PAK 378 & 354/6d beat ENG 242 & 312 by 178 runs
Nobody expected it to be cut this fine. England produced one of the finest stonewalling efforts in their history only to concede the second Test in Dubai to Pakistan with only 6.3 overs remaining on the final day. Six wickets down at lunch, eight well before tea, they were indebted to more than four hours of defiance by Adil Rashid before he became the last wicket to fall.
Rashid's maiden fifty in his second Test was a redoubtable effort as Pakistan's spinners tired on a surface that gradually lost its zip as the day progressed but, when least expected, Yasir Shah's legspin finally drew him into a drive through a curtain of close fielders and Zulfiqar Babar scooped up a catch at short cover. The tension was unclamped in an instant as Pakistan completed a victory by 178 runs to go 1-0 up with one to play.
It was an appropriate finale as Pakistan's two spin bowlers combined for the final wicket. They sent down 88.3 overs between them, sharing a return of 7 for 140 on a slow pitch that gave them plentiful encouragement, but no largesse. Pakistan have never bowled so many innings in the fourth innings of a Test, as both slow bowlers will be able to testify when they wake up with aching limbs in the morning.
Twice, it looked as if England's defeat would be a formality, firstly when Joe Root fell in the first hour of play and again, merely a confirmation of their plight, when Stuart Broad, silenced by a superb yorker from Wahab Riaz, became the eighth wicket to fall with 41 overs still left to bowl, the day barely past its mid-point.
Should Pakistan go on to win the series 2-0, they would go second in the ICC Test rankings, quite an achievement for a side unable to play Tests in their own country because of an unstable political situation. Their presence in World T20 is threatened by Indian extremists and, as if all that was not enough, even as the presentation ceremony took place their priority was to discover more news about an earthquake of 7.5 magnitude, centred upon Afghanistan, which had shaken Pakistan's major cities.
For England, the history of the past 10 years had told that survival was not statistically impossible. To bat out the final day would have stood alongside the most outstanding resistance efforts of the past decade: 148 overs by South Africa against Australia in Adelaide in 2012, a backs-to-the-wall innings led by Faf du Plessis, or England's own 143 overs against New Zealand in Auckland a few months later when Matt Prior's defiant hundred did the job. Ultimately, they managed 137.3.
England did not seem equipped for survival. Their lower-middle order was replete with shot-makers, untutored in the sort of turning conditions they had to confront on the final day. The spin and - initially at least - bounce that had been so reluctant to show itself on the fourth evening was available in abundance.
From the moment that Root departed, it felt like a matter of time, but nobody had reckoned for Rashid, who read his fellow spinners as if the holder of an exclusive code, leaving the ball impeccably and shifting the emphasis as the day wore on from wristy strokeplay to steely defence. He was dropped once, off Yasir on 42, when Mohammad Hafeez failed to hold a chance at gully shortly before tea.
England, beginning the last day on 130 for 3, their victory target of 491 irrelevant, added only 57 runs in the morning session as the pressure from Pakistan's spinners was unrelenting. For 50 minutes, the Yorkshire pair of Root and Jonny Bairstow defended stoutly, Root relaxing into the day, Bairstow holding himself stiffly as he stole the occasional run, not just his mind locked in concentration but his neck and shoulders too.
Then Zulfiqar dislodged Root and the anticipation in Pakistan's ranks immediately soared. He had already spun one past the outside edge; the second time he deceived Root, the edge came and Younis Khan pouched a good low catch at slip.
Bairstow followed five overs later. Yasir has bowled only the occasional googly in this Test, but when he gave it an airing, a full-length delivery deceived Bairstow in the air and he was bowled through the gate as he was suckered into a leg-side flick.
For Jos Buttler, there was another failure, one that could interrupt his Test career in Sharjah as England seek to regroup. At least he fell to an excellent delivery as Yasir made one turn and bounce from a challenging length and Younis stooped for his fourth slip catch of the innings, his offerings so plentiful that he might have been picking strawberries in the desert air.
Ben Stokes' torrid time against the turning ball was compulsive, behind-the-sofa viewing, a draining learning experience as he suppressed his attacking instincts and tried to come to terms with what for him were alien conditions.
Sky TV commentators, able to hear the stump mic, let slip that Pakistan's close fielders were chattering happily about the "Angry Man", and the Angry Man was under severe pressure. His first ball, from Yasir, flew safely into the leg side off an inside edge, catches claimed by the keeper or leg slip proved to have come off the pad. Asad Shafiq narrowly failed to rescue a short leg catch when Stokes had only a single to his name.
Twice, he might also have been stumped off Zulfiqar, not that the wicketkeeper, Sarfraz Ahmed was culpable, especially on the second occasion when the ball grubbed past Stokes' outside edge and thudded into his bootlaces. But it was the second new ball that removed him three overs into the afternoon, a short and wide delivery from Imran Khan, which he imagined might bring brief respite but which instead he edged to second slip.
Broad then teamed up with Rashid in an eighth-wicket stand of 60 in 15 overs, surviving a peppering from Wahab before the left-arm quick, straining every sinew, unearthed him with an excellent yorker.
Two Pakistan reviews went unanswered by tea, both off Zulfiqar, as Pakistan hunted unavailingly for an inside edge, Rashid, on 4, and Wood, 16, standing firm as a cluster of close fielders sent shrill appeals into a cloudless sky.
Wood clambered into Wahab, taking three fours off four balls before tea, but then became strokeless, spending what seemed to be half his life on 26. When does a batting side in such a predicament really believe it can hold out? Twenty, 25 overs maybe? Or, in the case of Dubai, that brief period when the pitch is bisected by sun and shade, an unmissable first indication that the day will soon be drawing to a close.
When Zulfiqar made one turn and bounce to have Wood caught by Hafeez at slip, 11.2 overs remained and out walked England's last man, James Anderson. Optimists spoke of Cardiff, when he held out against Australia; pessimists recalled Headingley when Sri Lanka prised him out in the last over and he was reduced to tears.
With eight overs remaining, Anderson, on 0, was dropped by Shafiq, one of two short legs, off Zulfiqar. Was the luck with England? But Yasir, the man who had said after Abu Dhabi that he could make the difference, struck home. Not quite a world-beater perhaps, on this evidence, but with the final act, and match figures of 8 for 190, he had every reason to feel like one.
SL 200 & 206 beat WI 163 & 171 by 72 runs
Sri Lanka had come into the series against West Indies in a state of flux, after having lost two home Test series in a year for only the second time. Kumar Sangakkara had retired after the second Test against India, and coach Marvan Atapattu had resigned. However, they rallied to sweep West Indies 2-0, after a 72-run win before tea on the final day of the second Test at the P Sara Oval, despite four sessions getting washed out.
Milinda Siriwardana, whose 68 in the first innings turned out to the top score in the match, picked up three wickets in the final innings to trigger the slide. Sri Lanka's lead spinner Rangana Herath claimed four wickets to skittle the visitors, who began the day at 20 for 1, for 171.
West Indies' innings followed a similar pattern with one batsman making a fifty - Darren Bravo in this case - and the others deflating like cheap party balloons.
Siriwardana struck in his first over for the third innings in a row, having Shai Hope stumped for 35. He followed that with the wicket of Jermaine Blackwood 20 minutes before the lunch. In between, offspinner Dilruwan Perera also chipped in to prolong Marlon Samuels' lean patch against Sri Lanka.
Samuels was dismissed for his ninth single-digit score against the hosts in 17 innings, when he feebly poked and nicked to slip where Angelo Mathews completed a sharp, low catch. The dismissal was reviewed and Samuels was given out by third umpire Marias Erasmus, who decided Mathews had caught it cleanly even as the ball bounced out of his right hand and into his left.
Herath then engineered a double-strike in his fourth over after lunch to remove Denesh Ramdin and Bravo. Jomel Warrican, one of the few positives in an otherwise dark series for West Indies, summoned some late blows in a last-wicket partnership of 33 to only delay Sri Lanka's victory.
West Indies had begun the day brightly amid overcast conditions, before letting the advantage slip away. Hope was sure-footed and ticked along smoothly. He serenely drove Dhammika Prasad past mid-on, and greeted Herath with a pulled four. Bravo looked fidgety early on, playing and missing outside off to add to a few pokey drives. Soon, a Prasad half-volley provided a release and Bravo found his mojo as he drove it through the covers. He then stepped out and hit Perera on to the sightscreen before a repeat of the big hit brought up only the third fifty stand of the match.
West Indies had squeezed out 14 partnerships of more than 20 in this series but none of them had passed 50, until the last day of the second Test. Hope and Bravo addressed the issue, adding 60 together, but it was not enough to help West Indies secure their first Test win in Sri Lanka.
Monday 26 October 2015
Sunday 25 October 2015
PAK V ENG (Day 4), SL V WI (Day 4 abandoned), 5th ODI IND V SA
PAK 378 & 354/6d V ENG 242 & 130/3 (target 491)
England's prospects of batting out time to save the Dubai Test rest not for the first time on the slim shoulders of Joe Root. It is no wonder he has a stiff back because he spends much of the time carrying the top order on it. England's first-innings batting in this Test should have come in yellow and black with a suitable warning: Danger, heavy load, use forklift.
England's target was 491, presumed to be unassailable, and their hopes of survival a distant dream. Root nevertheless committed himself to that end, limiting his shot selection, increasingly turning his mind to spick-and-span defence. He was unbeaten on 59 by the close of the fourth day, England three down with the runs required reduced to 361.
A thick edge against Yasir to bring up his 50 was a rare moment of vulnerability, but more apposite was the fact that no England batsman has ever made more half-centuries in a calendar year. There has been enough chat around the bat for him to gain a grounding in several Pakistani dialects if he sees this one out.
To Pakistan's disappointment, the pitch has provided few devils as yet, its gradual loss of pace not yet giving way to savage bounce and turn for the spinners, although one senses it is only a matter of time. Only in the closing overs did Yasir's threat really gather. Wahab Riaz's pace was also down a few kph on the first innings and Root was disinclined to risk the front-foot drive. When Wahab kicked the ball along the turf at a drinks break (fairly innocently, replays suggested), Root, suspecting some shady business, warned him that spikes in the ball was not an option.
Yasir was unwell enough to skip morning nets, but he looked energetic enough in his 16 overs and had the crucial wicket of Alastair Cook to his name by his second. He does not have the body shape to satisfy an England fitness assessment, but as far as spinners go he is a navvy, a navvy, too, with many tools at his disposal, even if the googly has barely been seen.
The last thing England wanted was the sight of Cook limping badly, something that was obvious to everybody, it seemed, except the medical staff who insisted he was fine. That Cook's mobility was severely compromised was obvious every time he broke into a pained trot and Yasir tempted him to sweep at a ball that turned from the rough, resulting in a catch at deep backward square by Wahab, one of three fielders stationed for that eventuality.
Moeen had already gone, falling to a shot that might have been designed to question further his fitness for a Test opener's role, a foot-fast slash at a wide one from Imran Khan which flew to second slip and left the batsman stooping in self-recrimination. Imran indulged in lots of "me, me, me" chest pointing and soon afterwards pounded with equal conviction down the middle of the pitch, a transgression which brought an official warning.
Ian Bell was in dire need of a score. England will reshuffle in Sharjah, however disinclined to do so, and Bell and Jos Buttler are most vulnerable. He acquitted himself determinedly in a gentle stand of 102 in 35 overs with Root but fell half an hour before the close. For once, Zulfiqar Babar found bounce in the surface and, as he tried to leave, the ball grazed his glove. Pakistan won the decision thanks to as DRS appeal, perhaps relieved to find that the third umpire had a zoom-in camera at his disposal when rumour was he had little more to fall back on than a monitor, an apple and a fold-up chair.
The morning belonged to Younis Khan. No Pakistan cricketer relishes their inability to play Tests in their own country, but Younis, more than anyone, has made the UAE a beneficial second home. Ten of his 31 Test hundreds have come in the Gulf states, the latest against England in Dubai as Pakistan's batsmen continued to pound them into the ground.
He fell for 118, swinging Adil Rashid lustily to leg whereupon Moeen sprinted 25 yards to hold a skied top-edge behind the bowler. It was a rare moment of pleasure for England's two spinners who had only two wickets to show for their efforts - both in the final slog - and who played second fiddle to England's hard-pressed pace attack for long periods.
By the time Pakistan declared half-an-hour into the fourth afternoon, they had added 132 runs in the day and England's requirement was already comfortably in excess of the record 418 successfully pursued by West Indies against Australia in Antigua in 2003.
Misbah, like Younis, began with a hundred in range, but for the second time in the match he did not add to his overnight score. Perhaps he is not someone who leans happily into a bright, new day. He was already the oldest player to score two centuries in a Test but he was not about to enhance his own record. Anderson slipped in a slower ball and he slotted it straight to his rival captain, Cook, at mid-off.
England's pace bowlers were a bit moody. On a slowing, wearing, fourth-day pitch where they might have hoped the spinners would be all over Pakistan, they were still doing their stuff. Anderson had a tiny collision with Asad Shafiq and Stokes, his mood not helped by a tweaked ankle, was all Marmite temper, his savoury mood congealing over another blazing day. Appropriately so, as England were toast.
By the time he reached the 90s, Younis was settled enough to toy with the bowlers, goading Stuart Broad by changing his position at the crease. Splay-legged and square on, he worked Broad through square leg to 98 then cut Rashid to reach his century in the next over.
Misbah, sat regally on the dressing room balcony behind a pedestal fan, seemed inclined to let Shafiq try for a century, too. A glove-carrier came out presumably with a message to tell him how much time he had but he was still 21 runs short when Moeen had him lbw, a review failing to save him. Misbah stretched, slowly rose to his feet to prepare for the work ahead, and called them in.
SL V WI
Persistent rain forced the umpires to abandon the fourth day of the second Test at the P Sara Oval in Colombo at 3pm local time. The morning session was scheduled to start at 9.45am, after the final session on the third day was washed out, but a steady rain, to add to overnight showers, meant that no play was possible at all.
Chasing 244 for their first win in Sri Lanka, West Indies had lost Kraigg Brathwaite lbw to Dhammika Prasad for 3, minutes before rain forced an early end on the third day.
The second day of the Test was affected by rain as well, with the start getting delayed by 30 minutes. The forecast for the final day does not look promising either.
South Africa 438 for 4 (du Plessis 133, de Villiers 119, de Kock 109) beat India 224 (Rahane 87, Dhawan 60, Rabada 4-41) by 214 runs
South Africa won their first-ever bilateral series in India after Faf du Plessis' first, Quinton de Kock's second and AB de Villiers' third centuries of the series, which helped the visitors soar to the highest total in the five matches, the highest at the Wankhede and the highest against India. They did not subject India to their biggest margin of defeat, but they did bowl them out more than 200 runs short of the target, no mean feat in batsmen-friendly conditions.
South Africa's line-up enjoyed the track, which offered almost no bounce or turn most, and applied aggression in waves reminiscent of the day nine years ago when they scored this exact number of runs against Australia at the Wanderers. Then, South Africa were chasing, this time they were making India's bowlers do that. India have never conceded more runs in an ODI; South Africa have scored more but only by one. This was their sixth score over 400 and fourth in 2015 alone, and it underlined their ability to dominate opposition on their own turf.
India will be disappointed by the way their challenge died in both departments. Their bowlers began with an over-reliance on the short ball and then just ran out of ideas while their batsmen showed the right intent upfront but lost wickets trying to sustain the scoring rate. In the end, they conceded a second series to South Africa on the tour with the main event, the Tests, still to come.
The signs of South African authority were evident from the start. They raced to fifty inside six overs during which Hashim Amla became the fastest batsmen to 6,000 ODI runs. Amla was dismissed cheaply for a fifth time in the series but that did not have an impact on South Africa's morale.
De Kock owned the pull shot and with the seamers failing to generate anything, MS Dhoni introduced spin in the seventh over. Harbhajan Singh kept things tight at first but the tension was routinely broken at the other end. South Africa grew in confidence, brought up 100 in the 15th over and appeared unstoppable until de Kock hit Amit Mishra in the air to mid-off and presented a chance. Mohit Sharma got fingertips to the ball but could not hold on. De Kock was on 58 at the time and Mohit's mistake would prove costly.
He was seeing the ball well and found the rope so regularly, there was barely a need for singles. More than two-thirds of his runs came in boundaries but he reached his century, his fifth against India and eighth overall, with a single.
Du Plessis had almost been a spectator in the proceedings and allowed de Kock most of the strike but when de Kock was caught on the long-off boundary, he knew he had to take over. With de Villiers egging him on, du Plessis upped the ante, assisted by Dhoni using part-timers Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli against South Africa's two most destructive batsmen. They pierced the gaps and hit with power as the intensity increased.
De Villiers injected impetus into the innings with his scoring rate - his fifty came off 34 balls - and du Plessis followed suit. After taking 61 balls to score fifty, he needed just 44 more deliveries to get a century, even as he battled cramps to get there.
South Africa entered the last ten overs on 294 for 2 but would have been wary of the squeeze that can strike with the new playing conditions. This time, they were not strangled. Du Plessis plundered 24 runs off the 43rd over, bowled by Axar Patel, even though he could barely stand up and had to retire hurt on 133.
Then, it was de Villiers' turn. His century came off the 57th ball he faced to chants of "ABD" from the Wankhede crowd. South Africa were on the brink of 400 when de Villiers edged an attempted pull and was caught behind and India had finally got through the senior batsmen. Farhaan Behardien and David Miller had free reign to slog as hard as they wanted and they made the most of what time they had. South Africa scored 144 runs in the last ten overs. By the time India had that many, it looked as though a thriller might just play out.
India lost Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the first eight overs of the reply but Shikhar Dhawan, who had been middling until this match, and Ajinkya Rahane kept them in it. Rahane was particularly severe on Dale Steyn and Imran Tahir but neither of them targeted South Africa's fifth bowler, Behardien, as much as they should have. Still, they applied pressure, forced mistakes from South Africa in the field and were on track despite the length of the journey.
Then it all changed when Kagiso Rabada proved there is no substitute for pure pace. He was brought back on in the 23nd over, angled a fuller ball across Dhawan and drew the leading edge. Hashim Amla fell face first taking the catch and India were faltering. In Rabada's next over, he dished up a leg-stump yorker than snuck past Suresh Raina and broke the back of the Indian chase.
Rahane, who batted with composure and class and scored 50 off 41 balls, was feeling the heat. He holed out to midwicket off Dale Steyn, whose veins popped. In South Africa, the corks would have been doing the same as the series was all but sealed. India lost their last five wickets for 29 runs and South Africa secured a second limited-overs series on their longest-ever visit to India.
England's prospects of batting out time to save the Dubai Test rest not for the first time on the slim shoulders of Joe Root. It is no wonder he has a stiff back because he spends much of the time carrying the top order on it. England's first-innings batting in this Test should have come in yellow and black with a suitable warning: Danger, heavy load, use forklift.
England's target was 491, presumed to be unassailable, and their hopes of survival a distant dream. Root nevertheless committed himself to that end, limiting his shot selection, increasingly turning his mind to spick-and-span defence. He was unbeaten on 59 by the close of the fourth day, England three down with the runs required reduced to 361.
A thick edge against Yasir to bring up his 50 was a rare moment of vulnerability, but more apposite was the fact that no England batsman has ever made more half-centuries in a calendar year. There has been enough chat around the bat for him to gain a grounding in several Pakistani dialects if he sees this one out.
To Pakistan's disappointment, the pitch has provided few devils as yet, its gradual loss of pace not yet giving way to savage bounce and turn for the spinners, although one senses it is only a matter of time. Only in the closing overs did Yasir's threat really gather. Wahab Riaz's pace was also down a few kph on the first innings and Root was disinclined to risk the front-foot drive. When Wahab kicked the ball along the turf at a drinks break (fairly innocently, replays suggested), Root, suspecting some shady business, warned him that spikes in the ball was not an option.
Yasir was unwell enough to skip morning nets, but he looked energetic enough in his 16 overs and had the crucial wicket of Alastair Cook to his name by his second. He does not have the body shape to satisfy an England fitness assessment, but as far as spinners go he is a navvy, a navvy, too, with many tools at his disposal, even if the googly has barely been seen.
The last thing England wanted was the sight of Cook limping badly, something that was obvious to everybody, it seemed, except the medical staff who insisted he was fine. That Cook's mobility was severely compromised was obvious every time he broke into a pained trot and Yasir tempted him to sweep at a ball that turned from the rough, resulting in a catch at deep backward square by Wahab, one of three fielders stationed for that eventuality.
Moeen had already gone, falling to a shot that might have been designed to question further his fitness for a Test opener's role, a foot-fast slash at a wide one from Imran Khan which flew to second slip and left the batsman stooping in self-recrimination. Imran indulged in lots of "me, me, me" chest pointing and soon afterwards pounded with equal conviction down the middle of the pitch, a transgression which brought an official warning.
Ian Bell was in dire need of a score. England will reshuffle in Sharjah, however disinclined to do so, and Bell and Jos Buttler are most vulnerable. He acquitted himself determinedly in a gentle stand of 102 in 35 overs with Root but fell half an hour before the close. For once, Zulfiqar Babar found bounce in the surface and, as he tried to leave, the ball grazed his glove. Pakistan won the decision thanks to as DRS appeal, perhaps relieved to find that the third umpire had a zoom-in camera at his disposal when rumour was he had little more to fall back on than a monitor, an apple and a fold-up chair.
The morning belonged to Younis Khan. No Pakistan cricketer relishes their inability to play Tests in their own country, but Younis, more than anyone, has made the UAE a beneficial second home. Ten of his 31 Test hundreds have come in the Gulf states, the latest against England in Dubai as Pakistan's batsmen continued to pound them into the ground.
He fell for 118, swinging Adil Rashid lustily to leg whereupon Moeen sprinted 25 yards to hold a skied top-edge behind the bowler. It was a rare moment of pleasure for England's two spinners who had only two wickets to show for their efforts - both in the final slog - and who played second fiddle to England's hard-pressed pace attack for long periods.
By the time Pakistan declared half-an-hour into the fourth afternoon, they had added 132 runs in the day and England's requirement was already comfortably in excess of the record 418 successfully pursued by West Indies against Australia in Antigua in 2003.
Misbah, like Younis, began with a hundred in range, but for the second time in the match he did not add to his overnight score. Perhaps he is not someone who leans happily into a bright, new day. He was already the oldest player to score two centuries in a Test but he was not about to enhance his own record. Anderson slipped in a slower ball and he slotted it straight to his rival captain, Cook, at mid-off.
England's pace bowlers were a bit moody. On a slowing, wearing, fourth-day pitch where they might have hoped the spinners would be all over Pakistan, they were still doing their stuff. Anderson had a tiny collision with Asad Shafiq and Stokes, his mood not helped by a tweaked ankle, was all Marmite temper, his savoury mood congealing over another blazing day. Appropriately so, as England were toast.
By the time he reached the 90s, Younis was settled enough to toy with the bowlers, goading Stuart Broad by changing his position at the crease. Splay-legged and square on, he worked Broad through square leg to 98 then cut Rashid to reach his century in the next over.
Misbah, sat regally on the dressing room balcony behind a pedestal fan, seemed inclined to let Shafiq try for a century, too. A glove-carrier came out presumably with a message to tell him how much time he had but he was still 21 runs short when Moeen had him lbw, a review failing to save him. Misbah stretched, slowly rose to his feet to prepare for the work ahead, and called them in.
SL V WI
Persistent rain forced the umpires to abandon the fourth day of the second Test at the P Sara Oval in Colombo at 3pm local time. The morning session was scheduled to start at 9.45am, after the final session on the third day was washed out, but a steady rain, to add to overnight showers, meant that no play was possible at all.
Chasing 244 for their first win in Sri Lanka, West Indies had lost Kraigg Brathwaite lbw to Dhammika Prasad for 3, minutes before rain forced an early end on the third day.
The second day of the Test was affected by rain as well, with the start getting delayed by 30 minutes. The forecast for the final day does not look promising either.
South Africa 438 for 4 (du Plessis 133, de Villiers 119, de Kock 109) beat India 224 (Rahane 87, Dhawan 60, Rabada 4-41) by 214 runs
South Africa won their first-ever bilateral series in India after Faf du Plessis' first, Quinton de Kock's second and AB de Villiers' third centuries of the series, which helped the visitors soar to the highest total in the five matches, the highest at the Wankhede and the highest against India. They did not subject India to their biggest margin of defeat, but they did bowl them out more than 200 runs short of the target, no mean feat in batsmen-friendly conditions.
South Africa's line-up enjoyed the track, which offered almost no bounce or turn most, and applied aggression in waves reminiscent of the day nine years ago when they scored this exact number of runs against Australia at the Wanderers. Then, South Africa were chasing, this time they were making India's bowlers do that. India have never conceded more runs in an ODI; South Africa have scored more but only by one. This was their sixth score over 400 and fourth in 2015 alone, and it underlined their ability to dominate opposition on their own turf.
India will be disappointed by the way their challenge died in both departments. Their bowlers began with an over-reliance on the short ball and then just ran out of ideas while their batsmen showed the right intent upfront but lost wickets trying to sustain the scoring rate. In the end, they conceded a second series to South Africa on the tour with the main event, the Tests, still to come.
The signs of South African authority were evident from the start. They raced to fifty inside six overs during which Hashim Amla became the fastest batsmen to 6,000 ODI runs. Amla was dismissed cheaply for a fifth time in the series but that did not have an impact on South Africa's morale.
De Kock owned the pull shot and with the seamers failing to generate anything, MS Dhoni introduced spin in the seventh over. Harbhajan Singh kept things tight at first but the tension was routinely broken at the other end. South Africa grew in confidence, brought up 100 in the 15th over and appeared unstoppable until de Kock hit Amit Mishra in the air to mid-off and presented a chance. Mohit Sharma got fingertips to the ball but could not hold on. De Kock was on 58 at the time and Mohit's mistake would prove costly.
He was seeing the ball well and found the rope so regularly, there was barely a need for singles. More than two-thirds of his runs came in boundaries but he reached his century, his fifth against India and eighth overall, with a single.
Du Plessis had almost been a spectator in the proceedings and allowed de Kock most of the strike but when de Kock was caught on the long-off boundary, he knew he had to take over. With de Villiers egging him on, du Plessis upped the ante, assisted by Dhoni using part-timers Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli against South Africa's two most destructive batsmen. They pierced the gaps and hit with power as the intensity increased.
De Villiers injected impetus into the innings with his scoring rate - his fifty came off 34 balls - and du Plessis followed suit. After taking 61 balls to score fifty, he needed just 44 more deliveries to get a century, even as he battled cramps to get there.
South Africa entered the last ten overs on 294 for 2 but would have been wary of the squeeze that can strike with the new playing conditions. This time, they were not strangled. Du Plessis plundered 24 runs off the 43rd over, bowled by Axar Patel, even though he could barely stand up and had to retire hurt on 133.
Then, it was de Villiers' turn. His century came off the 57th ball he faced to chants of "ABD" from the Wankhede crowd. South Africa were on the brink of 400 when de Villiers edged an attempted pull and was caught behind and India had finally got through the senior batsmen. Farhaan Behardien and David Miller had free reign to slog as hard as they wanted and they made the most of what time they had. South Africa scored 144 runs in the last ten overs. By the time India had that many, it looked as though a thriller might just play out.
India lost Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the first eight overs of the reply but Shikhar Dhawan, who had been middling until this match, and Ajinkya Rahane kept them in it. Rahane was particularly severe on Dale Steyn and Imran Tahir but neither of them targeted South Africa's fifth bowler, Behardien, as much as they should have. Still, they applied pressure, forced mistakes from South Africa in the field and were on track despite the length of the journey.
Then it all changed when Kagiso Rabada proved there is no substitute for pure pace. He was brought back on in the 23nd over, angled a fuller ball across Dhawan and drew the leading edge. Hashim Amla fell face first taking the catch and India were faltering. In Rabada's next over, he dished up a leg-stump yorker than snuck past Suresh Raina and broke the back of the Indian chase.
Rahane, who batted with composure and class and scored 50 off 41 balls, was feeling the heat. He holed out to midwicket off Dale Steyn, whose veins popped. In South Africa, the corks would have been doing the same as the series was all but sealed. India lost their last five wickets for 29 runs and South Africa secured a second limited-overs series on their longest-ever visit to India.
Saturday 24 October 2015
PAK V ENG (Day 3), SL V WI (Day 3)
Pakistan 378 and 222 for 3 lead England 242 by 358 runs
In little more than an hour on the third morning, the balance of the second Test, and perhaps with it the series, swung heavily in Pakistan's favour. England collapsed calamitously, surrendering to panic where once there had been order, disorientated once more in the shifting sands of the UAE. From that moment, it seemed there was no way back.
Pakistan, thrillingly opportunistic, claimed the last seven England wickets for 36 in 18 overs then, with a first-innings lead of 136 at their disposal, bedded in as if nothing untoward had happened, a salutary reminder that the Dubai pitch remained good for batting and that England's batsmen had brought much of the suffering upon themselves.
By the close, Pakistan had extended their lead to 358 runs with seven wickets still standing, and are now mightily placed to go 1-0 up in the three-Test series. England are already well into uncharted territory, their highest chase being 332 for 7 against Australia in 1928.
Watching Pakistan's experienced fourth-wicket pair, Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq guide Pakistan into a position of supremacy as the shadows lengthened, their unbroken stand worth 139, the sensation grew that some of the emphasis on attacking cricket by England's young middle order is so much fluff and that, in Test cricket at least, enterprise must come from a solid technical base. Otherwise, what is left is largely self-indulgence.
Misbah's method has been unshakeable. He has obstructed the pace bowlers with straight-batted defiance, impervious to the periods when the game has meandered along, then has burst into life against the spinners with Adil Rashid, in particular, lofted dispassionately into the open spaces on the leg side. Younis kept his flirtier moments under wraps, a paragon of virtue.
But Misbah should have fallen to Ben Stokes on 56 only for Jos Buttler to remain static when the edge came, his batting ills perhaps eating away at his wicket-keeping. Stokes, nearing the end of a staunch spell, understandably sledged away his frustration. Sledging Misbah seems unlikely to succeed, but he probably felt better for it.
If England's morning collapse was reminiscent of their disarray on their last visit to the UAE when Pakistan's spinners ran riot, this time it was Wahab Riaz's left-arm pace that led the way in an outstanding introductory spell of 9-5-15-3. It was arguably the coolest weather of the series, the temperature barely touching 30C, but it was a prodigious summoning of hostility nonetheless.
Wahab, at 30, is now stating himself as one of the finest fast bowlers in the world, so accomplished these days that one can observe his 14 Tests and wonder how the figure is not so much higher.
Evenly placed at the start of the third day, England were hustled into distraction, dismissed on the stroke of lunch for 242. Misbah, recognising that at 182 for 3 the game was in the balance, turned immediately to his two most potent bowlers, teaming the left-arm pace of Wahab with the leg spin of Yasir Shah.
England had no answer. Wahab occasionally reversed the ball at pace and Yasir, a dangerous ally, was a bundle of ambition, buoyed by the knowledge that the pitch was drying and scuffing by the hour. They shared the first six wickets evenly, cranking up the challenge when it most mattered, making such short shrift of England that, even with two innings remaining, discussions immediately resurfaced about the persistent batting ailments displayed by the likes of Ian Bell and Buttler.
Lift the Root and the undersoil can look thin. From the moment that Root departed for 88, driving optimistically at Wahab to give the wicketkeeper, Sarfraz Ahmed, the first of three successive catches, England crumbled.
Root's positivity has been one of the hallmarks of a year in which he has vied with Steven Smith as the best batsman in the world, and his runs have disguised England's failings elsewhere, but this time such eagerness proved his downfall.
As much as his fellow Yorkshireman, Jonny Bairstow, tried to repel the charge, there was no certainty in his resistance and both Stokes and Buttler looked ill-equipped to soak up the pressure.
Stokes suffered for ponderous footwork when Wahab found a little extra bounce outside off stump, while Buttler is technically tangled and so low on self-belief that his place in the side is surviving because of reputation rather than performance. His desire to stay inside the line persuaded Wahab to switch to round the wicket and he hung out his bat without conviction. Another failure in the second innings could be terminal.
Rashid's dismissal was most culpable. Perhaps unsettled by his first delivery, which he allowed to skip past his off stump by a narrow margin, he had a slog at his second ball from Yasir and was caught in the covers from a leading edge. That dismissal, in particular, smacked of a failure to combat the mounting pressure.
It could have been worse. Bairstow did overturn a slip catch by Younis on review - one of those marginal decisions when the camera opposes the instincts of the fielder - but he failed to survive a second review when Yasir threw in a quicker delivery. Yasir's quicker ball troubled him and he looked particularly vulnerable on the cut shot.
England's collapse even had a moment of farce. When Wood was given out by Paul Reiffel, the on-field umpire summoned help from the third umpire, Chris Gaffaney, to ascertain whether the edge had come before Wood's bat ground into the dirt, which Gaffaney concluded was the case. Wood then reviewed, clinging to some outlandish theory that the third umpire might then overturn his own decision. Perhaps it was an inability to accept the truth, a belief that the process had not been properly followed, or a hot sun had finally begun to have its effect.
Broad then did survive another TV verdict, requested by Reiffel, perhaps fortunately, when Pakistan clamoured for a catch off the boot of the short leg, Masood, sweeping. It was a short reprieve. When Imran Khan had Anderson caught off the shoulder of the bat in the next over, it was all over. The sun burned down - and England's bowlers were about to go out in it again far sooner than they had hoped.
They did make early inroads. Masood remains Anderson's bunny, dismissed four times in the last 17 deliveries he has faced from the leader of England's attack, the latest addition being a regulation edge to the wicketkeeper in Anderson's first over. He had already been dropped, on 0, by Buttler, off Broad.
Shoaib Malik, perhaps anticipating a short delivery from Wood, played on as he drove with non-existent footwork while Hafeez threatened to settle the contest quickly in Pakistan's favour, pulling Wood confidently to reach his half-century before he drove at the next ball and edged to Root at first slip.
The partnership that mattered included another statistical milestone for Younis - 9,000 Test runs passed - and an exceptional piece of old-manning by Misbah who shaped to sweep Rashid and, aware of the activity behind his back where the keeper, Buttler, and slip, Anderson, were rushing to the leg side in anticipation, adjusted at the last second to steer the ball through what was now a vacant slip region. All this cat-and-mouse has been made permissible by a recent change in the laws by MCC, which gave fielders licence to move before the ball has been bowled. Misbah's resourceful response showed that, 41 or not, he is far from set in his ways.
Part-time offspinner Kraigg Brathwaite, who had managed only three wickets in 81 first-class matches before this Test, claimed figures of 11.3-4-29-6 to run through Sri Lanka's middle and lower order, but contrasting forties from Milinda Siriwardana and Angelo Mathews set the visitors a target of 244. However, Brathwaite then get out for a scratchy 3, minutes before scheduled tea as rain ended the session and eventually the day with West Indies still 224 away from their target.
With the pitch starting to play more tricks, West Indies face the prospect of delivering their best batting performance of the series for them to draw level with Sri Lanka. Brathwaite's struggle with the bat continued. He was pinned lbw by a Dhammika Prasad incoming ball, after surviving two loud appeals on 0 - one for lbw and the other for a catch down the leg side.
The other opener, Shai Hope, also survived an lbw appeal, on 11, but the on-field call of not out prevailed because of umpire's call, after Mathews had reviewed the decision. Hope stayed unbeaten on 17 off 28 balls before rain interrupted.
Despite the regular loss of wickets, Sri Lanka were earlier pushed ahead by a busy 67-run partnership between Siriwardana and Mathews.
If Kaushal Silva's 105-ball vigil was boundaryless, Siriwardana's second and third scoring shots were caressed past the covers for fours. He clouted Jomel Warrican over midwicket and to the cow corner for a four and six, and then sent Devendra Bishoo straight down the ground for another six. By then the lead had crossed 150. Bishoo got alarming turn but erred short, as he has been throughout the series, allowing Mathews to settle down.
Mathews wedged the ball into the gaps, and was the ninth Sri Lanka batsman dismissed, off Brathwaite for 46, falling short of his fifth fifty-plus score in five Tests at the P Sara Oval. Dilruwan Perera nicked to slip the next ball, giving Brathwaite his sixth wicket, and Jermaine Blackwood his fifth catch.
West Indies had also begun well before ceding the stage to Siriwardana and Mathews. Warrican found the outside edge of Dinesh Chandimal's bat in the first over of the day, but it snuck away to the right of Denesh Ramdin and did not carry to slip either.
It was not long before Silva's bubble burst as he played against the turn, lobbing a catch straight to Blackwood at slip. Two balls later, Jerome Taylor removed Chandimal with an inducker, Ramdin taking a sharp catch flinging himself to his left.
Brathwaite followed it with another double-strike. He first got one to spin away from round the wicket and nipped out Siriwardana. He then struck at the stroke of lunch, having Kusal Perera forcing an edge behind to leave the hosts six down for 165.
Herath came out swinging after lunch, hitting reverse-sweeps as well as orthodox sweeps in a 30-run stand with Mathews. Brathwaite, however, polished Sri Lanka off, the last four wickets tumbling for 11 runs.
In little more than an hour on the third morning, the balance of the second Test, and perhaps with it the series, swung heavily in Pakistan's favour. England collapsed calamitously, surrendering to panic where once there had been order, disorientated once more in the shifting sands of the UAE. From that moment, it seemed there was no way back.
Pakistan, thrillingly opportunistic, claimed the last seven England wickets for 36 in 18 overs then, with a first-innings lead of 136 at their disposal, bedded in as if nothing untoward had happened, a salutary reminder that the Dubai pitch remained good for batting and that England's batsmen had brought much of the suffering upon themselves.
By the close, Pakistan had extended their lead to 358 runs with seven wickets still standing, and are now mightily placed to go 1-0 up in the three-Test series. England are already well into uncharted territory, their highest chase being 332 for 7 against Australia in 1928.
Watching Pakistan's experienced fourth-wicket pair, Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq guide Pakistan into a position of supremacy as the shadows lengthened, their unbroken stand worth 139, the sensation grew that some of the emphasis on attacking cricket by England's young middle order is so much fluff and that, in Test cricket at least, enterprise must come from a solid technical base. Otherwise, what is left is largely self-indulgence.
Misbah's method has been unshakeable. He has obstructed the pace bowlers with straight-batted defiance, impervious to the periods when the game has meandered along, then has burst into life against the spinners with Adil Rashid, in particular, lofted dispassionately into the open spaces on the leg side. Younis kept his flirtier moments under wraps, a paragon of virtue.
But Misbah should have fallen to Ben Stokes on 56 only for Jos Buttler to remain static when the edge came, his batting ills perhaps eating away at his wicket-keeping. Stokes, nearing the end of a staunch spell, understandably sledged away his frustration. Sledging Misbah seems unlikely to succeed, but he probably felt better for it.
If England's morning collapse was reminiscent of their disarray on their last visit to the UAE when Pakistan's spinners ran riot, this time it was Wahab Riaz's left-arm pace that led the way in an outstanding introductory spell of 9-5-15-3. It was arguably the coolest weather of the series, the temperature barely touching 30C, but it was a prodigious summoning of hostility nonetheless.
Wahab, at 30, is now stating himself as one of the finest fast bowlers in the world, so accomplished these days that one can observe his 14 Tests and wonder how the figure is not so much higher.
Evenly placed at the start of the third day, England were hustled into distraction, dismissed on the stroke of lunch for 242. Misbah, recognising that at 182 for 3 the game was in the balance, turned immediately to his two most potent bowlers, teaming the left-arm pace of Wahab with the leg spin of Yasir Shah.
England had no answer. Wahab occasionally reversed the ball at pace and Yasir, a dangerous ally, was a bundle of ambition, buoyed by the knowledge that the pitch was drying and scuffing by the hour. They shared the first six wickets evenly, cranking up the challenge when it most mattered, making such short shrift of England that, even with two innings remaining, discussions immediately resurfaced about the persistent batting ailments displayed by the likes of Ian Bell and Buttler.
Lift the Root and the undersoil can look thin. From the moment that Root departed for 88, driving optimistically at Wahab to give the wicketkeeper, Sarfraz Ahmed, the first of three successive catches, England crumbled.
Root's positivity has been one of the hallmarks of a year in which he has vied with Steven Smith as the best batsman in the world, and his runs have disguised England's failings elsewhere, but this time such eagerness proved his downfall.
As much as his fellow Yorkshireman, Jonny Bairstow, tried to repel the charge, there was no certainty in his resistance and both Stokes and Buttler looked ill-equipped to soak up the pressure.
Stokes suffered for ponderous footwork when Wahab found a little extra bounce outside off stump, while Buttler is technically tangled and so low on self-belief that his place in the side is surviving because of reputation rather than performance. His desire to stay inside the line persuaded Wahab to switch to round the wicket and he hung out his bat without conviction. Another failure in the second innings could be terminal.
Rashid's dismissal was most culpable. Perhaps unsettled by his first delivery, which he allowed to skip past his off stump by a narrow margin, he had a slog at his second ball from Yasir and was caught in the covers from a leading edge. That dismissal, in particular, smacked of a failure to combat the mounting pressure.
It could have been worse. Bairstow did overturn a slip catch by Younis on review - one of those marginal decisions when the camera opposes the instincts of the fielder - but he failed to survive a second review when Yasir threw in a quicker delivery. Yasir's quicker ball troubled him and he looked particularly vulnerable on the cut shot.
England's collapse even had a moment of farce. When Wood was given out by Paul Reiffel, the on-field umpire summoned help from the third umpire, Chris Gaffaney, to ascertain whether the edge had come before Wood's bat ground into the dirt, which Gaffaney concluded was the case. Wood then reviewed, clinging to some outlandish theory that the third umpire might then overturn his own decision. Perhaps it was an inability to accept the truth, a belief that the process had not been properly followed, or a hot sun had finally begun to have its effect.
Broad then did survive another TV verdict, requested by Reiffel, perhaps fortunately, when Pakistan clamoured for a catch off the boot of the short leg, Masood, sweeping. It was a short reprieve. When Imran Khan had Anderson caught off the shoulder of the bat in the next over, it was all over. The sun burned down - and England's bowlers were about to go out in it again far sooner than they had hoped.
They did make early inroads. Masood remains Anderson's bunny, dismissed four times in the last 17 deliveries he has faced from the leader of England's attack, the latest addition being a regulation edge to the wicketkeeper in Anderson's first over. He had already been dropped, on 0, by Buttler, off Broad.
Shoaib Malik, perhaps anticipating a short delivery from Wood, played on as he drove with non-existent footwork while Hafeez threatened to settle the contest quickly in Pakistan's favour, pulling Wood confidently to reach his half-century before he drove at the next ball and edged to Root at first slip.
The partnership that mattered included another statistical milestone for Younis - 9,000 Test runs passed - and an exceptional piece of old-manning by Misbah who shaped to sweep Rashid and, aware of the activity behind his back where the keeper, Buttler, and slip, Anderson, were rushing to the leg side in anticipation, adjusted at the last second to steer the ball through what was now a vacant slip region. All this cat-and-mouse has been made permissible by a recent change in the laws by MCC, which gave fielders licence to move before the ball has been bowled. Misbah's resourceful response showed that, 41 or not, he is far from set in his ways.
SL 200 & 206
WI 163 & 20/1 (target 244)
With the pitch starting to play more tricks, West Indies face the prospect of delivering their best batting performance of the series for them to draw level with Sri Lanka. Brathwaite's struggle with the bat continued. He was pinned lbw by a Dhammika Prasad incoming ball, after surviving two loud appeals on 0 - one for lbw and the other for a catch down the leg side.
The other opener, Shai Hope, also survived an lbw appeal, on 11, but the on-field call of not out prevailed because of umpire's call, after Mathews had reviewed the decision. Hope stayed unbeaten on 17 off 28 balls before rain interrupted.
Despite the regular loss of wickets, Sri Lanka were earlier pushed ahead by a busy 67-run partnership between Siriwardana and Mathews.
If Kaushal Silva's 105-ball vigil was boundaryless, Siriwardana's second and third scoring shots were caressed past the covers for fours. He clouted Jomel Warrican over midwicket and to the cow corner for a four and six, and then sent Devendra Bishoo straight down the ground for another six. By then the lead had crossed 150. Bishoo got alarming turn but erred short, as he has been throughout the series, allowing Mathews to settle down.
Mathews wedged the ball into the gaps, and was the ninth Sri Lanka batsman dismissed, off Brathwaite for 46, falling short of his fifth fifty-plus score in five Tests at the P Sara Oval. Dilruwan Perera nicked to slip the next ball, giving Brathwaite his sixth wicket, and Jermaine Blackwood his fifth catch.
West Indies had also begun well before ceding the stage to Siriwardana and Mathews. Warrican found the outside edge of Dinesh Chandimal's bat in the first over of the day, but it snuck away to the right of Denesh Ramdin and did not carry to slip either.
It was not long before Silva's bubble burst as he played against the turn, lobbing a catch straight to Blackwood at slip. Two balls later, Jerome Taylor removed Chandimal with an inducker, Ramdin taking a sharp catch flinging himself to his left.
Brathwaite followed it with another double-strike. He first got one to spin away from round the wicket and nipped out Siriwardana. He then struck at the stroke of lunch, having Kusal Perera forcing an edge behind to leave the hosts six down for 165.
Herath came out swinging after lunch, hitting reverse-sweeps as well as orthodox sweeps in a 30-run stand with Mathews. Brathwaite, however, polished Sri Lanka off, the last four wickets tumbling for 11 runs.
Friday 23 October 2015
PAK V ENG (Day 2), SL V WI (Day 2) 23rd Oct
PAK V ENG
Stumps report: An unbeaten 55-run partnership between Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow has given England hope after losing two early wickets and captain Alastair Cook on day two of the second Test against Pakistan in Dubai. The umpires brought the day to an early close due to bad light, with England on 182-3, Root unscathed on 76 runs and Bairstow unbeaten on 27.
It was a perfect start to the day for England as Stuart Broad, Mark Wood, Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali, who nabbed his 50th Test wicket, dismissed their opponents for 378 in the morning session. After lunch, Pakistan regained control by claiming the wickets of Ali (1) and Ian Bell, who was taken out for four less than three overs after his teammate was sent back to the pavilion. Cook and Root managed to steady the innings by reaching tea on an unbeaten 91-run partnership, recovering from 14-2 to end the afternoon session on 105-2.
The captain, who was criticised earlier this year for a poor run of form, brought up his 45th Test fifty, pushing him to second on the all-time runs list for openers on 9064. Cook continued to thrive by hitting two consecutive boundaries off Imran Khan, but after scoring 65 runs, the England skipper was caught out by Ahmed Shehzad after knocking straight to leg slip off Yasir Shah's delivery. Root and Cook's partnership ended on 113 runs, but the Yorkshireman took over by storming to a 15th Test fifty by sending the ball past short leg for one run off Shah. Root and Bairstow will return to the crease tomorrow morning in an attempt to cut down Pakistan's 196-run lead.
Tea report: An unbeaten 91-run partnership between Alastair Cook and Joe Root has guided England to 105-2 at tea on the second day of the second Test match against Pakistan. After bowling Pakistan all out for 378 during the morning session, England had been hoping to put on a sizeable opening stand at the start of their reply, but it took just 10 deliveries for Pakistan to make a breakthrough. Moeen Ali fell off the bowling of Wahab Riaz for just one, before less than three overs later, Ian Bell departed for four runs after edging an Imran Khan delivery through to Sarfraz Ahmed.
That brought Root to the crease to help Cook, and the pair combined to hit 12 boundaries during a 24-over stand that helped reduced the margin between the two sides to 273 runs. Cook will return for the final session of the day on 46, while Root has reached 45 off just 63 deliveries.
Lunch report: England have fought back against Pakistan to claim six wickets and end their opponents' innings during the morning session on day two of the second Test in Dubai. Stuart Broad, Adil Rashid and Mark Wood snatched wickets, while Moeen Ali took his 50th Test wicket with a double haul to leave Pakistan all out for 378.
At the start of play, Pakistan were in command thanks to a 104-run partnership between Misbah-ul-Haq and Asad Shafiq, but England had a bright start when Broad dismantled Misbah in the first over. The batsman, who hit 102 runs off 197 balls, was given out lbw when Broad's delivery hit the knee, and it was a perfect start for the bowler as he kicked off the day with a wicket maiden. Pakistan were able to recover as Shafiq pulled up his 50 with a four through the slips off Wood, and James Anderson was issued with two warnings for running on the pitch, meaning that a third would prevent him from bowling again in the innings.
After a spell of Pakistan dominance, Sarfraz Ahmed (32) was caught out by Anderson after sending a high ball to mid-on off the bowling of Ali, who claimed a second wicket of the day two overs later. Wahab Riaz (6) went for a six, but Anderson was at mid-on once again to catch, giving England the momentum for the first time in the Test. Pakistan began to toil as Rashid forced Yasir Shah to edge to Ben Stokes at slip, and the batsman returned to the pavilion taking 16 runs off 17 deliveries. Wood called an end to Pakistan's time at the crease when Shafiq was sent packing on 83 after sending the ball straight to midwicket, where Joe Root was placed to catch. England will open their innings with the bat after lunch.
SL V WI
Sri Lanka 76 for 2 and 200 lead West Indies 163 by 113 runs
Dhammika Prasad bounded in, making the early incisions, allrounder Milinda Siriwardana struck either side of lunch, and offspinner Dilruwan Perera took care of the tail, as West Indies were bowled out for 163, giving Sri Lanka a 37-run lead by tea on the second day, at the P Sara Oval. The lead was built further by Kusal Mendis and Kaushal Silva, who added 54 together, the highest partnership of the Test so far.
Mendis may have looked jittery in the first innings but he got going in the second dig with some wristy flicks. He began with three fours and sussed out the conditions better after Dimuth Karunaratne was dismissed first ball when he tamely chipped Jerome Taylor to square leg.
The other opener - Kaushal Silva - also had jitters. He was given out lbw on 3 before a review rescued him, with the tracker confirming that the ball was sliding down leg.
Mendis' promising innings was cut short at 39 by Jomel Warrican, but Dinesh Chandimal, having survived a tighter lbw review on 4, and Silva saw their team through to stumps while pushing the lead past 100.
Kraigg Braithwaite had earlier mounted some fight for West Indies with 47 off 101 balls, and it was extended through a 32-run seventh-wicket partnership between Denesh Ramdin and Jason Holder. Rangana Herath continued to be a wicket-taking threat, but had success only in his 17th over when Ramdin missed an agricultural swipe. Not that Sri Lanka complained.
Prasad, who led the attack, explored shorter lengths to begin with, but soon settled into his groove and returned figures of 5-2-8-2 in an energetic first spell. Nuwan Pradeep exploited the uneven bounce well enough to complement Prasad. Devendra Bishoo, the nightwatchman, was the first to fall on the second day when he threw his bat outside off, nicking Prasad behind, for 14.
Prasad then welcomed Darren Bravo with one that misbehaved, snaking away wide outside off and beat the outside edge with a full tempter. Prasad got the big eyes and the big smile going. What followed was a sequence of 19 dots with Sri Lanka burrowing into the middle order. A few balls spat from a length while others kept low, asking more questions of the batsmen.
The pressure on Bravo eventually told, with the batsman offering an indecisive angled bat and chopping Prasad on for 2. Herath added to West Indies' worries by employing teasing flight and ripped one viciously past the outside edge of Brathwaite. Prasad then got to bowl to Brathwaite for the first time on the second morning, 45 minutes after a delayed start due to a damp outfield caused by overnight rain, and had the opener scoop the first ball just wide of short cover.
Brathwaite had endured more dicey moments, but his innings ended when he was given out caught behind by umpire Rod Tucker. The noise may have come from the bat jamming the ground but there was not enough evidence to overturn the on-field decision. Marlon Samuel's innings was far more painstaking - he survived two leg-before appeals on zero within his first five balls, and was left scoreless for another ten balls. He weathered two more leg-before appeals and was caught at slip, lazily pushing at a tossed-up ball from Siriwardana to leave his side at 76 for 4, eight balls before lunch.
If it was any consolation, though, Samuels avoided his ninth single-digit score against Sri Lanka in 16 innings, nudging his average to double-figures.
Jermaine Blackwood flickered briefly - he drilled Pradeep through mid-off after a slow start and launched Siriwardana for a straight six - before Prasad returned and struck with the first ball after lunch. Holder also showed intent when he jumped out of the crease and sent Dilruwan clattering towards the media box.
However, Ramdin and Holder exited in a space of 19 balls and the tail did not wag, as the hosts gained what appeared to be a substantial lead on a pitch that already had puffs of dust exploding from the surface. This was only the first time since 2006 that Sri Lanka had managed a first-innings lead after making 200 or fewer when batting first.
Stumps report: An unbeaten 55-run partnership between Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow has given England hope after losing two early wickets and captain Alastair Cook on day two of the second Test against Pakistan in Dubai. The umpires brought the day to an early close due to bad light, with England on 182-3, Root unscathed on 76 runs and Bairstow unbeaten on 27.
It was a perfect start to the day for England as Stuart Broad, Mark Wood, Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali, who nabbed his 50th Test wicket, dismissed their opponents for 378 in the morning session. After lunch, Pakistan regained control by claiming the wickets of Ali (1) and Ian Bell, who was taken out for four less than three overs after his teammate was sent back to the pavilion. Cook and Root managed to steady the innings by reaching tea on an unbeaten 91-run partnership, recovering from 14-2 to end the afternoon session on 105-2.
The captain, who was criticised earlier this year for a poor run of form, brought up his 45th Test fifty, pushing him to second on the all-time runs list for openers on 9064. Cook continued to thrive by hitting two consecutive boundaries off Imran Khan, but after scoring 65 runs, the England skipper was caught out by Ahmed Shehzad after knocking straight to leg slip off Yasir Shah's delivery. Root and Cook's partnership ended on 113 runs, but the Yorkshireman took over by storming to a 15th Test fifty by sending the ball past short leg for one run off Shah. Root and Bairstow will return to the crease tomorrow morning in an attempt to cut down Pakistan's 196-run lead.
Tea report: An unbeaten 91-run partnership between Alastair Cook and Joe Root has guided England to 105-2 at tea on the second day of the second Test match against Pakistan. After bowling Pakistan all out for 378 during the morning session, England had been hoping to put on a sizeable opening stand at the start of their reply, but it took just 10 deliveries for Pakistan to make a breakthrough. Moeen Ali fell off the bowling of Wahab Riaz for just one, before less than three overs later, Ian Bell departed for four runs after edging an Imran Khan delivery through to Sarfraz Ahmed.
That brought Root to the crease to help Cook, and the pair combined to hit 12 boundaries during a 24-over stand that helped reduced the margin between the two sides to 273 runs. Cook will return for the final session of the day on 46, while Root has reached 45 off just 63 deliveries.
Lunch report: England have fought back against Pakistan to claim six wickets and end their opponents' innings during the morning session on day two of the second Test in Dubai. Stuart Broad, Adil Rashid and Mark Wood snatched wickets, while Moeen Ali took his 50th Test wicket with a double haul to leave Pakistan all out for 378.
At the start of play, Pakistan were in command thanks to a 104-run partnership between Misbah-ul-Haq and Asad Shafiq, but England had a bright start when Broad dismantled Misbah in the first over. The batsman, who hit 102 runs off 197 balls, was given out lbw when Broad's delivery hit the knee, and it was a perfect start for the bowler as he kicked off the day with a wicket maiden. Pakistan were able to recover as Shafiq pulled up his 50 with a four through the slips off Wood, and James Anderson was issued with two warnings for running on the pitch, meaning that a third would prevent him from bowling again in the innings.
After a spell of Pakistan dominance, Sarfraz Ahmed (32) was caught out by Anderson after sending a high ball to mid-on off the bowling of Ali, who claimed a second wicket of the day two overs later. Wahab Riaz (6) went for a six, but Anderson was at mid-on once again to catch, giving England the momentum for the first time in the Test. Pakistan began to toil as Rashid forced Yasir Shah to edge to Ben Stokes at slip, and the batsman returned to the pavilion taking 16 runs off 17 deliveries. Wood called an end to Pakistan's time at the crease when Shafiq was sent packing on 83 after sending the ball straight to midwicket, where Joe Root was placed to catch. England will open their innings with the bat after lunch.
SL V WI
Sri Lanka 76 for 2 and 200 lead West Indies 163 by 113 runs
Dhammika Prasad bounded in, making the early incisions, allrounder Milinda Siriwardana struck either side of lunch, and offspinner Dilruwan Perera took care of the tail, as West Indies were bowled out for 163, giving Sri Lanka a 37-run lead by tea on the second day, at the P Sara Oval. The lead was built further by Kusal Mendis and Kaushal Silva, who added 54 together, the highest partnership of the Test so far.
Mendis may have looked jittery in the first innings but he got going in the second dig with some wristy flicks. He began with three fours and sussed out the conditions better after Dimuth Karunaratne was dismissed first ball when he tamely chipped Jerome Taylor to square leg.
The other opener - Kaushal Silva - also had jitters. He was given out lbw on 3 before a review rescued him, with the tracker confirming that the ball was sliding down leg.
Mendis' promising innings was cut short at 39 by Jomel Warrican, but Dinesh Chandimal, having survived a tighter lbw review on 4, and Silva saw their team through to stumps while pushing the lead past 100.
Kraigg Braithwaite had earlier mounted some fight for West Indies with 47 off 101 balls, and it was extended through a 32-run seventh-wicket partnership between Denesh Ramdin and Jason Holder. Rangana Herath continued to be a wicket-taking threat, but had success only in his 17th over when Ramdin missed an agricultural swipe. Not that Sri Lanka complained.
Prasad, who led the attack, explored shorter lengths to begin with, but soon settled into his groove and returned figures of 5-2-8-2 in an energetic first spell. Nuwan Pradeep exploited the uneven bounce well enough to complement Prasad. Devendra Bishoo, the nightwatchman, was the first to fall on the second day when he threw his bat outside off, nicking Prasad behind, for 14.
Prasad then welcomed Darren Bravo with one that misbehaved, snaking away wide outside off and beat the outside edge with a full tempter. Prasad got the big eyes and the big smile going. What followed was a sequence of 19 dots with Sri Lanka burrowing into the middle order. A few balls spat from a length while others kept low, asking more questions of the batsmen.
The pressure on Bravo eventually told, with the batsman offering an indecisive angled bat and chopping Prasad on for 2. Herath added to West Indies' worries by employing teasing flight and ripped one viciously past the outside edge of Brathwaite. Prasad then got to bowl to Brathwaite for the first time on the second morning, 45 minutes after a delayed start due to a damp outfield caused by overnight rain, and had the opener scoop the first ball just wide of short cover.
Brathwaite had endured more dicey moments, but his innings ended when he was given out caught behind by umpire Rod Tucker. The noise may have come from the bat jamming the ground but there was not enough evidence to overturn the on-field decision. Marlon Samuel's innings was far more painstaking - he survived two leg-before appeals on zero within his first five balls, and was left scoreless for another ten balls. He weathered two more leg-before appeals and was caught at slip, lazily pushing at a tossed-up ball from Siriwardana to leave his side at 76 for 4, eight balls before lunch.
If it was any consolation, though, Samuels avoided his ninth single-digit score against Sri Lanka in 16 innings, nudging his average to double-figures.
Jermaine Blackwood flickered briefly - he drilled Pradeep through mid-off after a slow start and launched Siriwardana for a straight six - before Prasad returned and struck with the first ball after lunch. Holder also showed intent when he jumped out of the crease and sent Dilruwan clattering towards the media box.
However, Ramdin and Holder exited in a space of 19 balls and the tail did not wag, as the hosts gained what appeared to be a substantial lead on a pitch that already had puffs of dust exploding from the surface. This was only the first time since 2006 that Sri Lanka had managed a first-innings lead after making 200 or fewer when batting first.
Thursday 22 October 2015
PAK V ENG (Day 1), SL V WI (Day 1), 4th ODI IND V SA
2nd Test: England v Pakistan at Dubai
Day 1 Stumps: PAK 282/4
Pakistan had left Abu Dhabi with their batting momentarily in disarray, but as the Test series moved on to Dubai, Misbah-ul-Haq looked matters up and down and took the chance to restore a sense of gravitas. England bowled with heart and consistency on a surface that was a test of their stoicism, just as Abu Dhabi had been before, but Misbah ensured their rewards were limited on the opening day with a century of great nous and deliberation.
He could not have reached that hundred in a more maverick manner. For the last half an hour or so, he had blocked mechanically for the close, his only aim to prevent calamity against the second new ball, and was still 13 runs short of his personal target by the time Moeen Ali bowled the final over.
When he swung the first ball for six into the empty terraces at deep square, it felt like a show of defiance. When the third was planted over long-on, a warm-down routine had begun in earnest. A frisky reverse sweep provided the final single and a hundred only he can have envisaged.
He has now equalled Inzamam-ul-Haq's record of seven hundreds as Pakistan captain - two energy-preserving batsmen who could teach VW a thing or two about low emissions.
Misbah proceeded with stiff stolidity, a headmasterly batsman able to bring discipline to proceedings with a single expression. One imagines he would teach Latin - and be demanding when it came to declensions. At the back of the class, where knots of supporters were battered by the heat, concentration was sometimes lacking.
Conditions were in his favour but at least this was a cricket pitch, unlike the monstrosity in Abu Dhabi. That one was surely marked as poor, not that Andy Pycroft, the match referee and an ICC apparatchik, has had any intention of saying.
Misbah does not hook these days, and ducking was not always an option. As a result, he took the occasional blow on the body, as well as being struck on the helmet by Mark Wood, who disturbed him more than anybody. An imposing figure, he weathered the assault patiently, aware that the surface was loaded in his favour. England took the second new ball, but a late success did not materialise.
Twice Misbah mistimed attacking shots against Adil Rashid and was fortunate to evade a fielder, and even he broke his bat handle when running it into the crease amid vague concerns of a run out. At times of crisis, he allows himself a smile of defiance, but such crises occurred irregularly and for the most part he was impervious to anything that life might throw at him.
As Misbah walked solemnly to the wicket at 85 for 3, with the afternoon session only one ball old, England would have hoped for something better. To have three wickets already banked was a merciful release for an attack whose suspicions that they would again be living on scraps were well founded.
It was a hot and airless day, flags hanging limply, and an eerily empty stadium echoing to England's shouts of encouragement as they tried to push Pakistan's first-innings score in Abu Dhabi - 523 for 8 declared - to the back of their mind. There was a little more pace and bounce on offer than in the opening Test, although it was all relative, and there was also a hint of first-session turn, especially when Moeen's offspin took the wicket of Mohammad Hafeez.
That breakthrough came in the first over after drinks, Hafeez, who had kept short leg interested on several previous occasions, deflecting gently to Jonny Bairstow via an inside edge as he pushed forward, the first of two short-leg catches.
Ben Stokes had looked peaky after a pre-match net session, the sun already beating down on his wan complexion and even his tattoos looking a little more washed out than normal, but England had enough faith in his resolve to be confident his stomach bug would not overly affect him.
Stokes soon had something to hearten him - a wicket with his fourth ball. If Bairstow's first catch was a gimme, the one that accounted for Shoaib Malik was something special, demonstrating an unyielding mind as the ball rapped him flush in the chest and then a spring to his left to hold a rebound with such alacrity that he made it look part of the plan.
Although Shan Masood passed 50 for the third time in Tests, when he nicked the first ball of the afternoon session to the wicketkeeper it meant that James Anderson had dismissed him three times in the series in only 13 deliveries. For a fast bowler to have a bunny is never more gratefully received than in the arid conditions of the UAE.
Masood was a more secure figure than the unsettled batsman seen in the opening Test in Abu Dhabi, without entirely dispelling England's notion that he is vulnerable against the short ball. A controlled pull against Wood was his best retort, and he showed a striking enthusiasm for using his feet against Moeen, dancing down the pitch to loft him straight for six and then stroke him to the cover boundary.
His decision to review his dismissal made no sense as an umpire not armed with Hot Spot or Snicko hardly had the tools to overturn the decision. In any case, Ultra Edge - the flavour of the month, and being used by Sky Sports - showed an edge.
With Stokes' health potentially compromised, not that he showed it, and Wood's ability to withstand back-to-back Tests always in question because of his persistent ankle trouble, Moeen sought with limited success to fulfil a holding role, so allowing the seamers to bowl in short spells. The legspin of Rashid was used lightly: his time, England will calculate, will come later in the match.
Younis Khan and Misbah in unison is a familiar sight and the afternoon belonged to them, their stand worth 93 runs in 29 overs as they picked off opportunities with consummate ease. Stokes was England's most unfortunate bowler as he passed the outside edge more times than he had reason to expect. When Misbah did edge, the ball trundled between first and second slip, reminding the bowler of a slow surface and Joe Root's stiff back - a condition that might again restrict his potential use later in the match as England's third spinner.
Younis was the slightly more venturesome of the two old stagers, but England again struck early in a session, three overs having elapsed after tea when Younis was caught down the leg side, a decisive push at a ball from Wood as he sprung catlike across his stumps and a walk from the crease before the umpire could raise his finger, frustrated that he had fallen when well set.
That Pakistan's batsmen did add useful runs in the final throes of the day owed much to a willingness to attack Rashid, who bowled with more confidence than he had in the first innings at Abu Dhabi but still disappeared at five an over. When Rashid was withdrawn, Misbah decided to block for the morrow. Or so it seemed.
2nd Test: Sri Lanka v West Indies at Colombo (PSS)
West Indies 17 for 1 trail Sri Lanka 200 (Siriwardana 68, Warrican 4-67) by 183 runs
Buoyed by a quicker pitch with some live grass on it, West Indies' three-pronged pace attack made light work of Sri Lanka's top order before debutant left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican claimed four wickets to wrap up the Sri Lankan innings at 200, two hours into the final session on the first day at the P Sara Oval.
In response, the visitors lost Shai Hope lbw to Dhammika Prasad in the first over but Kraigg Brathwaite and nightwatchman Devendra Bishoo hung around before deteriorating light forced stumps.
Jerome Taylor had woken up a groin niggle but passed a fitness test and consistently hit speeds above 140kph. He struck with his fourth ball - a beauty that angled in and curved away, leaving Kaushal Silva prodding and edging to the wicketkeeper. West Indies reviewed and the third umpire Marias Erasmus decided there was enough evidence to overturn umpire Rod Tucker's on-field decision of not out. Silva was out for a duck and his lean patch was extended - he had failed to build on a start in the first Test against West Indies after managing only 87 in six innings against India.
That wicket proved a scene-setter and each of the West Indies' fast bowlers got extra bounce and zip before Warrican took over. Milinda Siriwardana, playing his second Test, scored his maiden fifty in the format, and Rangana Herath, promoted to vice-captaincy after Lahiru Thirimanne was left out, indulged in hacks and hooks to avoid a total wipe out.
The morning session was packed with action, containing as many as five reviews. West Indies' second review, coming after the Silva wicket, was also successful, and accounted for 20-year old Kusal Mendis for an edgy 13 on Test debut. Mendis had wafted at a Kemar Roach ball that straightened a touch and nicked behind.
Jason Holder's first dismissal - West Indies' second of the morning - had also involved a review. He had Dimuth Karunaratne lbw for 13 in his second over; Sri Lanka's review going in vain this time. The quicks rattled the batsmen and beat the outside edge regularly and reduced Sri Lanka to 59 for 4, six minutes before lunch. The session ended with West Indies bowling coach Curtly Ambrose welcoming his bowlers with warm applause.
Siriwardana helped Sri Lanka recover briefly, adding 31 and 37 with Dinesh Chandimal and Kusal Perera respectively. With Siriwardana joining hands with another left-handed batsman in Kusal, West Indies' premier spinner Bishoo was held back. He had come into the attack only after 36 overs in the Galle Test. Today, he came in after 46 overs.
Siriwardana was assured in defence and cashed in when fed with width. He carved Holder over covers, eased Taylor past the same region, and slashed Warrican behind point. He pushed on to bring up his fifty off 76 balls by dancing out and launching a straight six. He had a life when he was shelled at square leg on 63 but added only five more to his tally before he miscued Warrican into Taylor's lap at long-off.
Warrican began with a half-tracker, which was dispatched by Angelo Mathews to the point boundary with a strong cut. He settled down quickly, and twirled away in an uninterrupted 14-over spell after lunch. His reward came off a bad ball: Kusal Perera stepped out and spooned a return catch off a full toss, becoming Warrican's maiden Test victim. Having received his Test cap from Garry Sobers, it turned out to a happy day for Warrican.
West Indies, who had spilled five catches to add to a sixth chance that was not attempted in the first Test, lifted themselves significantly on the field, with the only blip being the Siriwardana drop. Marlon Samuels made a diving save at backward point while Holder threw himself around mid-off. Brathwaite, though, produced the best piece of fielding when he bent forward from second slip to grab a sharp, low catch to snaffle Mathews for 14. The catch was deemed legal after being sent to the third umpire.
4th ODI: India v South Africa at Chennai
India 299 for 8 (Virat 138, Raina 53) beat South Africa 264 for 9 (de Villiers 112) by 35 runs
Virat Kohli scored his first ODI century against South Africa and first in 14 innings since the World Cup to anchor an authoritative Indian batting performance. Although they did not reach 300, this was their highest score of the series so far, and their spinners made sure it was enough.
On a slow surface which took turn, the slow men burrowed their way into South Africa's middle order, taking 32 for 3 between the 10th and 20th over, to blunt the challenge even with AB de Villiers still at the crease. The captain did his bit with a heroic hundred and a share in the highest stand of South African innings, 56 for the fifth-wicket alongside Farhaan Behardien, but by then it was too late.
What South Africa lacked was big partnerships, which India had a double dose of. Kohli put on 104 with Ajinkya Rahane and 127 with Suresh Raina, who scored a much-needed half-century after back-to-back ducks, to set India up for a substantial score despite a squeeze at the end of their innings.
South Africa's seamers bookended the Kohli assault with incision, restricting India to 35 for 2 in the first eight overs and claiming 4 for 29 in the final five but it was what happened inbetween that separated the sides. Kohli was in sublime touch, timed the ball well and paced his innings sensibly.
He took advantage of a six-man attack that was found strategically wanting, overusing the short ball and obviously missed Morne Morkel, who was out with an quad injury and could have generated awkward bounce. Morkel's replacement, Chris Morris, ended up being the most expensive of the South African seamers but did not concede as much as Imran Tahir, who led an ineffective slower-bowling section that could not find the same control India's did.
It did not always look as though South Africa would toil that hard. They asked questions of both Rohit Sharma (caught at midwicket) and Shikhar Dhawan's (caught behind off an attempted pull) shot selection and seemed to be extracting some early lift but that quickly disappeared. Aaron Phangiso and Tahir struggled to maintain the tone Kagiso Rabada set, especially against an enterprising Kohli.
Together with Rahane, Kohli showed energy at the crease and urgency running between the wicket, found gaps and the boundary, and had raced to a 51-ball fifty. In searching for a wicket, de Villiers brought his seamers back but Kohli was in control and it was only when Steyn returned for a third spell, in the 27th over, that South Africa broke through. Rahane flashed at a wide one without moving his feet. The ball kept low and took the bottom edge on its way through to de Kock, who took it low down with both hands.
MS Dhoni did not promote himself above the under-fire Raina, who had the situation and the space to play himself back into form. He took his time sussing out conditions and the scoring rate slowed. There was only one boundary in the next seven overs but for South Africa's attack the respite was only temporary.
With the last ten overs approaching, Kohli's slow-burn was ready to burst into flames. He brought up his century with a six off Phangiso, smacking the ball over Steyn's head at long-on and putting a total in excess of 300 in India's sights. Raina saw that as his cue to accelerate as well. After taking 12 runs off 16 balls, he scored his next 38 runs off 34 balls and reached his half-century off 48. He was particularly severe on the full ball, while Kohli punished the spin.
India were headed for a score in excess of 300 but South Africa dragged them back in the final five overs. Kohli was struggling with cramp, and battled to get Rabada away at the end and was caught behind. Both Rabada and Steyn took two in two but the damage was already done.
Quinton de Kock threatened to undo that damage, providing a speedy start. He survived the early loss of Hashim Amla (who has scored the same number of runs in this series as Dhawan) and owned the area outside off stump, but then spin struck. Harbhajan ended de Kock's dictatorship when he tossed one up - de Kock drove and the edge carried to second slip.
De Kock's wicket came three overs into the spin squeeze as India began to run rings around the South Africans. Faf du Plessis was caught behind off a sharply turning delivery from Axar Patel and showed his displeasure at the dismissal, and David Miller was trapped lbw by a Harbhajan delivery that pitched on off and hit him in front of middle. At 88 or 4, with only one recognised batting pair left, South Africa were finished, but de Villiers showed remarkable fight.
He seemed to be batting on a different surface and did not struggle against the spinners. He was harsh on Amit Mishra, who he charged to turn a delivery into a low full toss, swept and reverse-swept, and attacked Harbhajan. Momentarily, it looked like he may win the match single-handedly. But the bubble burst when Bhuvneshwar had him caught behind off a short ball. The series now hangs in the balance ahead of Sunday's decider.
Day 1 Stumps: PAK 282/4
Pakistan had left Abu Dhabi with their batting momentarily in disarray, but as the Test series moved on to Dubai, Misbah-ul-Haq looked matters up and down and took the chance to restore a sense of gravitas. England bowled with heart and consistency on a surface that was a test of their stoicism, just as Abu Dhabi had been before, but Misbah ensured their rewards were limited on the opening day with a century of great nous and deliberation.
He could not have reached that hundred in a more maverick manner. For the last half an hour or so, he had blocked mechanically for the close, his only aim to prevent calamity against the second new ball, and was still 13 runs short of his personal target by the time Moeen Ali bowled the final over.
When he swung the first ball for six into the empty terraces at deep square, it felt like a show of defiance. When the third was planted over long-on, a warm-down routine had begun in earnest. A frisky reverse sweep provided the final single and a hundred only he can have envisaged.
He has now equalled Inzamam-ul-Haq's record of seven hundreds as Pakistan captain - two energy-preserving batsmen who could teach VW a thing or two about low emissions.
Misbah proceeded with stiff stolidity, a headmasterly batsman able to bring discipline to proceedings with a single expression. One imagines he would teach Latin - and be demanding when it came to declensions. At the back of the class, where knots of supporters were battered by the heat, concentration was sometimes lacking.
Conditions were in his favour but at least this was a cricket pitch, unlike the monstrosity in Abu Dhabi. That one was surely marked as poor, not that Andy Pycroft, the match referee and an ICC apparatchik, has had any intention of saying.
Misbah does not hook these days, and ducking was not always an option. As a result, he took the occasional blow on the body, as well as being struck on the helmet by Mark Wood, who disturbed him more than anybody. An imposing figure, he weathered the assault patiently, aware that the surface was loaded in his favour. England took the second new ball, but a late success did not materialise.
Twice Misbah mistimed attacking shots against Adil Rashid and was fortunate to evade a fielder, and even he broke his bat handle when running it into the crease amid vague concerns of a run out. At times of crisis, he allows himself a smile of defiance, but such crises occurred irregularly and for the most part he was impervious to anything that life might throw at him.
As Misbah walked solemnly to the wicket at 85 for 3, with the afternoon session only one ball old, England would have hoped for something better. To have three wickets already banked was a merciful release for an attack whose suspicions that they would again be living on scraps were well founded.
It was a hot and airless day, flags hanging limply, and an eerily empty stadium echoing to England's shouts of encouragement as they tried to push Pakistan's first-innings score in Abu Dhabi - 523 for 8 declared - to the back of their mind. There was a little more pace and bounce on offer than in the opening Test, although it was all relative, and there was also a hint of first-session turn, especially when Moeen's offspin took the wicket of Mohammad Hafeez.
That breakthrough came in the first over after drinks, Hafeez, who had kept short leg interested on several previous occasions, deflecting gently to Jonny Bairstow via an inside edge as he pushed forward, the first of two short-leg catches.
Ben Stokes had looked peaky after a pre-match net session, the sun already beating down on his wan complexion and even his tattoos looking a little more washed out than normal, but England had enough faith in his resolve to be confident his stomach bug would not overly affect him.
Stokes soon had something to hearten him - a wicket with his fourth ball. If Bairstow's first catch was a gimme, the one that accounted for Shoaib Malik was something special, demonstrating an unyielding mind as the ball rapped him flush in the chest and then a spring to his left to hold a rebound with such alacrity that he made it look part of the plan.
Although Shan Masood passed 50 for the third time in Tests, when he nicked the first ball of the afternoon session to the wicketkeeper it meant that James Anderson had dismissed him three times in the series in only 13 deliveries. For a fast bowler to have a bunny is never more gratefully received than in the arid conditions of the UAE.
Masood was a more secure figure than the unsettled batsman seen in the opening Test in Abu Dhabi, without entirely dispelling England's notion that he is vulnerable against the short ball. A controlled pull against Wood was his best retort, and he showed a striking enthusiasm for using his feet against Moeen, dancing down the pitch to loft him straight for six and then stroke him to the cover boundary.
His decision to review his dismissal made no sense as an umpire not armed with Hot Spot or Snicko hardly had the tools to overturn the decision. In any case, Ultra Edge - the flavour of the month, and being used by Sky Sports - showed an edge.
With Stokes' health potentially compromised, not that he showed it, and Wood's ability to withstand back-to-back Tests always in question because of his persistent ankle trouble, Moeen sought with limited success to fulfil a holding role, so allowing the seamers to bowl in short spells. The legspin of Rashid was used lightly: his time, England will calculate, will come later in the match.
Younis Khan and Misbah in unison is a familiar sight and the afternoon belonged to them, their stand worth 93 runs in 29 overs as they picked off opportunities with consummate ease. Stokes was England's most unfortunate bowler as he passed the outside edge more times than he had reason to expect. When Misbah did edge, the ball trundled between first and second slip, reminding the bowler of a slow surface and Joe Root's stiff back - a condition that might again restrict his potential use later in the match as England's third spinner.
Younis was the slightly more venturesome of the two old stagers, but England again struck early in a session, three overs having elapsed after tea when Younis was caught down the leg side, a decisive push at a ball from Wood as he sprung catlike across his stumps and a walk from the crease before the umpire could raise his finger, frustrated that he had fallen when well set.
That Pakistan's batsmen did add useful runs in the final throes of the day owed much to a willingness to attack Rashid, who bowled with more confidence than he had in the first innings at Abu Dhabi but still disappeared at five an over. When Rashid was withdrawn, Misbah decided to block for the morrow. Or so it seemed.
2nd Test: Sri Lanka v West Indies at Colombo (PSS)
West Indies 17 for 1 trail Sri Lanka 200 (Siriwardana 68, Warrican 4-67) by 183 runs
Buoyed by a quicker pitch with some live grass on it, West Indies' three-pronged pace attack made light work of Sri Lanka's top order before debutant left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican claimed four wickets to wrap up the Sri Lankan innings at 200, two hours into the final session on the first day at the P Sara Oval.
In response, the visitors lost Shai Hope lbw to Dhammika Prasad in the first over but Kraigg Brathwaite and nightwatchman Devendra Bishoo hung around before deteriorating light forced stumps.
Jerome Taylor had woken up a groin niggle but passed a fitness test and consistently hit speeds above 140kph. He struck with his fourth ball - a beauty that angled in and curved away, leaving Kaushal Silva prodding and edging to the wicketkeeper. West Indies reviewed and the third umpire Marias Erasmus decided there was enough evidence to overturn umpire Rod Tucker's on-field decision of not out. Silva was out for a duck and his lean patch was extended - he had failed to build on a start in the first Test against West Indies after managing only 87 in six innings against India.
That wicket proved a scene-setter and each of the West Indies' fast bowlers got extra bounce and zip before Warrican took over. Milinda Siriwardana, playing his second Test, scored his maiden fifty in the format, and Rangana Herath, promoted to vice-captaincy after Lahiru Thirimanne was left out, indulged in hacks and hooks to avoid a total wipe out.
The morning session was packed with action, containing as many as five reviews. West Indies' second review, coming after the Silva wicket, was also successful, and accounted for 20-year old Kusal Mendis for an edgy 13 on Test debut. Mendis had wafted at a Kemar Roach ball that straightened a touch and nicked behind.
Jason Holder's first dismissal - West Indies' second of the morning - had also involved a review. He had Dimuth Karunaratne lbw for 13 in his second over; Sri Lanka's review going in vain this time. The quicks rattled the batsmen and beat the outside edge regularly and reduced Sri Lanka to 59 for 4, six minutes before lunch. The session ended with West Indies bowling coach Curtly Ambrose welcoming his bowlers with warm applause.
Siriwardana helped Sri Lanka recover briefly, adding 31 and 37 with Dinesh Chandimal and Kusal Perera respectively. With Siriwardana joining hands with another left-handed batsman in Kusal, West Indies' premier spinner Bishoo was held back. He had come into the attack only after 36 overs in the Galle Test. Today, he came in after 46 overs.
Siriwardana was assured in defence and cashed in when fed with width. He carved Holder over covers, eased Taylor past the same region, and slashed Warrican behind point. He pushed on to bring up his fifty off 76 balls by dancing out and launching a straight six. He had a life when he was shelled at square leg on 63 but added only five more to his tally before he miscued Warrican into Taylor's lap at long-off.
Warrican began with a half-tracker, which was dispatched by Angelo Mathews to the point boundary with a strong cut. He settled down quickly, and twirled away in an uninterrupted 14-over spell after lunch. His reward came off a bad ball: Kusal Perera stepped out and spooned a return catch off a full toss, becoming Warrican's maiden Test victim. Having received his Test cap from Garry Sobers, it turned out to a happy day for Warrican.
West Indies, who had spilled five catches to add to a sixth chance that was not attempted in the first Test, lifted themselves significantly on the field, with the only blip being the Siriwardana drop. Marlon Samuels made a diving save at backward point while Holder threw himself around mid-off. Brathwaite, though, produced the best piece of fielding when he bent forward from second slip to grab a sharp, low catch to snaffle Mathews for 14. The catch was deemed legal after being sent to the third umpire.
4th ODI: India v South Africa at Chennai
India 299 for 8 (Virat 138, Raina 53) beat South Africa 264 for 9 (de Villiers 112) by 35 runs
Virat Kohli scored his first ODI century against South Africa and first in 14 innings since the World Cup to anchor an authoritative Indian batting performance. Although they did not reach 300, this was their highest score of the series so far, and their spinners made sure it was enough.
On a slow surface which took turn, the slow men burrowed their way into South Africa's middle order, taking 32 for 3 between the 10th and 20th over, to blunt the challenge even with AB de Villiers still at the crease. The captain did his bit with a heroic hundred and a share in the highest stand of South African innings, 56 for the fifth-wicket alongside Farhaan Behardien, but by then it was too late.
What South Africa lacked was big partnerships, which India had a double dose of. Kohli put on 104 with Ajinkya Rahane and 127 with Suresh Raina, who scored a much-needed half-century after back-to-back ducks, to set India up for a substantial score despite a squeeze at the end of their innings.
South Africa's seamers bookended the Kohli assault with incision, restricting India to 35 for 2 in the first eight overs and claiming 4 for 29 in the final five but it was what happened inbetween that separated the sides. Kohli was in sublime touch, timed the ball well and paced his innings sensibly.
He took advantage of a six-man attack that was found strategically wanting, overusing the short ball and obviously missed Morne Morkel, who was out with an quad injury and could have generated awkward bounce. Morkel's replacement, Chris Morris, ended up being the most expensive of the South African seamers but did not concede as much as Imran Tahir, who led an ineffective slower-bowling section that could not find the same control India's did.
It did not always look as though South Africa would toil that hard. They asked questions of both Rohit Sharma (caught at midwicket) and Shikhar Dhawan's (caught behind off an attempted pull) shot selection and seemed to be extracting some early lift but that quickly disappeared. Aaron Phangiso and Tahir struggled to maintain the tone Kagiso Rabada set, especially against an enterprising Kohli.
Together with Rahane, Kohli showed energy at the crease and urgency running between the wicket, found gaps and the boundary, and had raced to a 51-ball fifty. In searching for a wicket, de Villiers brought his seamers back but Kohli was in control and it was only when Steyn returned for a third spell, in the 27th over, that South Africa broke through. Rahane flashed at a wide one without moving his feet. The ball kept low and took the bottom edge on its way through to de Kock, who took it low down with both hands.
MS Dhoni did not promote himself above the under-fire Raina, who had the situation and the space to play himself back into form. He took his time sussing out conditions and the scoring rate slowed. There was only one boundary in the next seven overs but for South Africa's attack the respite was only temporary.
With the last ten overs approaching, Kohli's slow-burn was ready to burst into flames. He brought up his century with a six off Phangiso, smacking the ball over Steyn's head at long-on and putting a total in excess of 300 in India's sights. Raina saw that as his cue to accelerate as well. After taking 12 runs off 16 balls, he scored his next 38 runs off 34 balls and reached his half-century off 48. He was particularly severe on the full ball, while Kohli punished the spin.
India were headed for a score in excess of 300 but South Africa dragged them back in the final five overs. Kohli was struggling with cramp, and battled to get Rabada away at the end and was caught behind. Both Rabada and Steyn took two in two but the damage was already done.
Quinton de Kock threatened to undo that damage, providing a speedy start. He survived the early loss of Hashim Amla (who has scored the same number of runs in this series as Dhawan) and owned the area outside off stump, but then spin struck. Harbhajan ended de Kock's dictatorship when he tossed one up - de Kock drove and the edge carried to second slip.
De Kock's wicket came three overs into the spin squeeze as India began to run rings around the South Africans. Faf du Plessis was caught behind off a sharply turning delivery from Axar Patel and showed his displeasure at the dismissal, and David Miller was trapped lbw by a Harbhajan delivery that pitched on off and hit him in front of middle. At 88 or 4, with only one recognised batting pair left, South Africa were finished, but de Villiers showed remarkable fight.
He seemed to be batting on a different surface and did not struggle against the spinners. He was harsh on Amit Mishra, who he charged to turn a delivery into a low full toss, swept and reverse-swept, and attacked Harbhajan. Momentarily, it looked like he may win the match single-handedly. But the bubble burst when Bhuvneshwar had him caught behind off a short ball. The series now hangs in the balance ahead of Sunday's decider.
Sunday 18 October 2015
3rd ODI SA V IND
South Africa 270 for 7 (de Kock 103, Mohit 2-62) beat India 252 for 6 (Kohli 77, Rohit 65, Morkel 4-39) by 18 runs
South Africa defended 86 runs off the last ten overs to ensure Quinton de Kock's first international century of 2015 and fourth in seven innings against India was not in vain. De Kock made his first significant contribution since recovering from an ankle injury earlier in the year and stood out after the rest of South Africa's line-up was tied down by spin. India dragged them from 205 for 2 to 270 for 7, and then found themselves in a similar position but with less time to bat and more runs to get.
In the 44th over India were 206 for 3 and South Africa's seamers had the hosts' middle order firmly in their grip. Unlike India, who used flight to flummox, South Africa stuck to their short-ball strategy and Morne Morkel reaped most of the success. He took two of the next three wickets, of Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane, to reduce India to 216 for 6 and silence their challenge.
In energy-sapping heat, de Kock's performance was made even more impressive as he ushered a new opening partner into some form, struggled through the Indian squeeze and cast aside cramps to anchor the South African effort. He had support from Faf du Plessis, whose third half-century in as many matches helped post the highest partnership of the match - 118 runs for the third wicket - to ensure that the late wickets did not stop South Africa from posting a competitive total.
India would have believed they could chase it down and were on track with Kohli and MS Dhoni at the crease but lost momentum as the innings wore on. A shuffling of the batting line-up, which saw Rahane come in at No. 6, meant that India ran out of batsmen when they needed them most, as South Africa's pace pack hunted with precision and secured a series lead.
South Africa's ability to adapt has advanced to altering their own gameplans which they did when they promoted David Miller to open the batting in a bid to assist him through his lean patch. The idea seemed to be to shield Miller from as much spin as possible but it also meant de Kock, who was only recalled to the side at the start of this series, had to operate as the senior partner.
He took charge immediately with the first shot of aggression off his blade; a free-flowing drive which became the hallmark of his innings. While India's seamers adjusted their lengths, de Kock and Miller were able to find the boundary five times in the opening seven overs and forced Dhoni to play his trump card early.
Harbhajan Singh was brought on in the eighth over but the openers had settled well. De Kock brought up South Africa's 50 with back-to-back straight drives and Miller grew in confidence, especially with his footwork. He is still searching for an international half-century since the World Cup, as he sliced Harbhajan to backward point where Rahane took a tumbling catch.
Hashim Amla batted out of position at No. 3, struggled to find fluency and was stumped for the second match in a row. De Kock was also kept quiet in that period but fought through a boundary drought which extended from the 14th over to the 21st and seemed to show even more patience than his senior partner, du Plessis. Again, the waiting game proved worthwhile for du Plessis, whose 50 came off 52 balls. Dhoni used a fourth spinner in Suresh Raina to try and tie South African down further but South Africa still seemed set for a total over 300, especially with de Kock at the crease.
His century came when he charged against Mohit Sharma and smacked a slower ball through the covers to suggest the time had come for acceleration but then India intervened. Du Plessis tried to repeat a scoop shot that had gone over Dhoni's head for four but skied it to a running short third man, de Kock was run-out trying to meet Ab de Villiers' demand for stealing a single and de Villiers was trapped in front at the start of the 41st over.
India took three wickets for five runs and South Africa had only one recognised pair left. Both JP Duminy and Farhaan Behardien have been in good form, but India's spinners did not let them get too far away.
De Kock spent the first 30 overs of the Indian reply rehydrating and by the time he got back on the field, the advantage was swinging back towards South Africa after India seemed to be cruising. Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan built a solid start despite both offering chances that South Africa put down off Duminy in the eighth over.
India will be concerned with Dhawan's conversion rate, though. He succumbed to mounting pressure again when he tried to drive Morkel through the off side but got an edge through to de Villiers, who was keeping in de Kock's place.
Kohli was promoted to No. 3 as India looked to mimic South Africa in giving him enough time to find his way back to form and their move paid off better than South Africa's. Kohli struck his first ODI fifty since the World Cup and batted with an authority which suggested he would see India though.
With Rohit at the other end, India progressed steadily, taking advantage of a South African attack that seemed to be allowing matters to drift. Rohit reached fifty with a massive six off Imran Tahir and India's 100 came up four balls later. Although their going was laboured, it seemed headed in the right direction until Duminy saw Rohit coming, dropped the ball a touch shorter, and completed the catch in his follow through as the batsman coaxed a gentle dab back to him.
Dhoni joined Kohli in the hope of injecting some impetus into the innings. He took on Steyn with some success but was more cautious against Tahir and Kagiso Rabada who managed to tire India down. They conceded 11 runs in five overs from the 32nd over to the 36th, during which Kohli scored fifty, to prompt de Villiers to bring on one of his premier pacers again.
Morkel started to make things uncomfortable for India in his second spell but it was in this third that he caused real damage. He had Dhoni caught at short third man, looking to upper cut a short ball to change the course of the chase. Tahir removed Raina, who racked up a second successive duck, with a googly that he sent to long-off and then Morkel finished India off. In two balls, he had both Kohli and Rahane caught at deep midwicket, playing identical slogs.
India left the tail too much to do with 55 runs required off the last five overs and found themselves chasing the series, yet again.
South Africa defended 86 runs off the last ten overs to ensure Quinton de Kock's first international century of 2015 and fourth in seven innings against India was not in vain. De Kock made his first significant contribution since recovering from an ankle injury earlier in the year and stood out after the rest of South Africa's line-up was tied down by spin. India dragged them from 205 for 2 to 270 for 7, and then found themselves in a similar position but with less time to bat and more runs to get.
In the 44th over India were 206 for 3 and South Africa's seamers had the hosts' middle order firmly in their grip. Unlike India, who used flight to flummox, South Africa stuck to their short-ball strategy and Morne Morkel reaped most of the success. He took two of the next three wickets, of Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane, to reduce India to 216 for 6 and silence their challenge.
In energy-sapping heat, de Kock's performance was made even more impressive as he ushered a new opening partner into some form, struggled through the Indian squeeze and cast aside cramps to anchor the South African effort. He had support from Faf du Plessis, whose third half-century in as many matches helped post the highest partnership of the match - 118 runs for the third wicket - to ensure that the late wickets did not stop South Africa from posting a competitive total.
India would have believed they could chase it down and were on track with Kohli and MS Dhoni at the crease but lost momentum as the innings wore on. A shuffling of the batting line-up, which saw Rahane come in at No. 6, meant that India ran out of batsmen when they needed them most, as South Africa's pace pack hunted with precision and secured a series lead.
South Africa's ability to adapt has advanced to altering their own gameplans which they did when they promoted David Miller to open the batting in a bid to assist him through his lean patch. The idea seemed to be to shield Miller from as much spin as possible but it also meant de Kock, who was only recalled to the side at the start of this series, had to operate as the senior partner.
He took charge immediately with the first shot of aggression off his blade; a free-flowing drive which became the hallmark of his innings. While India's seamers adjusted their lengths, de Kock and Miller were able to find the boundary five times in the opening seven overs and forced Dhoni to play his trump card early.
Harbhajan Singh was brought on in the eighth over but the openers had settled well. De Kock brought up South Africa's 50 with back-to-back straight drives and Miller grew in confidence, especially with his footwork. He is still searching for an international half-century since the World Cup, as he sliced Harbhajan to backward point where Rahane took a tumbling catch.
Hashim Amla batted out of position at No. 3, struggled to find fluency and was stumped for the second match in a row. De Kock was also kept quiet in that period but fought through a boundary drought which extended from the 14th over to the 21st and seemed to show even more patience than his senior partner, du Plessis. Again, the waiting game proved worthwhile for du Plessis, whose 50 came off 52 balls. Dhoni used a fourth spinner in Suresh Raina to try and tie South African down further but South Africa still seemed set for a total over 300, especially with de Kock at the crease.
His century came when he charged against Mohit Sharma and smacked a slower ball through the covers to suggest the time had come for acceleration but then India intervened. Du Plessis tried to repeat a scoop shot that had gone over Dhoni's head for four but skied it to a running short third man, de Kock was run-out trying to meet Ab de Villiers' demand for stealing a single and de Villiers was trapped in front at the start of the 41st over.
India took three wickets for five runs and South Africa had only one recognised pair left. Both JP Duminy and Farhaan Behardien have been in good form, but India's spinners did not let them get too far away.
De Kock spent the first 30 overs of the Indian reply rehydrating and by the time he got back on the field, the advantage was swinging back towards South Africa after India seemed to be cruising. Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan built a solid start despite both offering chances that South Africa put down off Duminy in the eighth over.
India will be concerned with Dhawan's conversion rate, though. He succumbed to mounting pressure again when he tried to drive Morkel through the off side but got an edge through to de Villiers, who was keeping in de Kock's place.
Kohli was promoted to No. 3 as India looked to mimic South Africa in giving him enough time to find his way back to form and their move paid off better than South Africa's. Kohli struck his first ODI fifty since the World Cup and batted with an authority which suggested he would see India though.
With Rohit at the other end, India progressed steadily, taking advantage of a South African attack that seemed to be allowing matters to drift. Rohit reached fifty with a massive six off Imran Tahir and India's 100 came up four balls later. Although their going was laboured, it seemed headed in the right direction until Duminy saw Rohit coming, dropped the ball a touch shorter, and completed the catch in his follow through as the batsman coaxed a gentle dab back to him.
Dhoni joined Kohli in the hope of injecting some impetus into the innings. He took on Steyn with some success but was more cautious against Tahir and Kagiso Rabada who managed to tire India down. They conceded 11 runs in five overs from the 32nd over to the 36th, during which Kohli scored fifty, to prompt de Villiers to bring on one of his premier pacers again.
Morkel started to make things uncomfortable for India in his second spell but it was in this third that he caused real damage. He had Dhoni caught at short third man, looking to upper cut a short ball to change the course of the chase. Tahir removed Raina, who racked up a second successive duck, with a googly that he sent to long-off and then Morkel finished India off. In two balls, he had both Kohli and Rahane caught at deep midwicket, playing identical slogs.
India left the tail too much to do with 55 runs required off the last five overs and found themselves chasing the series, yet again.
Saturday 17 October 2015
1st Test Day 5 PAK 523/8d, 173 v ENG 598/9d, 74/4 (Draw)
England had to settle for a draw after an extraordinary final session on the fifth day of the first Test against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi.
Pakistan seemed to be cruising to a draw before debutant Adil Rashid - who returned 0-163 in the first innings - turned the match with five wickets.
Needing 99 to win, England sent out Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes in the top four.
But they were eventually beaten by the fading light, finishing 25 runs short of a famous victory on 74-4.
The tourists could not find the boundary frequently enough before the umpires brought the teams off, with Joe Root 33 not out.
However, this was a hugely impressive performance from England and one that will fill them with confidence ahead of the second Test in Dubai, which begins on Thursday.
Rampant Rashid sets up mad final hour
After England concluded their innings on 598-9 in the morning, Pakistan looked assured at 113-3 shortly after tea, leading by 38 with seven second-innings wickets remaining.
But the match turned when veteran batsman Younis Khan, playing in his 102nd Test match, mistimed a wild heave to give Rashid his first Test wicket - caught at point by Stokes.
Rashid - whose figures in the first innings were the worst ever by a debutant - then quickly added a second victim, having Asad Shafiq caught behind for six.
The door was opened for England, and Rashid and Moeen Ali barged through it as they polished off the last five wickets for 14 runs.
Pakistan skipper Misbah ul-Haq - who had played with restraint for his 51 - inexplicably aimed an uncharacteristic slog at Moeen and was bowled.
Moeen then removed Wahab Riaz caught behind, before Rashid claimed the final three wickets - all superbly caught at first slip by James Anderson.
England left to rue mistakes
England sensed an unlikely victory, but their reorganised batting order could not score quickly enough as Pakistan's tactic of spin from both ends and fielders on the boundary brought them regular wickets.
Makeshift opener Buttler was trapped lbw for four, Moeen and Stokes were caught on the boundary in quick succession, and Jonny Bairstow was stumped attempting a big shot.
However, in truth it was mistakes earlier in the match that ultimately proved more costly as England fell just short of their first win on the subcontinent since beating India in Kolkata in 2012.
In Pakistan's first innings, Ian Bell dropped Mohammad Hafeez (98) and Shafiq (107) at slip early in their innings.
And Shoaib Malik, who made 245, was dismissed off a no-ball by Stuart Broad.
Cook frustrated by 'bittersweet finish'
England captain Alastair Cook, whose record-breaking 263 in the first innings was ultimately in vain, admitted England were frustrated to come so close to victory.
"We'd have liked another three or four overs at the end but that's the way it goes," he said. "I can't fault the guys for hanging in there on that wicket.
"The pitch did deteriorate and spun more today which gave us hope, so it's a bit of a bittersweet finish. We knew we had to put the pressure on Pakistan and then on the last day you never know.
"We played a good game and so did Pakistan. They were a bit sloppy today and we put them under pressure.
"It was brilliant from Adil Rashid who I think got some unfair criticism after the first innings. He's a very fine bowler."
Much-improved away display augurs well
Overall this was a vastly improved overseas display from England, who were whitewashed 3-0 on their last tour of the United Arab Emirates and have not won any of their last three away series.
In contrast to their limp displays with the bat in the 2012 series against Pakistan and more recent overseas disappointments in Australia and West Indies, England's victory charge was built on a superb total of 598-9 declared in their first innings.
Resuming on 569-8, England added 29 quick runs in the morning session, with Rashid out for 12 in his maiden Test innings.
But the innings hinged on Cook's magnificent 263, the longest-ever innings by an Englishman, compiled over days two, three and four.
England's pace bowlers also showed that they could be threatening on the dusty, spin-friendly tracks of the UAE, with Ben Stokes taking 4-57 in the first innings and Anderson also taking four wickets over the course of the match.
With England's new-look opening partnership of Cook and Moeen adding 113 for the first wicket in the first innings, and the under-pressure Bell scoring a half-century at number three, England will head to Dubai knowing that many parts of their team are in good working order.
What they said
Former England captain Michael Vaughan: "Many people will be watching and listening and wondering why they can't continue and I agree with them. This goes back to last night when they came off and you wonder was there a real threat to the players then. It shouldn't take the shine off what has been a good day from England and Adil Rashid."
Former England spinner Graeme Swann: "I am proud of the way England played. The only way they were going to win this game was to persevere and stick it at - and they did that even though they didn't get the result in the end.
"I'm really pleased for Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali who copped a load of stick in the first innings. I don't buy into the Pakistan time-wasting because anyone in their shoes would do the same."
What you said
Richard Oelmann: Umpires had no choice with current rules - Rules need changing though. England would have done the same as Pakistan if positions reversed.
Chris Tudor: England have been 'saved by the bell' loads of times. No-one complained when play stopped at EXACTLY 6:30pm at Cardiff in 2009.
Jonathan Wilson: England robbed. Cook out off a no ball delayed things. Lbw in Pakistan inns not given. England win if these called correctly.
Rachel T: England will take huge heart from being within an ace of winning, having been almost written off beforehand.
Flemming Jensen: Get rid of the light meter. Also, Pakistan being allowed to meander along at an over rate of less than 12 is an utter disgrace.
The stats you need to know
Rashid is the first English leg-spinner to take a five-for in Tests since Tommy Greenhough v India at Lord's in 1959.
He is also the first bowler ever to take 0-100+ in the first innings and five-for in the 2nd innings on Test debut.
Rashid also becomes the first Englishman to take five-for on his first-class and Test debut since Jim Smith in 1935.
Shoaib Malik's duck in Pakistan's second innings makes his first-innings of 245 the highest achieved by a batsman who also scored 0 in the same match.
England faced 200 overs in an innings for the first time since making 593 off 206.1 overs against West Indies at St John's 1994.
Pakistan seemed to be cruising to a draw before debutant Adil Rashid - who returned 0-163 in the first innings - turned the match with five wickets.
Needing 99 to win, England sent out Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes in the top four.
But they were eventually beaten by the fading light, finishing 25 runs short of a famous victory on 74-4.
The tourists could not find the boundary frequently enough before the umpires brought the teams off, with Joe Root 33 not out.
However, this was a hugely impressive performance from England and one that will fill them with confidence ahead of the second Test in Dubai, which begins on Thursday.
Rampant Rashid sets up mad final hour
After England concluded their innings on 598-9 in the morning, Pakistan looked assured at 113-3 shortly after tea, leading by 38 with seven second-innings wickets remaining.
But the match turned when veteran batsman Younis Khan, playing in his 102nd Test match, mistimed a wild heave to give Rashid his first Test wicket - caught at point by Stokes.
Rashid - whose figures in the first innings were the worst ever by a debutant - then quickly added a second victim, having Asad Shafiq caught behind for six.
The door was opened for England, and Rashid and Moeen Ali barged through it as they polished off the last five wickets for 14 runs.
Pakistan skipper Misbah ul-Haq - who had played with restraint for his 51 - inexplicably aimed an uncharacteristic slog at Moeen and was bowled.
Moeen then removed Wahab Riaz caught behind, before Rashid claimed the final three wickets - all superbly caught at first slip by James Anderson.
England left to rue mistakes
England sensed an unlikely victory, but their reorganised batting order could not score quickly enough as Pakistan's tactic of spin from both ends and fielders on the boundary brought them regular wickets.
Makeshift opener Buttler was trapped lbw for four, Moeen and Stokes were caught on the boundary in quick succession, and Jonny Bairstow was stumped attempting a big shot.
However, in truth it was mistakes earlier in the match that ultimately proved more costly as England fell just short of their first win on the subcontinent since beating India in Kolkata in 2012.
In Pakistan's first innings, Ian Bell dropped Mohammad Hafeez (98) and Shafiq (107) at slip early in their innings.
And Shoaib Malik, who made 245, was dismissed off a no-ball by Stuart Broad.
Cook frustrated by 'bittersweet finish'
England captain Alastair Cook, whose record-breaking 263 in the first innings was ultimately in vain, admitted England were frustrated to come so close to victory.
"We'd have liked another three or four overs at the end but that's the way it goes," he said. "I can't fault the guys for hanging in there on that wicket.
"The pitch did deteriorate and spun more today which gave us hope, so it's a bit of a bittersweet finish. We knew we had to put the pressure on Pakistan and then on the last day you never know.
"We played a good game and so did Pakistan. They were a bit sloppy today and we put them under pressure.
"It was brilliant from Adil Rashid who I think got some unfair criticism after the first innings. He's a very fine bowler."
Much-improved away display augurs well
Overall this was a vastly improved overseas display from England, who were whitewashed 3-0 on their last tour of the United Arab Emirates and have not won any of their last three away series.
In contrast to their limp displays with the bat in the 2012 series against Pakistan and more recent overseas disappointments in Australia and West Indies, England's victory charge was built on a superb total of 598-9 declared in their first innings.
Resuming on 569-8, England added 29 quick runs in the morning session, with Rashid out for 12 in his maiden Test innings.
But the innings hinged on Cook's magnificent 263, the longest-ever innings by an Englishman, compiled over days two, three and four.
England's pace bowlers also showed that they could be threatening on the dusty, spin-friendly tracks of the UAE, with Ben Stokes taking 4-57 in the first innings and Anderson also taking four wickets over the course of the match.
With England's new-look opening partnership of Cook and Moeen adding 113 for the first wicket in the first innings, and the under-pressure Bell scoring a half-century at number three, England will head to Dubai knowing that many parts of their team are in good working order.
What they said
Former England captain Michael Vaughan: "Many people will be watching and listening and wondering why they can't continue and I agree with them. This goes back to last night when they came off and you wonder was there a real threat to the players then. It shouldn't take the shine off what has been a good day from England and Adil Rashid."
Former England spinner Graeme Swann: "I am proud of the way England played. The only way they were going to win this game was to persevere and stick it at - and they did that even though they didn't get the result in the end.
"I'm really pleased for Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali who copped a load of stick in the first innings. I don't buy into the Pakistan time-wasting because anyone in their shoes would do the same."
What you said
Richard Oelmann: Umpires had no choice with current rules - Rules need changing though. England would have done the same as Pakistan if positions reversed.
Chris Tudor: England have been 'saved by the bell' loads of times. No-one complained when play stopped at EXACTLY 6:30pm at Cardiff in 2009.
Jonathan Wilson: England robbed. Cook out off a no ball delayed things. Lbw in Pakistan inns not given. England win if these called correctly.
Rachel T: England will take huge heart from being within an ace of winning, having been almost written off beforehand.
Flemming Jensen: Get rid of the light meter. Also, Pakistan being allowed to meander along at an over rate of less than 12 is an utter disgrace.
The stats you need to know
Rashid is the first English leg-spinner to take a five-for in Tests since Tommy Greenhough v India at Lord's in 1959.
He is also the first bowler ever to take 0-100+ in the first innings and five-for in the 2nd innings on Test debut.
Rashid also becomes the first Englishman to take five-for on his first-class and Test debut since Jim Smith in 1935.
Shoaib Malik's duck in Pakistan's second innings makes his first-innings of 245 the highest achieved by a batsman who also scored 0 in the same match.
England faced 200 overs in an innings for the first time since making 593 off 206.1 overs against West Indies at St John's 1994.
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