Pakistan vs. England, 2nd Test, Day 3: Tough Times for Jos Buttler, Tourists
At the start of Day 3, England had high hopes of seizing control of the second Test against Pakistan. By the end of it, though, they found themselves staring down the barrel.
Resuming on 182 for three in reply to Pakistan's score of 378, the tourists lost their last seven wickets for 36 runs in a dramatic morning session at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Paceman Wahab Riaz and leg-spinner Yasir Shah claimed four wickets apiece in the England innings, with the former producing a wonderful nine-over spell that saw him pick up three for 15.
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Pakistan came out to bat again already 136 runs ahead, and by stumps, they had extended that advantage to 358.
They did slip to 83 for three, but the experienced duo of Younis Khan (71 not out) and Misbah-ul-Haq (87 not out at the close, following on from his first-innings ton) steered Pakistan to 222 for three.
Here Bleacher Report picks the bones out of a contrasting day for the two teams.
Morning Mess
England battled bravely to reach 182 for three by stumps on Day 2.
Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow made sure the innings didn't fall away following the departure of skipper Alastair Cook, with the two Yorkshire batsmen sharing an unbroken stand worth 55 in fading light.
However, all their hard work—along with that done by the visiting bowlers on the second morning—was undone in one disastrous session. England contrived to go from 206 for three to 242 all out.
The clatter of wickets began with Root, who lost a game of patience with Wahab. Consistently tested outside his off stump, the right-hander eventually couldn’t resist having a drive at a wide delivery.
The decision to be aggressive resulted in his downfall for 88, and from then on, England folded faster than an origami expert.
Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Adil Rashid mustered four runs between them, leaving Bairstow with only the tail for help.
Lunch must have tasted particularly bitter for England’s bowlers. At the start of Day 2, they managed to reduce Pakistan from an overnight 282 for four to 378 all out.
England’s collapse was even more dramatic; in one session, the Test had gone from being right in the balance to being served up on a plate for Pakistan.
Worrying Times
Buttler’s form with the bat is a major concern for England.
His recent numbers, as tweeted by Andrew McGlashan of ESPN Cricinfo, do not make for pretty reading:
Following two failures in one-day action after a disappointing Ashes series, the wicketkeeper-batsman was given a break by England’s management team at the end of the summer.
Head coach Trevor Bayliss said at the time, per McGlashan, "While we initially felt Jos would have enough left in the tank for this ODI series, it has become clear in the last couple of days that he will benefit from a break from cricket ahead of the winter tours."
It is still early going in a busy winter, but the break doesn’t seem to have worked.
Buttler has now hit 27 runs in three knocks against Pakistan. He can point to one of his dismissals being in the pursuit of quick runs, as he was promoted to open England’s second innings late on Day 5 in the first Test in Abu Dhabi.
He contributed absolutely nothing to England’s first innings in Dubai, a lazy drive with his feet sticking to the pitch and seeing him caught behind for a duck.
Worryingly, he then spilled a catch behind the stumps at the start of Pakistan’s second innings, as tweeted by Sky Sports:
He did snaffle a second opportunity that came his way soon after but late in the day failed to even move for an edge off Misbah's bat that flew between 'keeper and first slip. Bowler Ben Stokes roared with anger at the miss.
England do have the option of handing the gloves to Bairstow, paving the way for batsman James Taylor to come into the middle order.
But captain Cook backed Buttler before the start of the second Test, per Ali Martin of the Guardian:
"We shouldn’t forget about how well he kept, with 170 overs in his first Test in the subcontinent. He’s contributing there but he knows he has to score runs—that’s what happens when you play for England and people are pushing for your place—but he’s in a good spot and we are behind him.
"
England should persevere with talents such as Buttler, but there comes a point when it might be in his best interests to take him out of the spotlight.
That moment may not yet have arrived in their eyes, but it gets ever nearer with each low score.
Milestone Moment
Younis made history in the final session of Day 3, becoming the first Pakistan batsman to reach the magnificent milestone of 9,000 Test runs.
The experienced right-hander is the 14th player to achieve the feat in the history of the game. His is also the oldest when reaching the landmark, per Fazeela Saba on Twitter:
"Younis the oldest to score 9000 Test Runs at the age of 37. Interesting #PAKvENG pic.twitter.com/VaB0rNgUJn
— Fazeela Saba (@FazeelaSaba1) October 24, 2015"
By the close, Younis had recorded his second successive half-century in the match. He also made 38 and 45 in the series opener, in Abu Dhabi.
He will be eager to register a hundred after failing to make the most of promising starts in his last three knocks.
If he manages to achieve get to three figures on the fourth morning, it will be the 31st time he has done so in his outstanding career.
What chance he can go on and reach 10,000 runs before finally hanging up the batting gloves?
There's little indication he's nearing the end of the line. Last year, he averaged 66.50 in Tests; this year, he's already made two centuries in the format.
While he is now 37, Younis doesn't seem to be losing the appetite to spend long periods of time at the crease.
He simply goes about his job with a minimum of fuss, and the fact he no longer plays limited-overs games for his country should extend his career in the longest format.
What Next in This Test?
If England were in this situation on home soil, there would always be able to look to the heavens for help.
No, not for some divine intervention, but peering up to the sky in the hope of spotting for some inclement weather.
In Dubai, however, you are wasting your time praying for rain. According to AccuWeather.com, the sun will be shining brightly for the final two days of the second Test.
England's highest successful run chase in a Test is 332, so they already know they are going to have to make history if they are to go 1-0 up in the three-match series.
Pakistan will aim to pile on the runs at the start of Day 4. They will want extend their lead beyond 400 before Misbah considers a declaration.
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