According to England’s captain Ben Stokes, re-using the field for the second Multan Test will ‘bring a lot more into the game for both teams’ and made his choice to return slightly simpler.
After the surface was unresponsive to the bowlers for four and a half days of the first game, several observers—Kevin Pietersen foremost among them—had mockingly demanded that it be used again for the second game.
After Pakistan scored 556 runs in 149 overs, England responded with an incredible 823 for 7 in 150 overs. They then bowled the hosts out for 220 runs, winning the match by an innings and 47 runs.
Throughout the match, several decade-old records were broken. Still, the one that hurt Pakistan the most was that they lost by an inning after scoring more than 500 in the first innings, making them the first side in more than 150 years of Test cricket history to suffer such a defeat.
Pakistan has responded by making drastic changes to the conditions and squad in a desperate attempt to level the series and, more importantly, stop the humiliating decline that Pakistan’s Test team is currently experiencing.
These changes were prompted by the newly inducted members of the selection committee, who announced them minutes after Pakistan’s defeat on Friday. They have dropped six straight Test matches and haven’t triumphed at home since February 2021.
Stokes responded to a question on Monday about Pakistan’s choice to play with the same lineup by saying: “I believe if we went down 1-0 at home, we would probably be going to our groundsman saying ‘can we have a bit more of this, bit more of that’ to utilize our home advantage in our favour.
Given how the first test went, it’s possible that we would have had a greater edge if a similar test had been conducted due to the way we approached and executed the game.
“Actually, both teams gain a lot more by using a used pitch. There are therefore more alternatives available to both teams if it spins or reverses more. I’m not sure if it’s a tactic, though. I have never witnessed supporters with such great standing as umpires, nor have I ever seen a used pitch used in consecutive games.”
Stokes mentioned the large fans, which were industrial fans installed on either end of the Multan Cricket Stadium by the grounds crew to remove moisture from the surface after morning watering.
Pakistan’s head curator, Tony Hemming, had explicit orders from Pakistan to create a surface that the ball turns on from the start, requiring the pitch to have comparatively lower moisture content.
To allow the pitch to continue baking in the intense Multan heat and lose any moisture necessary to keep the pitch together, the ground crew left it uncovered until late Monday afternoon.
It’s possible to sit here and predict what will happen, but who knows? Given that it’s been used and heated, it would provide the spinners a little more than last week. Due to the square’s mild dryness, seamers may become more prevalent and cause a little more reverse swing.
We Will Have to Wait and See What Happens
It’s possible to sit here and predict what will happen, but who knows? Given that it’s been used and heated, it would provide the spinners a little more than last week. Due to the square’s mild dryness, seamers may become more prevalent and cause a little more reverse swing.
Stokes is one seamer England would be thrilled to see get more playing time. He will return to the field two months after suffering a hamstring injury. Due to the high likelihood of a recurrence, Stokes has made no secret of his determination to take his time returning to the field. He has been working out on the net frequently while out of action during the first Multan Test to increase his fitness.
“I have worked hard on other parts of my fitness while injured,” he stated. “I’ve been hurt quite a bit. It is a component of my role, what we do, and how I play cricket. Although injuries are annoying, I choose to think positively. Telling myself, “When you get back on the field, make sure you’re fitter than you were when you got injured,” enables me to do that.
In addition to my objective of being in better physical shape than when I was injured, I also want to get my body back to where it was before I was hurt. It keeps me motivated and upbeat despite injuries, which are undoubtedly annoying.
“I’m a third seamer. Playing on a used wicket kind of eased the decision-making process. You can imagine, though, that this will spin slightly more. Two dependable squad members, Carsey (Brydon Carse) and Pottsy (Matt Potts) will always continue working. Nevertheless, I am available to bowl and will undoubtedly bowl when I feel the time is right for me to come on and make an impression.
England won four games in a row after winning the final test in Pakistan last week. With Stokes leading the charge, they swept Pakistan 3-0 in December 2022, giving them their first-ever home whitewash. England’s next goal is to leave Multan with a 2-0 result, even though they will aim for a similar outcome to this series.