By Ewan Day-Collins

22 January 2012

If attritional cricket was required by both Pakistan and England in their current three match series, it was unapparent today, or, for that matter, the previous two days. It seems rather odd to be writing of, not only an England defeat, but one so enormous that the game ended in just three days – two short of the available five. It was just months ago when England were replicating this against their opponents. Yet, so dismal was their batting performance that they deserved no less than a hiding – which they achieved will maximum effect.

Forget daddy hundreds, England could barely muster a century of runs between them. This is a batting side so successful over recent times that it seemed impossible for them to vacate their utopian living. That perfection appears a distant dream now. 192 in the first innings seemed dreadful. 162 in the second was inexcusable. It was a batting display defined by insecurity – particularly when facing Saeed Ajmal, who outperformed the supposed world number one off-spinner Graeme Swann by a considerable distance.

Yet, it was not Swann, or indeed any of the bowlers, who caused the terrible result, or the monumental batting capitulation. In fact, England were only spared an embarrassing innings defeat as a result of a last wicket stand from Swann and James Anderson, who appeared more relaxed at the crease than their specialist team-mates.

There will be justifiable claims for Monty Panesar to add an extra spinning dimension to the side for the next match in Abu Dhabi. This would replicate the Ajmal-Abdur Rehman spinning duplet the Pakistanis opted for, with plentiful rewards. However, this would only shield the brutal truth – that the batsman not only underperformed, but did so with stark ineptitude.

England’s top six managed only 65 runs in their first effort – only number seven Matt Prior saving them further condemnation. That total was bettered by just 13 runs in the second, 49 from the bat of Jonathan Trott alone. Yet, despite these usually prosperous batsmen turning into paupers of the crease, it would be wrong to change the formula.

Panic is not the emotion that needs to be created, though that is unlikely anyway considering the calmness of the England management. Indeed unrest, disturbance and agitation are the last things that this batting order requires. The obdurate head-coach Andrew Flower should remain so. Accepting change and causing chaos would be catastrophic for a team so brilliant over recent years. The thriving batting order has been born out of stability – the names indelibly marked on the team-sheet with no reason for upsetting the balance.

We may stare at the scorecard in disbelief. However, this would disregard the efficiency of the Pakistani effort. Gone was the flamboyant inconsistency of the past. It was replaced with an assured tone, and collectivism about the team. Perhaps this mental strength was made by their success over recent years, instigating optimism rather than negativity when playing. Perhaps it also provided the mental belief that overcoming England, the world’s best, was possible.

The victory also occurred due to Saeed Ajmal. The man-of-the-match took ten wickets, all with precision and skill. Not a particularly assisting pitch may have caused pessimism over the significance of the role of the spin bowler. However, Ajmal combatted that with faster deliveries, his naturally low trajectory and, of course, his doosra – which bamboozled the batsmen, especially Ian Bell who was excellently undone twice.

This performance stood-out, yet everyone also chipped in. The game required no batting heroics, no double-hundreds or stunning centuries. Misbah ul-Haq, the captain, made 52. This was not the best score on the card, but it symbolises the understated efficacy of this team. This was a workman-like performance more similar to a Rahul Dravid than a Sir Vivian Richards.

This is no excuse, however, for England. If they had played close to their best they would have been victors here. The excuse of lack of practice is not one. They all played at least one, mostly two, practice matches, and they all practice regularly during the off-season. Captain Andrew Strauss attempted to also tell the inconvenient truth, and not hide away from the facts. The abject display was not just because Saeed Ajmal was terrific. It was neither because the pitch was different, nor the stadium eerily quiet. It was because England’s batsmen were plain awful for most of the match. It will have to and can only improve.

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