Pakistan v England 2nd Test: Visitors must move on from unlucky draw
Published:
Sam Barnard, Assistant Sports Editor | October 21, 2015
Pakistan v England
- Second Test
- Thursday, October 22nd- 26th
- Play begins: 7:00 BST
- Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
- Live on Sky Sports 2
England to push on from 1st Test disappointment
Bad light was the savour for Pakistan after five days of cricket in the opening Test in Abu Dhabi, after their incredible second innings collapse saw England come perhaps just a few overs over claiming a 1-0 series lead.
The visitors were hoping to give themselves a welcome advantage in their quest to win just a third time ever against the South Asian nation on the road, either in Pakistan or their adopted home the UAE, but it was not to be.
It will certainly be interesting to see how Alastair Cook and co will react to that disappointment, but Coral rate them as tempting 23/10 shouts to take the second Test, which would ensure they come away undefeated from the series. The final match is in Sharjah, beginning on November 1st.
Another draw looks likely
Given the state of the incredibly flat pitch in the first Test, though, another draw is priced at 2/1, while the hosts are the 5/4 favourites. You may want to take enticing odds of 9/1 for a 0-0 series result, which has happened between the duo twice before when Pakistan have played at home.
One man who will certainly be fired up is captain Cook, whose post match comments suggested he was unusually riled by the decision to end the last match early.
The superstar opener hit a magnificent 263 to help his side eclipse Pakistan’s first innings decent total of 523-8d, which will certainly be a confidence booster for Cook who finds centuries hard to come by these days.
Record England run a hundred maker Cook is the 11/4 to favourite to be best visiting batsman in the first innings again. He is also the subject of a coral wincast special, with enhanced odds of 12/1 in the same market plus his team win at 12/1 (max stake £20).
Returning spinner Shah no sweat for Root
There is the issue that star spinner Yasir Shah is likely to return, however in Joe Root England have one of the best players of the slow ball in world cricket. The Yorkshireman’s knocks of 85 and 33 not out were overshadowed by Cook, but were nonetheless crucial, so take odds of 9/4 in the batting market.
Moeen Ali, meanwhile, will be looking to improve on his hits of 35 and 11 at the top of the order, so is a 3/1 shout, while Ian Bell can be backed at 9/2.
In terms of bowling, leg spinner Adil Rashid did brilliantly well to come back from his woeful 0-163 in the first innings, the worst ever for a Test debutant, to take five wickets ion the second. He is 7/2 to take confidence from that and be best England bowler in the first innings.
His Pakistan counterpart Shah will be raring to go, though, too, and is priced at 13/8 in the same market for the hosts.
While, in terms of batting, Shoaib Malik (who hit 245) and Asad Shafiq (107) are 4/1 and 8/1 respectively. Recent Pakistan all-time Test run record-breaker Younis Khan has odds of 4/1.
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Coral’s top tip: Given his great ability to play spin and being in the form of his life, take odds of 9/4 for Joe Root to be top England batsman in the first innings.
