It does make you wonder though. The fast bowlers have taken 8-196. The spinners 0-302 (I've included Stokes' one over of off spin in this). So perhaps we should have just gone in with five quickies!
Pakistan and the other sub continental teams generally play spinners well, so you need good spinners to succeed...
That's a great effort by the openers, after nearly 2 days in the baking heat, with Cook captaining the field, and Mooen bowling 30 overs, they must both be mentally shattered!
On the bbc text summary they had the stats for spinners in first innings in the tests at this ground and they were shocking. Not just this innings but I can't find it now.
With Yasir out injured, Hafeez banned 'cos of his dodgy action and Malik not allowed to bowl 'til 11.34 Pakistan have turned to the spin of Shafiq - who has one Test wicket and two other first class wickets to his name.
And we think we cock up with our selections sometime!
Bell is playing the wicket as if it's Headingly on an overcast day. Using all of his bat (sponsors like to see their name), he edges his first ball just short to slip and then gets an inside edge to get off the mark.
Bell is playing the wicket as if it's Headingly on an overcast day. Using all of his bat (sponsors like to see their name), he edges his first ball just short to slip and then gets an inside edge to get off the mark.
And he's Zulfiqar the spinner as if he's Warney!
One run from 21 so far and now dropped at silly point.
So much for the new regime and us taking the game to the opposition. Cook is doing his bit on what is a totally benign pitch but Bell with 51 dot balls from 56 faced ain't gonna bring the crowds back ;-)
Bell, for the third time in this innings, edges it to slips only for it to fall short. And Wahab is bowling at over 90 mph which tells you all you need to know about this track.
Comments
Cook 35* (54)
Ali 13* (58)
Cook 39* (62)
Ali 15* (65)
Obviously has a lot of personal issues to sort out, but if he can get himself a county, then the route back to the England team isn't that hard.
He is exactly the kind of bowler you need on this surface, over after over of accuracy, with the odd one doing a little bit off the pitch.
You certainly wouldn't fancy going to India and Sri Lanka without him, certainly if the current offering is the best available outside of him.
106-0
Cook 67* (103)
Ali 32* (117)
And we think we cock up with our selections sometime!
116-1
One run from 21 so far and now dropped at silly point.
Cook 78* (141)
Bell 1* (27)
164-1
He now has a hundred in every country that hosts Test Cricket.
He seems to thrive in these conditions, match situation where he can just bat all day
Taylor looks in good touch.
Cook 116* (222)
Bell 31* (103)