Pakistan pile on agony for England
– Pakistan again showed England how to play in their own conditions as they maintained their position dominant in the first Test at Lord’s.
The tourists scored 300 runs in yesterday’s play, going from an overnight 50/1 to 350/8 at stumps on the second day of this two-match series.
That left them already 166 runs ahead of England’s first-innings 184, with Pakistan having so far outplayed their hosts.
A quartet of batsmen made fifties, with England dropping four catches and missing one other obvious chance – a marked contrast to an impressive display by an often-criticised Pakistan slip cordon.
Their had been hopes a return home would boost Joe Root’s men as they looked to recover from series losses in Australia and New Zealand.
But after two days at the ‘home of cricket’, England were struggling to avoid a sixth defeat in eight Tests.
Pakistan, whose players are effectively banned from the Indian Premier League, had arguably better preparation for this series than that
London
enjoyed by England’s Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler while they were playing in the lucrative Twenyty20 event.
In addition to three county warm-up matches, Pakistan beat Test debutants Ireland in similarly overcast conditions in Dublin last week.
Experienced opener Azhar Ali laid the platform for Pakistan’s reply with a well-made 50 in largely overcast conditions that weren’t easy to bat in.
Asad Shafiq (59) and Babar Azam, who made 68 before retiring hurt, kept the runs coming before Shadab Khan (52) hit his second fifty in three Tests.
It was a resolute effort that followed on from the disciplined display of Pakistan pacemen Mohammad Abbas and Hasan Ali, who took four wickets apiece on Thursday.
Pakistan resumed yesterday with Azhar 18 not out and Haris Sohail 21 not out. –