Given the tourists' fragile batting order and with their leg spinner all but nullified, the Analyst believes the rest of the series should prove a formality
Now that England have thumped Pakistan by 330 runs at Old Trafford in the second Test, the first match of this series is likely to be seen as an anomaly.
In that game at Lord’s, England – deprived of the services of Jimmy Anderson and Ben Stokes by the caution of the selectors – lost the toss and underperformed.
Joe Root twice gave his wicket away and many of the rest succumbed tamely to the teasing leg spin of Yasir Shah. Eight of his 10 wickets were bowled or lbw, and England lost by 75 runs.
Having this time included Anderson and Stokes and won a crucial toss, England were highly-effective in neutering Yasir’s threat.
They realised that he didn’t turn the ball much, and to play him largely like a straight medium-pacer rather than a leg spinner.
Crucially, he was bowling on a flat, first-day pitch with no runs to play with, rather than on the third with 330 on the board. He finished up bowling 65 overs in the match and taking 1-266. England have, after one game, worked him out.
Yasir might have more influence on the series.
If Pakistan can cobble together a score at Edgbaston in the first innings, he might winkle his team a few more wickets. But it is a big ‘if.’
Pakistan’s batting looks seriously suspect against disciplined seam bowling.
The inclusion of Anderson gives England an automatic advantage. He preys mercilessly on fragile batsmen, of whom Pakistan have four in the top five. The opener Shan Masood is a walking wicket. They may struggle to top 300 in the series again.
That’s one problem. The other is how they can take 20 wickets.
At Lord’s the pitch and outfield were quite abrasive, hastening the arrival of the reverse swing with the old ball that Pakistani bowlers excel at. But at Old Trafford the outfield was damp and soft following two rock concerts and reverse swing did not materialise.
It left Pakistan powerless to intervene in the victory-establishing partnership of 185 between Root and Alistair Cook. There will be orders to keep the Edgbaston outfield lush and well-watered.
England still have vulnerabilities.
Alex Hales, James Vince and Gary Ballance have not solved the puzzle that Pakistan’s left-arm seam attack presents, and the likely absence of the injured Ben Stokes deprives the batting of reassuring robustness.
There is still considerable reliance on Cook, Root, and increasingly Bairstow. Stokes’ thrusting bowling will be missed, too.
But England still have double the match-winners – six, if you include the rapidly improving Woakes – that Pakistan can boast – which is three, at best – and are not likely to repeat the mistakes of Lord’s.
Once this England team get on a roll, they are hard to stop.
And, in Joe Root, they have probably the best batsman this country has ever produced since Wally Hammond.
