The Times - UK (2020-08-07)

64 2GM Friday August 7 2020 | the times

SportEngland v Pakistan: First Test

It all changed after lunch, just as it had
on the first day. But these were very
different circumstances. On that first
day there had been a problem with the
radar of England’s fast bowlers.
Now there was a more pressing prob-
lem with the England fielding, and we
are not just talking about the wicket-
keeping of Jos Buttler. As a unit it was
being exposed, it was being run ragged.
Yes, it was a questionable decision for
Joe Root to bowl alongside Dom Bess in
a spin duo for the five overs before a
new ball was due — and 27 runs
suddenly came in those five overs when
only 48 had been scored in the whole of
the first session of 26 overs. But it was
also a new and positive attitude in the
running between the wickets created
by Shadab Khan, who had arrived at the
crease just before the interval, which
suddenly altered the mood and tempo
of the Pakistan innings.
Shadab found a willing ally in opener
Shan Masood. The tall, left-handed
Shan had been as watchful and patient
as he had on the first day but now we
saw a very different side to him as he de-
lighted in pinching singles from under
English noses at every opportunity.
Before lunch there had been maidens
galore, now there were singles every-
where instead.
Even when the new ball was taken
the pilfering continued. And England
were criminally slow to react to the
policy.
They brought to mind a little the
nation’s rugby union side when
confronted by some unexpectedly dif-
ferent tactics from Italy in the 2017 Six
Nations.
Then the Italians controversially re-
fused to commit any players to rucks,
thereby meaning there was no offside
line, and England simply did not know

what to do with the Italians suddenly

standing in their attacking formations.

The rugby union law has actually

been changed as a result. But there was

no law loophole being exploited here by

Pakistan, just the reversion to a part of

the game that has become a little

neglected in this T20-dominated era of

shorter boundaries, big bats and power

hitting.

Shadab was quite brilliant in his pur-

pose and attitude. I wondered whether

there may have been some influence

from the former Pakistan batting

coach, the Zimbabwean Grant Flower

(Younis Khan now takes that role).

Flower has moved on to working with

Sri Lanka and when I messaged him he

was certainly not taking any credit for

the running of Shadab and Shan, but he

did joke that it was like watching the

two of us bat when we played together

in Zimbabwe — two batsmen without

any shots, being forced to run every-

thing.

He had a point. Running between the

wickets is the easiest part of batting and

it has always amazed me that so few

professional batsmen are really any

good at it.

How England lost their way after lunch

0

5

10

15

Lunch Tea^20

Overs

1 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60

Runs

Wicket

Before lunch

26 overs

48 runs

3 wickets

Between lunch

and tea

31 overs

125 runs

3 wickets

Art of quick single helps

Shan run England ragged

It takes no talent, which was rather

useful for someone like me. Indeed

when I was a professional with Glamor-

gan many moons ago one of the many

nicknames given to me — and definite-

ly the one of which I was proudest —

was “The Run Thief”. I used to steal

runs, and that’s what Shadab and Shan

were doing yesterday.

My colleague Michael Atherton

mentioned on commentary on Sky that

the work of Shadab and Shan was

rather like watching the old game of “tip

and run” and if any young cricketers

want to know how to learn to run

between the wickets it should be via

that game, where you have to run every

time you hit the ball.

It shows you what is possible if both

batsmen are committed to a run and to

pushing for twos in the outfield. It is

very hard to stop such intent, unless the

fielders move particularly close in,

something that England were so tardy

in doing. And it annoys bowlers beyond

measure when their supposedly good

balls are being taken for singles.

Then when the field does come in, it

is easier for the batsmen to thread the

ball past them if a boundary opportuni-

ty presents itself. There was one such

moment when Shan eased James An-

derson off the back foot through the

covers for four. It seemed all too easy to

pierce a field that was very nearly with-

in touching distance of the batsman.

Anderson’s curses were loud and long.

Shadab is a jaunty batsman anyway

but the running brought Shan out of his

shell, which was opportune as his

century was approaching. A snatched

single from Shadab gave Shan the strike

and the chance to take Anderson for

two the very next ball to reach three

figures.

England’s problems spread from

their fielding to their bowling and,

though Shadab went for 45, skying Bess

to mid-on, his partnership of 105 with

Shan had been critical.

Shan’s hundred had taken 251 balls

but to reach 150 took only another 60.

He had batted quite magnificently but

he certainly had Shadab to thank for a

change in both pace and method.

Steve James

DAN MULLAN/AP

Shan joins a rare club

Centuries by visiting openers in

England over past seven years

Chris Rogers (Aus) 110

Chester-le-Street August 2013

Murali Vijay (Ind) 146

Trent Bridge July 2014

Rogers 173

Lord’s July 2015

Dean Elgar (SA) 136

The Oval July 2017

Kraigg Brathwaite (WI) 134

Headingley Aug 2017

K L Rahul (Ind) 149

The Oval Sep 2018

Shan Masood (Pak) 156

Old Trafford yesterday

Shan hit a

third century

in his past

three Tests,

right, and

reignited the

innings after

lunch with a

host of quick

singles

alongside

Shadab, left