Support NeoGAF

[Jezbollah]

What..
is...
going..
on...

 

[kmag]

Wahab Riaz is a bit of a moron. He's one of the best yorker bowlers in world cricket so he bowls everything short and goes for 17 runs

 

[kmag]

Already past yesterdays cut off.

Pakistan's fielding is an absolute disgrace.

 

[Steverulez]

Bairstow gone, must be Bell next?

 

[kmag]

Looking pretty dark now.

Very dark actually. I'm not sure what the umpires are playing at, it was far lighter yesterday when they went off. They're meant to use the same reading there's no wiggle room any more, if they go off once for light they have to use that reading from that point going forward.

 

[Zvonimir Boban]

Yeah, they should have gone off by now. It's blatantly darker than it's been when they've called play off previously.

There we go, draw.

 

[kmag]

That's it. Game stopped due to bad light. Pakistan cling on. Only Pakistan could conjure up that madness today.

 

[Tenebrous]

Shite ending to a test that's been shite for 4 days.

 

[kmag]

Shite ending to a test that's been shite for 4 days.

Pakistan are pretty toothless without a Yasir Shah or an Ajmal. England have a decent bowling attack but even putting their 7 wickets today, their spin bowling is ordinary at best.

 

[Zvonimir Boban]

Yep, really need Yasir fit for the rest of the series otherwise the attack isn't threatening at all.

It's a shame Rehman got the yips because he'd have been a nice option on this pitch, capable of bowling a little bit faster than the other spinners on display in this game which would add a bit of indecision into a batsman's footwork on a wicket which wasn't doing anything.

 

[Antiwhippy]

What happened to junaid khan?

 

[Zvonimir Boban]

Got hurt and hasn't quite been the same. He's young so I'm sure he'll be back before long.

 

[Antiwhippy]

Man, anyone catching the matador cup match today?

Guess shane watson has been doing some coaching on the side.

 

[Zvonimir Boban]

Only just catching up on the first day's play now but what the fuck at Misbah's bat?

Snapped the handle 90 degrees, the umpire tried to called for a new bat but Misbah gave zero fucks, popped it back into place and carried on batting with it for the next hour.

 

[bobnowhere]

^^ Lol wut?

Never change Misbah and never ever retire!

 

[Zvonimir Boban]

Yeah, it was bizarre. I wonder what the handle is made out of, can't be a regular cane handle can it?

Got to love Misbah's version of shutting up shop in the last over of the day:

 

[bobnowhere]

Poor effort from the PM's XI yesterday against a second string Kiwi side. Did nothing for Khawaja and Bancroft's prospects. Nice to see the two Canberra boys, Carters and Behrendorff, do well though.

 

[Zvonimir Boban]

Wahab is quite good isn't he? Bairstow has been so jammy otherwise England would be in big trouble, Sarfraz missed a somewhat straightforward caught behind chance off Yasir Shah and Younus caught him at slip only for the decision to overturned like low catches often are, even though England had a similar decision given out last test.

Umpires need to sort their shit out.

 

[Antiwhippy]

Yeah he's been really impressive ever since the world cup.

I don't recall seeing him before that but his stats before the world cup didn't seem that impressive.

 

[Zvonimir Boban]

He was pigeonholed as an ODI specialist, capable of picking up wickets but too inconsistent for tests. Someone who could bowl fast but didn't swing the ball much because his wrist position wasn't very good, which it still isn't tbf which is why he doesn't usually take the new ball.

I think Saeed Ajmal getting suspended for the World Cup was the best thing for Wahab as it meant that Pakistan had to change their plan to putting in the extra quick bowl and just bouncing the shit out of everyone and he looked like an absolute beast.

hahaha Rashid, what a fucking clown.

 

[Antiwhippy]

Yeah this pitch is going to be close to unplayable with yasir on by the 5th day.

 

[Zvonimir Boban]

I don't think the pitch is even that bad for batting right now, most of the big turn has been from outside off stump and the balls pitching in line with the stumps haven't spun big.

England have just batted like idiots, Wahab was brilliant this morning (as was Yasir) but Wood bowled similar spells on the first day. The difference there was that Misbah was happy to weather the storm, take the blows on the body and play out dot ball after dot ball.

England have bought into that bullshit about 'a new brand of aggressive cricket' and other nonsense and tried to put bat on ball constantly instead of grinding it out like you're supposed to in these conditions. Australia got absolutely destroyed here and there was never any real aggression shown by Pakistan in that series, it was a war of attrition like it always is in the UAE. They needed Cook to be out there today.

 

[Antiwhippy]

Nah, you underestimate how shit we (and england too) are at spin.

Wahab's spell was pretty awesome though.

Also I really don't get the point of zufiqar barbar. Barely factored into this series at all, even when he was the sole spinner.

 

[Zvonimir Boban]

I agree that Yasir is going to be unplayable in the fourth innings, I just think that England should have done much, much better today. Wood's review may have been the best thing ever, made Broad and Watson look good. He reviewed a review for fucks sake.

Zulfi needs to perform in the fourth innings otherwise he could be dropped, he's a liability in the field and he's batted like shit. The idea was that he would be the Rehman to Yasir's Ajmal but he doesn't bowl quick enough on these wickets to be a factor in the first half of a test.

 

[Jezbollah]

lol England. Jesus christ.

 

[kmag]

It's Pakistan, I expect them to get out for about 120 to give England a sniff on paper. As I type that, they're already 1/1

Masood is terrible at starting his innings, which is a slight problem as an opener.

 

[Zvonimir Boban]

That makes life easy for the selectors at least, Masood drops out to make way for Azhar Ali in the third test.

 

[kmag]

Oh Pakistan. 16/2.

 

[Zvonimir Boban]

*sigh*

 

[Antiwhippy]

61 sixes in 60 matches, yet has a strikerate of 43.

Seriously love misbah.

 

[Zvonimir Boban]

Misbah :****)

Shaped to sweep, keeper and slip both ran miles down the legside and he just opened the face and guided it past the now vacant first slip area.

I love him so much.

 

[Zvonimir Boban]

 

[Antiwhippy]

Over 9000 to Younis and well deserved.

 

[Zvonimir Boban]

England have just given up. I don't particularly rate Rashid but Cook hasn't helped him at all with his captaincy, you can't handle a leggie the same way you do a finger spinner.

EDIT: Stokes is on the verge of exploding any minute now, Misbah has driven him crazy with all these glances down to third man.

 

[Zvonimir Boban]

Got to love Wahab doing kick ups with the ball in front of Root

 

[Antiwhippy]

Yeeees England taste the might of yasir.

 

[Zvonimir Boban]

Yeeees England taste the might of yasir.

This is going to be your fault for jinxing him

 

[Antiwhippy]

Eh I wouldn't worry about it. Plenty of overs left with enough time for reverse to come into play.

 

[Zvonimir Boban]

Will Rashid just hurry up and throw his wicket away already? Just 15 overs left

 

[Zvonimir Boban]

7 overs left and Anderson was just dropped at short leg. Can someone charge down the pitch, have a wild swing and a miss and get stumped please?

 

[Antiwhippy]

This is seriously turning into the most pakistani thing ever.

edit: YAAAAASIR.

I knew my man would come through.

 

[Zvonimir Boban]

That's the next best thing to being stumped charging the spinner, what was Rashid thinking?

I FUCKING LOVE CRICKET

 

[bobnowhere]

Bad start for Bancroft and SMarsh in their hopes to play in the first test. Both out early in the shield.

 

[War Peaceman]

That's the next best thing to being stumped charging the spinner, what was Rashid thinking?

I FUCKING LOVE CRICKET

That was a good test and I'm glad you won because you deserved it (just as we deserved the win game 1).

How Bairstow keeps getting games I will never know...

 

[Antiwhippy]

He deserves the place more than buttler as of now, based on batting alone.

Haven't seen him keep for awhile so I dunno if he's adequate on that front. Buttler isn't that great of keeper that I'd keep him on for keeping alone.

 

[Jezbollah]

Buttler is basically broken right now. With Bairstow there Joss should be allowed some time away to fix his batting and get confidence back.

 

[bomma_man]

lol

 

[Antiwhippy]

Lol south Australia.

 

[bobnowhere]

Yeah I saw that, 3/1 and that's the Aussie nomenclature!

 

[Jezbollah]

Interesting to see the BBC now in discussions to broadcast England home test matches after Sky's deal runs out in 2020. If this happens, I really hope they are in it for the long haul and not just for a couple of years like their commitment to F1.