losing eight, some of those a little bit before Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum took over,” Atherton said.
“Some of England’s defeats of late under those two have come on pitches that have spun quite significantly… the four in India and the one in Multan, so you can certainly see why Pakistan are desperate to produce a turning track.”
‘England lose one of their super strengths on turning track’
An image taken at Rawalpindi prior to the third Test has shown two large fans, six gas-powered heaters and two giant windbreaks on the playing surface, as Pakistan seek to wear the pitch.
But Rawalpindi, traditionally, has been “the flattest of flat tracks that you can imagine,” according to former Pakistan women’s international Urooj Mumtaz.
The hosts have not won in their last four Tests there, including a famous defeat to England in the opening Test of their 2022 tour, a match in which the tourists tonked 506 runs on the opening day’s play.
“The thing with Bazball is that the batters love flat pitches, the likes of Harry Brook,” Atherton said.
“I’m not saying that they’re flat pitch-only players, but on pitches that don’t do a lot, they score at such an unbelievable rate.
“Rawalpindi two years ago, they scored 500 in 75 overs on the first day – an astonishing scoring rate. But obviously, on pitches that do a little bit more, that kind of scoring rate is not always achievable, and so they lose one of their super strengths as a team – their ability to really score quickly.”
Atherton added on his expectations for the third Test surface: “I think it’ll be a pretty good pitch (for batting) for a day or two.
“Clearly, they (Pakistan) are trying to make it spin – that goes without saying. They’re trying to bake it.
“But it’s not going to be so easy. Rawalpindi has got the reputation of being one of the flattest pitches of any ground. It’s not a used pitch… they can’t do what they did in Multan and play a game that effectively starts on the sixth day.
“It is going to spin at some stage, I’m sure, but I think it’s going to be a pretty good pitch for maybe the first half of the game.
“It will be like going back to the more traditional type of cricket here, where the game goes along normally for two or three days and then, eventually, things start to happen.”
Ahmed in as third spinner for third Test | No chance of reverse-swing’
With the expectation of a turning pitch, England have changed the balance of their side, bringing leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed in as a third option alongside Shoaib Bashir and Jack Leach.
Gus Atkinson also returns, one of only two seam options, skipper Stokes being the other, as Matthew Potts and Brydon Carse – so impressive in the first two Tests – are left out.
Carse claimed nine wickets at an average of 24.33 after making his Test debut in the series opener in Multan, but a bruised heel and a lack of reverse-swing expected in Rawalpindi may have contributed to his absence.
“Carse has bowled really well… he has a bit of a bruised heel, is fit to play, but is being rested after two tough games,” Atherton said.
“Obviously they’re changing the balance of the side, with Rehan Ahmed – who’s not played since Rajkot in the India tour (in February), in terms of Test cricket – coming back in.
“He only took 13 wickets at 60s for Leicestershire this summer, but he’s here for this reason, as the third spinner. And England obviously feel the time is right.
“The other thing about the selection is that, unlike in Multan, there are no cut strips either side of the pitch – there’s the pitch, and then just lush green grass on the square and a lush outfield.
“There is absolutely no chance of any reverse swing. And I think that, as much as the pitch actually, has encouraged England to play the extra spinner at the expense of the seamer.”
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 the third and final Test between Pakistan and England live on Sky Sports Cricket and Main Event from 5.30am ahead of the first ball at 6am on Thursday, October 24 as the sides head to Rawalpindi.
