[Lord Snooty]

Don't think there were twelve actual outs. Some players retire to give somebody else some practice. But it doesn't look too good ahead of the first test in just a few days.

[Lord Snooty]

Pakistan v England

The 1st Test Match
Tuesday October 13th - Saturday October 17th

at Sheik Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi.
starting at 10:00 (7:00 BST)

Team news


With Moeen Ali seeing off the challenge of Alex Hales to become Alastair Cook's latest opening partner, the path is cleared in the middle-order for a new spin-bowling No. 8. Adil Rashid's arrival in Test cricket has been some six years in the making but there could be few more tailor-made situations for a debutant legspinner to bed into the side.
Rashid takes his place in a rarely seen six-man attack and does so in the knowledge that his ability to produce late-order runs will be every bit as vital to the cause as a three-wicket burst to lop off Pakistan's tail. The pressure will be on but, equally, he'll never have a better chance to play his natural game in the knowledge that his team-mates are on hand if the ball doesn't quite come out right.
Steven Finn's foot injury has shelved the one remaining debate about the balance of England's attack. Though the man himself disputes that he counts as a genuine 90mph bowler, Finn's rare ability to extract lift in all conditions made him a genuine contender for selection, as his four-wicket haul in the second warm-up confirmed. Instead, Mark Wood's reverse-swinging allsorts will complete the sextet.
The only remaining issue, and one that Cook chose not to clarify, is the identity of England's wicketkeeper. Jos Buttler's form tailed off alarmingly during the Ashes and his technique against spin remains a cause for concern. Jonny Bairstow could augment his selection by taking over behind the stumps, which would in turn create a vacancy at No. 5 for the in-form James Taylor.


England (possible) 1 Alastair Cook ©, 2 Moeen Ali, 3 Ian Bell, 4 Joe Root, 5 Jonny Bairstow, 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Jos Buttler (w), 8 Adil Rashid, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Mark Wood, 11 James Anderson.


Two significant injuries have hampered Pakistan's build-up. Azhar Ali, whose century in the second innings at Dubai in 2012 was instrumental in sealing the whitewash, had already been ruled out of the first Test with an infected toe. And now Yasir Shah, whose legspin has reaped 61 wickets in ten Tests, has succumbed to a back spasm after snagging his spikes in the nets. A decision on his fitness will be taken in the morning, but his emergence has been one of the key reasons why Ajmal's mystery has not been missed since his run-in with the doosra police.
Two remarkable comebacks are also on the cards. Shoaib Malik has not played a Test for Pakistan since their defeat at Edgbaston on the infamous 2010 tour of England. However, Azhar's absence, coupled with a likely need for auxiliary spin options, means his return is all but guaranteed. An average of 33.45 from 32 Tests is little to write home about, but Shoaib seized his chance after being recalled to the ODI squad, and has averaged exactly 100 in 11 matches in 2015.
Fawad Alam has been on the outside looking in for even longer than that. His century on debut against Sri Lanka in 2009 was followed by two more Tests and six years of exile. His return to the squad is the first step towards a second coming. With Misbah and Younis nearing the end of their illustrious careers, further opportunities for veteran batsmen may materialise in the coming months.

Pakistan (possible) 1 Shan Masood, 2 Ahmed Shehzad, 3 Shoaib Malik, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq ©, 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed (w), 8 Wahab Riaz, 9 Yasir Shah/Imran Khan, 10 Zulfiqar Babar, 11 Rahat Ali.

[themaclad]

Bell's inability to catch a cricket ball means we won't win this test

[themaclad]

It's a road would have been a better day if Bell had not dropped two sitters and Broad not overstepped not overly entertaining but not out of it yet

[Lord Snooty]

Scorecard

Close day 1:
Pakistan 286-4

[Lord Snooty]

Close day 2:

Pakistan 523-8 dec

England 56-0 
England trail by 467 runs with 10 wickets remaining in the 1st innings


And I still haven't seen a ball bowled in this match yet.

[themaclad]

Bell's dropped catches cost England hundreds

[Lord Snooty]

It's a bit flat this wicket. 

Pakistan 523-8 dec

England 290-3 
England trail by 233 runs with 7 wickets remaining in the 1st innings

---

813 runs for 11 wickets.

[Lord Snooty]

A Batsman's Paradise.

Pakistan 523-8 dec

England 569-8 
England lead by 46 runs with 2 wickets remaining in the 1st innings

[themaclad]

Send for Lancastrians when you need wickets on a flat deck 3-2