England v Pakistan, 2nd Test: 5 Talking Points

The 2nd Test at Old Trafford was completely an English affair. England took revenge for the demoralising loss at Lord’s in the most dominating way. The hosts made the helpless Pakistan submit before them, registering a massive 330 runs win to equal the two-match series 1-1. England led the visitors right from the toss till the last Pakistan wicket fell late in the evening of day four. It was a highly comprehensive victory for England and a sort of a reality check for Pakistan who now have a clear idea of what to expect in upcoming days.

1.Alastair Cook and Joe Root annihilate Pakistan:

Captain Alastair Cook and Joe Root took the Lord’s debacle very seriously and went on a rampage at Old Trafford. England lost Hales early after opting to bat first. His departure brought Cook and Root together who racked up 185 run for the 2nd wicket to give a clear glimpse of their intentions.

The skipper completed yet another century but departed soon at the score of 105. However, Root looked unbeatable as he went on to score a ton and coverted it into a double century, ending at a score of 254. His 614 minutes stay at the crease saw 27 boundaries coming off his bat.

After bowling out Pakistan on day three, Cook and Root combined once again and smashed a quickfire 105 runs for the 2nd wicket in the 3rd innings. Cook (76 from 78 balls) and Root (71 off 48 runs) switched to the T20 mode and propelled England to 173/1, setting Pakistan an uphill task of chasing 564 to win.

2. Hero turns Zero:

The biggest disappointment of the match was leg-spinner Yasir Shah. The leg-spinner took England by storm in the 1st Test and was all over the tabloids for his heroic 10 wicket haul. Great things were anticipated from him at Old Trafford as well. His performances in the non-conducive Lord’s strip had everyone convinced that England will have tricky time handling him in the 2nd test.

However, all the prospects fell flat after Shah was toyed around by Cook and Root in both the innings. There was no mercy shown to him as he went for 213 and 53 runs in both the innings at the purchase of just 1 wicket. His ineffectiveness played a major role in Pakistan’s loss.

Also, read – Twitter Reactions: England come back strong at Old Trafford to level series

3. Ben Stokes gives a scare:

England suffered a blow while trying to bowl out Pakistan and win the match after Ben Stokes was forced to leave the field due to a calf injury. Stokes was two deliveries into his sixth over when he pulled up calf muscle in his follow through. He was unable to complete his over and had to leave the field dejected.

An ECB official confirmed later that he will be unavailable to bowl for the rest of the day. Consequently, England had to manage with just four frontline bowlers. The all-rounder is scheduled to be sent for an MRI scan on tomorrow. If the scans reveal a torn calf muscle and not a strain, he could well be out of action for six weeks.

4. Chris Woakes continues to shine:

Chris Woakes carried forwards his amazing form at Old Trafford as well. The all-rounder continued to shine in both the departments and was the silent hero of the match. Woakes began the match by adding yet another half-century his name, scoring 58 batting with the imperial Joe Root. In the 2nd innings, he came in and snapped 4/67 in his 16 overs spell to play a huge role in dismissing Pakistan for just 198. In the 4th innings, while defending a huge target of 563 runs, Woakes sped up the winning process for his team with an impressive 3/88.

5. Pakistan fails in pursuit of a humongous target:

It was a complete misery for Pakistan. There were completely cornered and had no chance. Not even once did they look like having an upper hand. Chasing a target of 564 runs was almost next to impossible and no one expected them to win when they came out to bat in the 4th innings.

But, they had an easier alternative of playing out the remaining 30 overs of the day and stretch the game till the next day by showing some fight. Under the most unexpected circumstances, some gritty show might have helped them miraculously escape defeat. They had 30 overs to survive for the day. But, English bowlers made sure that there weren’t any astonishing fight back from the Pakistanis and kept it simple by polishing then off them before the day’s play could end.