Three talking points from Pakistan’s crushing Test series loss to England

More batting collapses for Pakistan, concerns over the Lord’s pitch and Ollie Robinson’s rampant form highlight the series.

England clinched a Test cricket series victory over Pakistan with a thumping ۱۹۴-run win in the second match of the tour at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London.

Pakistan, set an improbable victory target of ۳۸۹, were dismissed for ۱۹۴ on the fourth day to give England an unbeatable ۲-۰ lead in a three-match series on Sunday.

Ollie Robinson did the damage again with ۴-۲۴ to follow his sensational ۴-۱۱ in ۱۳ overs during Pakistan’s woeful ۱۱۰ all out in the first innings. Saud Shakeel restored some self-respect for Pakistan with ۹۷ before he holed out to fast bowler Josh Tongue, who saw off the tail.

Victory saw England, who hammered Pakistan by an innings and ۱۰۳ runs at Headingley last week, complete their first multi-match Test series win since a ۲-۱ triumph in New Zealand more than a year ago.

Here are three talking points that emerged as England completed their first multi-match Test series win in more than a year.

Shakeel fails to salvage sorry Pakistan

Pakistan have yet to make ۲۰۰ in this series, with the tourists dismissed for ۱۷۱ and ۱۳۵ during an innings and ۱۰۳-run defeat in the first Test at Headingley before managing ۱۱۰ and ۱۹۴ at Lord’s.

But that Pakistan, already bottom of the World Test Championship table before this latest thumping loss, at least got close to a benchmark total on Sunday was largely down to Saud Shakeel’s enterprising ۹۷.

Coming in with Pakistan in dire straits at ۱۴-۳, he initially scored briskly without taking undue risks before a flurry of thrilling boundaries, including two superb hooked sixes off fast bowler Josh Tongue, took him to within sight of ۱۰۰.

Shakeel fell just short of what would have been his fifth century in ۲۵ Tests when he holed out off Tongue, the left-hander failing to join Abbas on the Lord’s honours boards following the veteran seamer’s five-wicket haul earlier on Sunday.

“In the batting, we weren’t up to the mark [in the first innings],” said Babar Azam, the Pakistan captain. “Saud Shakeel showed his class and dedication in the second innings.”

Relentless Robinson

The present England management have sometimes given the impression the only thing that matters in a pace attack is sheer speed, but Ollie Robinson has demonstrated the importance of accuracy and movement as well.

Robinson lacks the express pace and physical threat of Sussex and England teammate Jofra Archer. But the seamer’s range of skills was on display at Lord’s where, albeit helped by a green-tinged pitch, Robinson was named player-of-the-match for a haul of ۸-۳۵ that included a remarkable ۴-۱۱ in ۱۳ overs during Pakistan’s first innings.

While concerns over his fitness and questions regarding some social media posts have threatened to derail his England career, there have rarely been any doubts over the ۳۲-year-old Robinson’s talent.

In his three Tests this season he has taken ۲۳ wickets at a stunningly low average of ۸.۳۴, with England skipper Joe Root saying on Sunday Robinson was “horrendous [to face] in these conditions.”

Pitch problems a worry for Lord’s

The way England opener Emilio Gay fell lbw for ۳۱ to a ‘pea-shooter’ delivery from Pakistan paceman Mohammad Abbas was the kind of dismissal that really should not happen on the third day of a Test and certainly not at a ground that styles itself as the Home of Cricket.

For Gay, struggling to cement his place in the England side, it was a particularly cruel exit as what should be a game of skill was turned into a lottery by uneven bounce.

It was also a worrying sign for Marylebone Cricket Club, the owners of Lord’s.

The pitch for the previous Test at Lord’s, against New Zealand, was rated as “unsatisfactory” by the International Cricket Council, with next year’s World Test Championship final relocated across London to the Oval partly as a consequence.

And while previous surfaces at Lord’s, renowned for its steep slope across the ground, faced criticism for being bland and too much in favour of the batsmen, clearly there are limits.

MCC recognised they had an issue after the New Zealand match, announcing the creation of “an agronomy advisory group” and a “phased pitch-relaying programme”, although any benefits may not be seen for several years and are unlikely to be of much consolation to Gay.