Pakistan v England 3rd Test, Sharjah, Nov 1-5

[hopeforthebest]

I thought Patel bowled well just spoilt by his last over. England need to bat out of their socks in this innings as the wicket is clearly going to get worse as time passes. One thing is certain we couldn't have predicted that England would be batting on day one.

[Durhamfootman]

how did Baistow get on?

[hopeforthebest]

how did Baistow get on?

very well including a good take off Patel's bowling. His catches were pretty well regulation but he looked good.

[Durhamfootman]

good for him. he just needs to score some runs in difficult conditions, and Buttler could well end up back for Lancs next season

[backfootpunch]

I thought Patel bowled well just spoilt by his last over. England need to bat out of their socks in this innings as the wicket is clearly going to get worse as time passes. One thing is certain we couldn't have predicted that England would be batting on day one.

I thought both Patel and rashid bowled pretty well but misbah seems to be able to hit sixes at will off the spinners no matter how good the ball is

his six off rashid was outrageous as it was a good length leggie that turned quite a lot

Moeen continued his nack of getting a wicket or two

[hopeforthebest]

I thought Patel bowled well just spoilt by his last over. England need to bat out of their socks in this innings as the wicket is clearly going to get worse as time passes. One thing is certain we couldn't have predicted that England would be batting on day one.

I thought both Patel and rashid bowled pretty well but misbah seems to be able to hit sixes at will off the spinners no matter how good the ball is

his six off rashid was outrageous as it was a good length leggie that turned quite a lot

Moeen continued his nack of getting a wicket or two

Moeen continue to have a high strike rate based upon wickets gifted to him by rash shots. I suspect his percentage of wickets taken that way is about 70%.

[alfie]

Good day for England. Anderson and Broad were quite outstanding.

Patel I thought contributed well , despite a few too many full tosses ; crucial wickets and did tie things down for periods - something Moeen and Rashd have not been able to do at all. Pity about the last over....but you couldn't blame Cook for trying one more over of spin before the new ball , given the way the tailenders had played spin last time they were under some pressure.

Suspect Pakistan's spinners will utilise the conditions better ; so England will have to bat really well. But I think 234 is under par ; so if England can do just that they will be well placed to achieve a lead - and even a lead of eighty or so might be enough as the pitch wears...

Rotten luck about Stokes , though. Hope it isn't as bad as we all suspect.

[backfootpunch]

I thought Patel bowled well just spoilt by his last over. England need to bat out of their socks in this innings as the wicket is clearly going to get worse as time passes. One thing is certain we couldn't have predicted that England would be batting on day one.

I thought both Patel and rashid bowled pretty well but misbah seems to be able to hit sixes at will off the spinners no matter how good the ball is

his six off rashid was outrageous as it was a good length leggie that turned quite a lot

Moeen continued his nack of getting a wicket or two

Moeen continue to have a high strike rate based upon wickets gifted to him by rash shots. I suspect his percentage of wickets taken that way is about 70%.

It does seem that way

he is the opposite of Ben stokes who bowls loads of good balls which normally result in an outside edge for four or a dropped catch

[shankycricket]

I know this is a dustbowl but even in the first 2 Tests, on flat pitches, I thought England bowlers did a really good job especially given they have lost the toss in all 3 games. Just puts into perspective how bad Australia were last year in the UAE despite a far superior spin attack on paper.

Misbah gone. Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy!

Didn't you suggest Broad should be dropped before this Test?

Not really, that wasn't the point. More along the lines of "should he be an automatic selection in Asia based on his form at home" . I don't think he bowled badly in the first 2 Tests but unlike Anderson, he does have his limitations in Asian conditions and if Finn is fit, I still think he is a better wicket taking threat on a flatter pitch than Broad in Asia. Broad is still useful at playing the containing role though, which is crucial given who England's spinners are. My point was based around the context that people were suggesting dropping Stokes or Wood for an extra spinner or batsman, when both had comfortably outbowled Broad in the last Test. So the point was "do you drop someone who has bowled well here but Broad despite not being a great wicket taking threat in these conditions is considered an automatic choice based on his performances on green tops at home?" Thats not to suggest he is useless. Just that in these conditions, if England were to go in with a pacer short like they did today, and Finn & Wood were fit, Broad shouldn't have been an automatic choice ahead of those 2. He may still get in but its not a no brainer. I personally wouldn't have dropped him as I would've continued with the 4 seamer strategy on the evidence of the first 2 Tests (the dropping suggestion only came about when someone suggested to go in with a seamer short and my point was "why not Broad"?) but the extra spinner in Samit has indeed worked for England and with both Wood & Finn unavailable, Broad was always going to be an automatic selection even in a 3 seamer attack (I never suggested he shouldn't be considered in Asia at all or that Jordan or Plunkett should be picked ahead of him), and he has done well, so its all good.

[budgetmeansbudget]

All the luck going against England in this series.

Light not holding in first test.
Light holding in second test.
Three lost tosses.
Stokes suspected dislocated shoulder on day one of third test.
Cook out to a no ball in first test.

[yuppie]

Im guessing most England supporters would have taken that score at the start of play.

Patel bowled 23 overs? More than anyone else. Cook have no faith in Rashid, or was Patel bowling well?

[Arthur Crabtree]

Pre-planned I'd guess. Patel was supposed to bowl a lot of overs economically, Rashid would bowl more in the second innings.

[yuppie]

Pre-planned I'd guess. Patel was supposed to bowl a lot of overs economically, Rashid would bowl more in the second innings.

Worked well then.

Could make selection for SA interesting if Patel gets some runs.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Might do him some good in limited overs selection more than as a Test spinner.

[Durhamfootman]

I'm pleased that Samit did okay after his years in the wilderness

a couple more wickets and a couple of matchwinning 50's would make selection for the first test against SA interesting

what happened to Stokes?