Several interesting twists and turns marked the opening day of the fourth and final match in the Pakistan-England Test series. Pakistan looked to be in the driving seat at The Oval after pacers tore through the England top order, reducing the hosts to 74-4 before lunch, but just when it looked Pakistan were finally going to avenge England for the back-to-back crushing defeats at Old Trafford and Edgbaston, England all-rounder Moeen Ali came to the side’s rescue.
Moeen’s brave ton guided England’s sinking ship to 328 – a total that could be intimidating enough for Pakistan on The Oval’s green pitch.
So what went wrong for the tourists? And what can be done to get back on track? Mohammad Sufi, head of sports desk at Geo News, and sports anchor Danish Anis discuss what to expect from the team in this Facebook Live video.
As Mohammad Sufi and Danish point out, Pakistan’s fielding lapses cost the team dearly; Moeen Ali was dropped at 9 and 15. He then went on to score 108, clearly the highlight of England’s first innings.
Captain Alastair Cook’s decision to bat first on the green, swing-friendly pitch was risky, but Pakistan failed to capitalize on his decision. The fielding lapses, of course, didn’t help either.
As Mohammad Sufi notes, some courageous performance from Pakistan’s senior batsmen is long overdue. Younis Khan, as one viewer commented, owes the team a solid knock. It is high time for the batsman to justify his place in the side and set an example for the younger players.
It is not too late still, according to Mohammad Sufi, but the onus lies on the batsmen. High expectations going into the second day of the Test, but history has favored Pakistan in London and we have to trust Captain Misbah’s leadership, he said.