England 4th Test shambles
– unfortunatelyf t tel th that t l looksks a millionilli miles away after this shambles. ALASTAIR COOK’S England Yet again they will have to rely refused to wave the white on Jonny Bairstow and first innings flag last night – despite centurion Moeen Ali if they are producing their worst day’s going to make Pakistan bat again.
Steven Finn was the pick of the cricket of the summer in a
England bowlers – taking 3-110 – horror show at the Oval.
but his effort was worth nothing as Cook’s men conceded a monster the Pakistan batsmen made hay first innings lead of 214 after they before England collapsed. were taken to school by Younis Finn said: “We face an uphill task Khan (below), who racked up 218 – but we have found ourselves in in Pakistan’s first innings 542. these positions befor before and fought
And then Yasir Shah gott to hard. We will make th the most of the work, leaving England on 88-48-4 six wickets we have got left – we and still 126 behind after ra a are going to need r resilience and shocking final session. some more.”
Leggie Shah – who had a After the win at Old Trafford 20-minute pep talk from m – where they dominated – Aussie Shane Warne after and the one at Edgbaston, failing in the last two Tests where th they bowled – looked a world-beater brilliantly on the final again, bamboozling Joe day, Coo Cook’s men are Root, and the hapless Alex lex firmly b back in their Hales and James Vince, who box. E England hold will be lucky to keep theireir eighteigh of the nine places. Nice one, Shane. t ro rophies f or Fortunately, England onlynly series wins over
seT need a draw to win the series ies Test-playing countriesco ntri s b butt th their ir hop hopes s of nickin nicking the missing one – for a win over Pakistan – is on the back burner.
Younis took this match away from England. This was his fifth Test double hundred, to add to a triple, and he made the England bowling look distinctly ordinary.
Bizarrely, captain Cook did not use his most experienced bowler – Jimmy Anderson – from 11.50am until half an hour before tea as Younis dished out a humiliating lesson to the rest of the attack.
Moeen went at more than five an over and the others were milked by the masterly Younis.
The 38-year-old was ninth man out – with the tourists on 531 – when Anderson finally got the ball.
Again their fielding let them down with Cook grassing Mohammad Amir to add to the three spilled chances on Friday.
That made it 15 dropped catches in the series by England.
Then Shah got busy. Hales and Root missed straight ones and Vince slapped him to cover, and the game could be up sometime today.