RAWALPINDI : Dec 5,2022: Pakistan team gave disappointing performance at its last five batsmen could score only 14 runs in last day of Rawalpindi test.
Pakistan needed 86 runs and its five players were yet to bat. Then all of a sudden Pakistan side fell down like a wall of sand . In just a few overs its last five batters throw away their wickets. Can one believe that an XI whose five last batters score only 14 runs deserves to be called a team?. This disappointing team performance also points out how Ramiz Raja and other Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) top officials were serious in selecting a national cricket team and how competent Babar Azam was to be a captain of Pakistan team?.
Ramiz Raja has dented Pakistan’s cricket and brought humiliation and disappointment for the nation as a PCB chairman . He seems interested in getting salary in millions as PCB chairman and enjoy other perks and privileges. He has no interest in promotion of cricket game as PCB chairman.
England side won Rawalpindi test by 74 runs. The moral of the visiting team and calculation of its planners show its professional attitude .
Updated at 3.30 PM
Pakistan has tightened its grip on Pindi test as its team scored 270 runs in 77 overs on the fifth and last day of the match and it needs only 86 runs to win this test .
Pakistan ‘s side is playing steadily and result-oriented to win Rawalpindi and have a lead over visiting England team in 3- match test series.
Pindi test has gone through many probables . . In the first two days of the match it seemed that the game may lead to a draw as the pitch of Pindi stadium was not supporting the bowling side at all. Even cricket experts like Nasser Hussain had doubts on quality of the pitch and he labelled it as a hard road .
However , in the second inning it turned to be a good pitch for both the bowlers and batters . Secondly , the visiting team had taken a very bold step by declaring the second inning on fourth day when its three players were yet to bat.
Pakistan suffered heavy loss in the beginning of the second inning when its opening pair , captain Babar Azam and lost wicket in early overs. Pakistan’s side noticed the danger and started to follow a go slow approach . The strategy of staying on the crease and go slow for runs has worked well for Pakistan .
Said Shakeel shines again in the second inning with his spectacular 50.
With 5 wickets in hand there seems no apparent difficulty for Pakistan to get required 86 runs and win Pindi test against England.
Chronology of Rawalpindi test:
England win the toss and put its XI to bat. It made 657 runs in the first inning all out. Pakistan showed a befitting response and made 579!runs.
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In the second inning England declared its inning at 343 runs for 7 wickets down.
Pakistan had made steady progress and made 254 runs in 77 overs and its five players were yet to bat.
England bowlers Anderson and Ollie Robinson took four wickets each while performing reverse swing bowling.
Captain Ben Stokes and Jack Leech took one wicket each for 69 and 56 runs respectively.
Imam-ul-Haq (43) and Saud Shakeel (24) opened Pakistan’s innings with an over score of 80-2.
Imam, who scored a century in the first innings, was unlucky on the final day as he was dismissed for 48 just 2 runs short of his half-century.
He was dismissed by Anderson in the first 20 minutes of the game, when the opener tried to tap the ball straight into Ollie Pope’s gloves.
Pakistan scored 100 runs in the 35th over and scored 150 runs in the 49th over on the last day.
Saud Shakeel (63) and Mohammad Rizwan (42) stood as Pakistan scored 169 for 3 by lunch.
But as play resumed, Anderson bowled beautifully and dismissed Rizwan to pick up his second wicket of the day when he was just 4 runs (46 off 92 balls) short of a half-century.
Rizwan, who moved to the keeper, shared an 87-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Shakeel.
However, Rizwan achieved another milestone during the first Test as he completed 5,000 runs in international cricket, becoming the 28th Pakistani player to achieve the milestone.
Azhar, who retired Hurt on Sunday, returned to bat as he was fit to play.
Shakeel, who was playing top-class cricket on 76, started hitting in the air (Oli Robinson over) and was caught by Ben Stokes at short cover. His innings of 76 runs off 159 balls included 12 4s.
Meanwhile, Pakistan scored 200 runs in 61.4 overs (375 balls) and were 217 for 5 at the drinks, needing 126 runs to win.
Pakistan scored 250 runs in 75 overs. Salman, who was lbw by Jack Leach in the 76th over, went for a review and was saved. At tea time, Pakistan scored 257 runs for 5 wickets in 77.0 overs.
Pakistan’s sixth wicket fell when Salman (30 0ff 64 balls) tried to hit an outsider.
A review by England showed that he was caught lbw by Robinson in the 81st over. Salman and Azhar put on a partnership of 61 runs for the sixth wicket.
Azhar also did not stay long and once again departed in the 83rd over.
Azhar who tried to flick Robinson was taken at leg slip by Joe Root and was thus dismissed for 40 runs.
Pakistan’s wickets kept coming as Zahid Mahmood (1) and Haris Rauf (0) were dismissed by James Anderson in the 88th over.
Although Naseem Shah and Muhammad Ali held the wicket for nearly 9 overs, Leach was determined to win it for England as he got Naseem lbw to give his team a historic 74-run victory over the hosts.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam said he was disappointed to see his team lose when they were very much in the game from the start.
“The way we build partnerships (was encouraging) and we were very confident going into lunch.
But (unfortunately) our back-to-back wickets fell, but you have to give England credit for the way they fought back.
Anderson, Robinson helped England to a historic victory against Pakistan.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam said at the press conference at the end of the first test match that Pakistan fielded the best playing XI in the game.
“Each team plays differently and one match cannot change that.
Yes you have to play according to the situation and the plan, but we tried to give our best.
In response to a question, he said that the problem with the Pakistani team is that they cannot finish the game.
“When we are close to the match, we make mistakes.”
They said that they could not get the pitch they were looking for due to the weather or the preparations, so the plan could not be implemented.
“When we lost Agha and Azhar, it looked like we were going behind the match. Naseem and Ali dragged the game but we (the batsmen) should have accepted the responsibility.
Babar said that Shaheen Shah Afridi was missed but with Haris injured, Naseem and Ali also bowled well.
“We are keeping a close eye on injuries to our fast bowlers… will see how to plan for the future. But Harris’ injury is serious and it is not known whether he will be there or not but we will try to win the second test and win the series.
About the crowd, he said that the Rawalpindi crowd participated in large numbers on all the five days of the game and supported both the teams which was a great response from their side.
England captain Ben Stokes said that Test cricket usually looks exciting when both results are possible with the announcement and one of them is not a draw.
Anderson, Robinson helped England to a historic victory against Pakistan.
“The way our batsmen played with freedom and enjoyed it was very memorable,