Everything Went Wrong for Pakistan Everything Went Wrong for Pakistan
Everything Went Wrong for Pakistan

October 14, 2024

Everything Went Wrong for Pakistan

Pakistan’s fragility as a team has made it difficult for them to overcome past failures. On day four, after Tea, they faced another such challenge and faltered. They now risk becoming the first team to lose a Test by an innings despite scoring over 500 in their first innings.

When Abdullah Shafique stepped up to face Chris Woakes at the Multan Cricket Stadium, Pakistan needed to chase down an imposing 267-run lead. England had dominated for two days, posting a record-breaking 823 for seven in Pakistan’s scorching heat. But it wasn’t just the heat or physical exhaustion that made Pakistan’s task daunting. For nearly a year, the team has struggled mentally, unable to perform in second innings. In their last three Tests, Pakistan hasn’t surpassed 200 runs in their second innings. Captain Shan Masood acknowledged this problem before the match, but simply talking about it without solving it has only made matters worse.

Shafique, who had redeemed himself with a century in the first innings after a string of poor performances, faced uncertainty in his second outing. On the very first ball, he offered a tentative prod and was bowled as the ball hit a crack in the pitch that had previously seemed harmless for four days. Chris Woakes, despite his underwhelming record overseas and his first Test in Asia in eight years, capitalized on Pakistan’s mental fragility. Uncertainty made Woakes appear more threatening and the conditions more hostile than they really were.

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Pitch Shift and Pakistan’s Struggles: Masood, Babar, and Shakeel Falter

The Multan pitch, which had offered little assistance to bowlers earlier, began to change after England’s declaration, suddenly offering seam, bounce, and turn. In the first innings, Shafique and Shan Masood had successfully countered England’s traps, scoring centuries and raising hopes for Pakistan. But in the second innings, Masood fell apart, succumbing to pressure and getting out to Ollie Pope after two reprieves. Pakistan’s captain fell into the very mental trap he had warned about days earlier. Even Babar Azam, who had started 2023 strongly with a century against New Zealand, has struggled to overcome his poor form since then, a reminder that past achievements offer no guarantees when your confidence is shaken.

Babar Azam, once so highly regarded that the “Fab Four” of world cricket was expanded to include him, continues to show glimpses of his talent by getting solid starts. His fans often compare him to the game’s modern greats, but his recent struggles highlight a gap in form. Nasser Hussain, commenting on-air, compared Azam’s technique to Joe Root’s, showing how Root stayed leg-side of the ball to guide it down to third man, while Azam was squared up and caught behind on a similar delivery.

Saim Ayub tried to play proactively, but his indecisiveness—whether to aim over cover or square—showed as things started to unravel. Mohammad Rizwan, caught in the collapse, fell victim to a sharp, back-of-length delivery from Brydon Carse. Amid the turmoil, Saud Shakeel stood out as one of Pakistan’s best against spin, confidently driving fast bowlers and trusting his abilities. He smashed Jack Leach for a boundary, but just as momentum seemed to shift, Shakeel nicked a shortened delivery, giving Jamie Smith an easy catch.

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Tim Nielson on Pakistan’s Inconsistent Performances and Missed Opportunities

“Unfortunately we just haven’t been able to play our best cricket for long enough over the five days,” Pakistan’s high-performance coach Tim Nielson explained when asked why the hosts have been unable to milk the home advantage since he has become part of the dressing room. “And that is the challenge of Test match cricket. The team that can play the most consistent and the most efficient cricket for five days is usually the one that has the best chance of winning.”

“And we’ve made mistakes either with the bat or the ball or in the field at times in all three games that have ended up being crucial. In the end, we haven’t been able to recover from those conditions. So, I think everyone’s pretty clear that our best cricket is competitive cricket, but there is quite a big gap between our best cricket and the rest of our cricket. We need to close that gap so that we’re playing closer to our best for longer, more often.”

Pakistan seemed defeated even before play resumed, with England just 64 runs behind and Joe Root and Harry Brook in commanding form from the previous day. Their dominance hinted there would be no relief for Pakistan’s bowlers.

In the early hours, when energy should have been at its peak, Pakistan’s fielding crumbled—Azam and Shakeel dropped easy catches, and Naseem Shah misjudged a ball heading for the boundary. The day’s struggles were epitomized in the press box when the scorer ran out of pre-printed score sheets as England passed 700, resorting to handwritten notes. England’s relentless performance under the “Bazball” approach left a lasting impact on Pakistan, one that will likely echo far beyond the match itself.

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author
Katarzyna Nowak

Katarzyna Nowak is a seasoned writer with over five years of experience in editorial content, news reporting, and cricket sportsbook app reviews. As an author for IPLWin365 (IPL365 News), she combines her deep understanding of the sports betting industry with a passion for cricket, delivering insightful and accurate content that keeps readers informed and engaged.