Gritty England build big lead over Pakistan
Contributions throughout the batting order helped England build a big lead over Pakistan on Day Two of the second Test at Headingley, but the lack of a defining score from any of their batsmen - all were dismissed between 17 and 49 - meant the touring side ended the day still theoretically in the contest.
After rain took time out of the start of the day, Joe Root and nightwatchman Dom Bess resumed with England two wickets down and 72 runs behind Pakistan. They scored briskly to begin with, Bess playing in just his second Test losing little in comparison with his captain at the other end, demonstrating his capability with the bat once again but falling a run short of a second consecutive fifty. Indeed, the young man who outlasted and outscored Root, who nicked behind for 45 within seven overs to the resumption.
It took an excellent ball from Mohammad Amir to remove him, angling across and just outside the off stump, but it didn’t signal the start of one of those destructive spells he has been known for, Bess instead adding 62 in the company of Dawid Malan, the highest partnership of the innings so far.
The lack of a slide will have pleased England who have shown a propensity to lose wickets in clumps in recent times. The closest they came was when Malan and Bess both fell within four overs of each other, both victims of extra bounce and both fending to first slip, the former off Amir and the latter off leg-spinner Shadab Khan.
That brought Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler together, and the two put on a measured counter-attack, looking to score without taking undue risks. Bairstow fell to the last delivery before the new ball became available, Faheem Ashraf managing to extract a nibble of away movement with the old ball, and though Woakes, on recall, made a start, he fell to perhaps the delivery of the day from Mohammad Abbas, which demanded a stroke before nipping away to kiss the edge.
Edging behind was a theme throughout the day, showing how the pitch still had some life in it, and how bowlers could find rewards if they kept their consistency. It also showed a renewed application from England, a few of whom had course to regret the shots the played last week at Lord’s. This week, they were determined not to throw their wickets away, and though no batsman passed fifty, all batsmen making a start meant they grafted out a lead of 128.
The game has in fact been almost entirely a role reversal from the match at Lord’s. The captain who won the toss chose to bat but saw their side collapse due to helpful bowling conditions and some profligate strokeplay, the opposition then building a lead and showing the way at the same time. At Lord’s it was Root, here it was Sarfraz Ahmed. It remains to be seen whether the rest of the game unfolds similarly, leading to a series-levelling victory for England, or if Pakistan can script a comeback to rank among the many great turnarounds they have produced, and leave with a first away series win against England since 1996.