tuning int o TMS here
there are 54 people in attendance at today’s test in Abu Dhabi
cant understand why they didnt just play this in Lahore !
The home team made 523-8, England are 33/0 in reply. The English seamers did reasonably well but a clatter of wickets fell from around 500/4 to the declaration. The spinners got carted around the place. Moeen 121-0 and Rashid with the worst stats of a debutant in test history 163-0.Welcome to the big league Adil.
Engladn 56/0 at stumps. You could never rule out a calamitous England batting collapse but the pitch is utterly dead and if England bat anyway diligently, its a tedious three days ahead.
As has been said, Pakistan really need to get back staging test matches at home.
Add in Root’s over and the over of spin that Stokes bowled, and it must have come to zero for over 300 for spin bowling.
Even if England co collapse, pitches like this are just no good. Turgid cricket. Fair play to Shoaib Malik though, 200 on his return to the team after five years. Got his place back as a result of his ODI form.
May be some time before that eventuates, like decades.
England currently on 400/3 in response to the 523/8 dec Pakistan put on. Alastair Cook has just brought up his double century. This is not exactly a fair contest between bat and ball.
Over in Galle, Windies have collapsed to 185/7 in response to Sri Lanka’s 484 on Day 3 of the First Test.
The real exciting cricket action this week is at Southwark Crown Court in the Chris Cairns perjury trial.
England making a right old go of this on the last day. Pakistan are 8 down now, spinners doing the business. Lead is 93. 20 or so overs left I think.
They will regret Bell’s dropped catches on the first day. Good to see Rashid get a couple.
All out now. Target is 99. Light could be an issue.
Five for in the end. Bowled well today. Good comeback, fair play to him.
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Does Cook open? I’d go Moeen and Root
Would be the right call
50 minutes or so they’ll have based on yesterday’s light.
Moeen and Buttler
Misbah charged down to Moeen to lose his wicket. Completely uncharacteristic and precipitated the collapse. He’ll be having nightmares about it if they lose.
Buttler out lbw. Wastes a few precious minutes with a shit review then.
35/3. Need 64 more. Lights coming on. Looking unlikely now you’d have to say.
Pace introduced and it’s a big over for England. 33 needed now. Pressure on umpires here too. Wicket!
Sensational from Rashid on debut after his first innings travails. Just goes to show the importance of a front line spinner in the attack on Day 5.
Bad light comes. 25 runs short. Not enough boundaries, couldn’t get the spinners away. Great effort today though.