Saturday, February 8, 2025

CRICKET BLOG FOR THE FANS, BY THE FANS

Get your fix of cricket news, opinion, Dream11 fantasy cricket predictions, fan-led content & more.

HomeCricBlogENG vs PAK 1st Test talking points: England joyous, Pakistan stunned

ENG vs PAK 1st Test talking points: England joyous, Pakistan stunned

Date:

LATEST STORIES & CRICKET BLOGS

Last Updated on 5 years by Charbel Coorey

Imagine dominating the best part of four days, only to fall short courtesy of two poor sessions. Imagine taking a 100+ lead on a dry pitch, with two leg-spinners, as well as a capable seam attack, only to fall short. At 117/5, after Ollie Pope copped a brute of a delivery that reared up to his battle handle, not many could have predicted what happened next.

WinVIZ, too. With England reeling five down, Pakistan were considered an 84% chance to win the Test. It was almost a forlorn conclusion, with an under-pressure wicket-keeper, out-of-form batsman and the bowlers to come. Surely.

It wasn’t the case. In some of the incredible circumstances – events that would have sent a crowd into absolute delirium – England pulled off a challenging run chase of 277 to take a 1-0 series lead. Now, one wonders how Pakistan will bounce back.

Here are five talking points from an enthralling Test:

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is IPL-jersey-ad.gif

1. Under pressure keeper-batsman and out-of-form all-rounder? No worries

Chris Woakes came into this Test on the back of eight single-digit scores in his last nine Test knocks, dating back to the Ashes last year. He himself said he wasn’t happy with his batting. Walking into such a pressure situation is make or break.

What about his batting partner? Jos Buttler looked a beaten man on the field in the opening two days. Dropped catches, a costly missed stumping and an overall difficult time with the gloves saw his position in the team almost hang by a thread. He even felt it.

And England’s hopes of victory hung on these two players, both of whom were clearly facing their own challenges.

And they pulled it off in remarkable style. It was the counterattack of all counterattacks, driving, sweeping and nurdling their way to a 50-run stand in 48 balls before tea. The break may have come at the wrong time for England given the shift in momentum, but both Buttler and Woakes continued the momentum after tea, gaining more and more confidence each time Azhar Ali put his hand over his face or head in his hands searching for an answer.

England were on the ropes at 117/5. But, instead of ducking, weaving, and simply trying to survive for as long as possible, Buttler and Woakes threw punches back, and eventually delivered the knockout blow via a Woakes edge through the slips. It was the approach that made the Australian side of the early 2000s so successful, and hands England a confidence-boosting 1-0 series lead. A superb effort.

ENG vs PAK 1st Test talking points: England joyous, Pakistan stunned | Talking points from England's amazing win | Chris Woakes Jos Buttler
ENG vs PAK 1st Test talking points: Buttler delivered.

2. Pakistan get it very wrong. How do they respond?

Pakistan had the better of three days and a session. Yet they lost the Test. So, let’s add Old Trafford 2020 as another chapter in the book of incredible Pakistan unpredictability.

How does Azhar Ali, a man with just seven Tests under his belt as captain, rally his men to come back fighting in the next Test after his own poor performance? To look ahead, Pakistan must look back at their key mistakes and learn from them. What went so wrong? How did they lose a Test that their captain rightly believes they had in the palm of their hands?

It started with their second innings display. It was careless. Almost complacent. A needless run-out on the third evening – that of an experienced batsman in Asad Shafiq – highlighted Pakistan’s muddled mindset, which brought England right in with a sniff. But, 32 runs on the fourth morning would have lifted the mood, as 277 still looked a very difficult chase.

And at 117/5, the chase looked even more difficult. Pakistan’s poor second innings display was almost forgotten. They had the game in their hands. Surely they couldn’t let it slip?

That they did. Their strategy (or lackof) to Chris Woakes was ultimately the deciding factor in this Test. Yes, Jos Buttler is a danger man, but he needed support. England’s best hope was that Woakes also played a blinder, and given the way he was punching the ball in front of square and down the ground with such timing early in his innings, it should have rung alarm bells in the Pakistani camp.

Remember, Woakes had been struggling with the short ball. It has been the main cause of his downfall in recent times. Pakistan, instead of turning their attention to Woakes’ ribs, chest and helmet badge, kept inviting him on the front foot, of which Woakes then obliged. A very costly move.

ENG vs PAK 1st Test talking points: Azhar Ali is under pressure as batsman and captain.

3. Pakistan’s selections under the microscope

Pakistan chose to weaken their batting lineup to play all-rounder Shadab Khan. It could have proved to be a good decision, if they knew what his role would be. They didn’t.

Shadab bowled just 11.3 overs in the Test, including a costly one to Stuart Broad very late on in the Test, where a seamer would have perhaps been the better option. That Pakistan continue to ignore Fawad Alam – a man with over 12,000 First Class runs at 56.78 – bewilders the mind. With Shaheen, Naseem, Abbas and Yasir proving to be a capable attack, it seems there is not much of a role for Shadab except to score late order runs when given the chance.

Pakistan need more. Pakistan needs a team of players that can significantly influence the game. Another specialist batsman in this Test, after Shan Masood’s brilliant first innings knock, may have got them over the line.

This is especially important as Azhar Ali continues to struggle with the bat outside Asia. Since 2018, the Pakistani captain has scored just 212 runs in 18 innings at an average of 11.77.

ENG vs PAK 1st Test: Azhar is under pressure.

4. How many Tests left for James Anderson?

James Anderson didn’t bowl terribly in this Test. However, his usual zip and threat wasn’t always on display, with some underwhelming spells – particularly after lunch on days one and two – reducing his role in the Test.

England’s greatest ever wicket-taker bowled fewer overs than Dom Bess in both innings, even as Bess struggled with consistency. So, England have a decision to make with Anderson in the next Test – do they give him a rest to ensure he can play his best cricket when he does play? They probably should.

5. England finally overcome their first Test blues

They did it the hard way, but England finally won the first Test of a series. It is the first time they have achieved this since beating Sri Lanka in Galle in 2018 – a run of five straight Test series (two or more matches) where they lost the first game.

Now, they can look forward to attempting to seal the series and capture more World Test Championship points, as they seek to chase India and Australia. There is certainly improvement left in England, but they can now look to improve with the cushion of a 1-0 series lead.


Any other talking points from a classic Test? Do have your say!

Thanks for reading!

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is IPL-jersey-ad.gif
Charbel Coorey
Charbel Cooreyhttps://cricblog.net
Charbel is the owner & founder of cricblog.net, based in Sydney, Australia. He started the website to fulfill his love for the game of cricket. Charbel has been featured on other publications including OP India, Times of India, and The Roar, among others. He is also a keen fantasy sports player. Charbel has also had the privilege of interviewing cricketers on the CricBlog TV YouTube channel, including James Neesham, Rassie van der Dussen, Andrew Tye, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat and Saurabh Netravalkar: https://www.youtube.com/@cricblogtv For any story tips or questions, you can contact Charbel at charbelcoorey@cricblog.net.

Read the latest cricket stories and news on CricBlog and bet on your favorite cricket teams at 24betting India sportsbook. All new players get a welcome bonus on the first deposit.

LIVE CRICKET SCORES

FUTURE OF CRICKET