We have a point to prove: Andrew Strauss
England goes in their last test match against Pakistan with their egos badly bruised. Even though they had played the sort of cricket they have been playing all series, it was more the Pakistan side that was in their element at the Brit Oval. England’s bowling performance was most certainly up to par with James Anderson swinging the ball beautifully. Had England scored another 50 runs in their second innings to extend their lead to 200 odd runs, they would certainly have had a strong chance to win the third test as well.
England need to do exactly what they have been doing all throughout the series, precision bowling and sensible field setting building pressure on the opposition by squeezing the run rate. This has worked very well for the Englishmen till now and they need to do just that. One very strong threat to the English side is Mohammad Yousuf, who on his day is simply unbeatable. However, he too has his problems. If the bowlers bowl the right line and length to cramp him, Yousuf is most susceptible to an lbw.
England cannot afford to let Pakistan settle down when they go against the pumped up side at Lord's, and the pitch promises to be a batting nightmare. The team batting second will most certainly have an advantage against the team going in to bat under overcast conditions. Kevin Pietersen needs to play a pivotal role in helping his side gain the edge over http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 for their final test at Lord's.
There is no doubt in the fact that swing bowling in all the matches has tested the technique of every batsman and has created problems for both the sides. However, the English batting line collapse was largely due to poor shot selection rather than swing ball. The pacers were not the only ones who managed to create problems for the English side but Saeed Ajmal was also a cause of much displeasure in the English camp who found his variation and spin quite hard to play. The Englishmen have had problems in the past while facing spinners, and this is one department where they need to work on.
As far as the overall composition of the team is concerned, Pakistan should just not bask in the glory of their Oval win and come back to reality.
The prospect of overcast conditions in Lords for the first two days means that the Pakistani pace bowlers will find the sloping pitch of Lords highly conducive to seam movement. The English batsmen must be prepared to knuckle down and graft rather than hit at every passing ball. England has a relatively cohesive team. However, all the microscopes are now fixed on Strauss who has not scored a century since last year.
“As a batsman you are never going to score runs in every match otherwise your name would be Don Bradman and you have to take the rough with the smooth. The key is to cash in once you get in,” said Andrew Strauss.
Nonetheless it is imperative for the English batsmen to find their lost form, and make a strong comeback in the final test match. They need to make mental notes of their lost match at the Oval to better understand where the team went wrong. England has to put pressure on Pakistan in the first innings which to critics might seem unlikely with the way the English have been batting.
However, if England takes the Oval defeat positively to work on their errors, they can certainly benefit from it. “To lose a Test you are expected to win is sometimes no bad thing because it comes as a jolt and eliminates complacency.” states Jonathan Agnew, a British cricket commentator. We certainly hope that the defeat at Oval proves to be a learning experience for a complacent team.
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