Pakistan’s batting coach Grant Flower has expressed that a long stint in the field was no excuse for the tourists’ collapse in the ongoing second Test against England at Old Trafford.
According to local media report, the former Zimbabwe star said: “That was extremely damaging. It wasn’t good enough, but we still have good players to come in and we will have to bat better second time around.”
Flower added, “There was weariness, and a huge score like that plays mind tricks. But that’s what happens in Test cricket, so it’s no excuse.”
Pakistan’s batsmen could not deal with the potency of the in-form Chris Woakes while Ben Stokes chipped in with a useful spell in the first innings of the Old Trafford Test, in which the tourists failed to cross 200-run mark.
England captain Alastair Cook, who made a first innings hundred, was 49 not out and vice-captain Joe Root, whose 254 in the same innings was his Test-best score, unbeaten on 23 at the stumps in the hosts’ second innings.
Reportedly, Grant was impressed with Joe Root’s ability to bat for long periods of time and post a massive score in the process. The Yorkshireman utilized the conditions to his advantage to cruise to a career-best 254.
However, Pakistan was dismissed for just 198 in reply to England's 589 for eight declared – a huge deficit of 391 runs. Misbah was the only Pakistani batsman to score a half-century but fell for 52, while Wahab made a career-best 39.
England have called up the cavalry, and covered all options, as they urgently seek to regroup in the second Investec Test against Pakistan.
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