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Pakistan head into Friday’s third Test on the Ageas Bowl Southampton going by way of a major sequence defeat in opposition to England in 10 years. The vacationers are 1-Zero down in a three-match advertising marketing campaign after a defeat throughout the first Test at Old Trafford by three wickets in a match the place Pakistan have been on prime until the closing ranges was adopted by a entice a second Test at Southampton the place neither side had a chance of victory in a match blighted by unhealthy local weather.
There had been concerns that, as occurred to the West Indies’ fast bowlers all through their 2-1 defeat by England in a earlier behind closed door sequence that marked worldwide cricket’s return from lockdown, Pakistan’s quicks might be worn out by three back-to-back Tests.
But the dearth of movement throughout the second match — Pakistan had bowled merely 43.1 overs in England’s first innings when a draw was agreed — must suggest a first-choice tempo assault of Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Abbas and Naseem Shah are all match and firing for Friday’s finale on the Ageas Bowl.
Pakistan coach Misbah-ul-Haq was assured fatigue would not have been an issue in any event, with the earlier captain, in a weblog for the Pakistan Cricket Board’s website online, writing that “fitness has been an important part of our strategy as a team” since he took value in September.
Despite little play throughout the second Test, Misbah was heartened by the willpower of Mohammad Rizwan, who top-scored with 72, the resilience of Pakistan’s top-order in “testing conditions” and the precise reality an assault that features leg-spinner Yasir Shah took four wickets.
“Big game”
“The seamers also bowled really well…That last session, even as the game drifted towards a draw, gives us a lot of confidence going into the last Test,” Misbah added. “It’s a big game and we want to end the series on a good note.”
Meanwhile England face one different alternative dilemma.
There generally is a highly effective temptation to stick with the tried and examined tempo trio of James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes, so environment friendly throughout the type of overcast English circumstances that are vulnerable to be a component throughout the third Test as they’ve been throughout the second.
But with English cricket regularly obsessing regarding the subsequent Ashes sequence, a 2021/22 tour of Australia, employees administration need to give categorical fast bowlers Jofra Archer and Mark Wood further Test-match recreation time sooner than they head ‘Down Under’.
“It’s very difficult,” said England coach Chris Silverwood.
“You look at what you need for the here and now and you look down the line for what we potentially need (in Australia).
“It’s a hard stability to get…There’s quite a few parts we check out and tempo is one in all them: it’s tempo, movement, bounce, left or correct arm…all these things come into consideration.”
Another, immediate, issue is that Friday’s match could be played on a used pitch if the weather means the Ageas Bowl ground staff do not have enough time to prepare a fresh surface after the second Test finished on Monday.
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The delays in that match, including stoppages for bad light when the floodlights were on full beam, could see the currently rigid 11:00 am local (1000 GMT) start time for a Test in England brought forward, as happens in other countries where there is a more flexible approach.
“The earlier start time makes quite a few sense to me,” said Silverwood, with both England and Pakistan staying in ‘bio-secure’ onsite hotels. “What is the harm in starting at 10:30am (0930 GMT)?”
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