NASSER HUSSAIN: England have been utterly brilliant in pushing for win

NASSER HUSSAIN: England have been utterly brilliant in pushing for a win on one of the flattest surfaces I can remember… To have the guts to do something different is just what this Ben Stokes side is about

  • England have been brilliant in pushing for a result against Pakistan in Rawalpindi
  • Ben Stokes’ side need eight wickets to secure victory on the final day on Monday
  • Stokes was brave in his declaration in risking defeat to try and win the Test
  • The short ball tactic early on succeeded and epitomised their new look side 

This has been utterly brilliant from England, however this Test match pans out. To be pushing for a win on this surface, one of the flattest I can remember, and to be walking the walk after repeatedly saying they weren’t interested in a draw, is quite superb.

If you can manage to attract interest to a game played in conditions like these, then what Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum are doing for Test cricket is invaluable.

For previous generations of Test cricketers, 650 plays 570 would have meant only one thing: a bore draw. But the rate at which England have scored in both innings means that these old equations go out of the window. Who knows? Maybe Test cricket will be all right after all.

England have been utterly brilliant in pushing for a win in the first Test against Pakistan

The declaration from captain Ben Stokes to try and secure a result epitomises this team

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The short ball tactic at the start of the second innings worked after all openers had succeeded

I thought Stokes’s declaration was outstanding, even if Pakistan end up getting these runs or blocking for a draw. England knew they needed time to take 10 wickets on this lifeless Rawalpindi surface, and that meant giving themselves enough overs to do it, and dangle a carrot for the Pakistanis. Set too many, and they might have settled for a draw from the start.

Then to produce some out-of-the-box thinking with the ball was fantastic. I was on the outfield at tea when Mark Wood was marking out a run-up for Ben Stokes, and it was clear the captain was going to be taking the new ball.

England realised that the orthodox approach of pitching the ball up hadn’t worked in this game. After all, both sets of openers had put on 200-plus in the first innings, so they decided to do things differently.

Stokes and Ollie Robinson struck to give England a chance of securing a result on Monday

By contrast, the short stuff has unsettled a few, which can happen on slow pitches, where you have a bit more time to think about your choice of shot as a batter, rather than react instinctively. You don’t know whether to fend it off or take it on.

Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope both got out to the short one in England’s second innings, and both Abdullah Shafique and Babar Azam got in a tangle at the start of Pakistan’s chase.

To have the guts to do something different, and to carry on with it even after Pakistan’s openers got a few early boundaries away, is just what this team are about.

If anything, the way England bowled with the new ball was as exhilarating as their batting, which we have come to expect under this regime. In fact, I always felt scoring quickly on Pakistani pitches would be easier than taking 20 wickets, because the surfaces are so flat.

Harry Brook once again shone with the bat – he was top drawer in his innings of 87

Joe Root also had fun and took his guard as a left-hander at one point in the innings

But that doesn’t mean that what Harry Brook has done in this match isn’t out of the top drawer. Zak Crawley did well again, and Joe Root had a lot fun, even taking guard as a left-hander at one point, but the Brooks really is a special talent.

Certain lads, when they hit the ball, just look that bit different. Brook hits it harder, with his long levers and fast hands, and there’s a hint of Kevin Pietersen’s swagger about the way he works the ball to leg. He didn’t just come close to bludgeoning a second century in the game – he came close to bludgeoning a second elegant century. You can hear the sound off his bat. There are plenty of reasons to be excited.

If there’s one drawback with the way England are playing, it’s the fact that their bowlers aren’t getting much time to rest between innings. They spent 155 overs in the field when Pakistan batted, then got a break of just 35 overs because England motored along in their second innings.

But this doesn’t feel like the time to quibble. Win, lose or draw on Monday, England are reshaping Test cricket, and that’s something the whole game should celebrate.

A result may still not come in the game, but Stokes’ England are reshaping Test cricket




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