FIRST TEST BABAR’S MEN PAK A PUNCH

England need plan to tackle Pakistan’s top class craftsmen SCOREBOARD UNFINISHED ASHES BUSINESS FOR SMITH

ENGLAND have been given full warning they need a plan pronto if they are to stop Babar Azam stealing the show this summer.

On a rain-affected opening day, the Pakistan middle-order maestro reeled off a flawless half century and looks ready to have the same impact on a series that Steve Smith, Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson have been having for years.

It’s not that England were bad with the ball after being asked to bowl at the toss, it is just that Babar took the best they had to offer and threw it back with interest.

He walked off the field under socalled bad light on 69 not out in a total of 139-2, with the rather fortunate Shan Masood 46 not out at the other end.

England, and Jos Buttler specifically, were give two clear-cut chances to get rid of the watchful left-handed opener, but made a mess of them both before the umpires marched the players off.

First, Dom Bess teased a feather edge as Masood pushed forward, only to see it bounce off Buttler’s shoulder and hit the turf. The other side of a lengthy rain break the spinner could only watch in horror as a clear stumping was missed when Masood charged down the pitch and swung at thin air before Buttler grabbed at the same.

“The game is funny and you get an element of fortune every now and then,” said Masood. “You have to make it count because there are times when it goes the other way.”

The following over Babar advanced at Bess in the same way, but his connection simply resulted in another of his 11 boundaries.

Babar has long been an outstanding white-ball batsman, but in the last two years has brought the same quality and consistency to the Test arena.

Yesterday, from 53-2 at lunch, he was majestic, driving off the front and back foot with such timing there was barely a sniff for the fielders as they followed the ball to the ropes.

“After lunch we bowled too many four balls and gave the momentum back to Pakistan,” said head coach Chris Silverwood.

“We were not quite on the money. Who knows why these things happen?

“The challenge I’ve thrown the boys is how do you drag the momentum back when that happens.”

Jofra Archer led the England team out on to the field at the start of day one as they continue to stand in solidarity with him and Black Lives Matter.

Unlike matches against the West Indies and Ireland the players did not take a knee before play, but a spokesman said: “It remains a hugely important issue for both the ECB and the players.”

Archer burst through Abid Ali’s defences and Chris Woakes trapped Azhar Ali lbw for a duck in a promising morning for England.

But the rest of the day belonged to Babar – maybe the summer too.

Babar and Masood had England on the run after Pakistan lost two early wickets AUSSIE run-machine Steve Smith has revealed he has “unfinished business” with England after failing to win the Ashes outright last summer. Far from being satisfied with retaining the urn, thanks to a 2-2 draw, Smith is clearly a little sour at the way a series win was denied at The Oval. With the next Ashes contest due to roll around in Australia in 2021, Smith (below) said: “To know that we’d got the Ashes back was pretty special. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t win them, which is something I’d still like to do. It’s great to retain the Ashes, but it just doesn’t sit right with me when you don’t win it. From my personal perspective, I think it’s unfinished business. “I probably left at the end of the fifth Test more with a sense of disappointment than achievement. “I’m getting a bit old now. You never know how long you’ve got left, but, hopefully, I’ll get another crack at it.”