As a result, the mood in the Pakistan camp was
understandably downcast before the fourth and final Test at The Oval. The
batting line-up had been inconsistent at Manchester and Edgbaston, the fielding
had been sloppy, and Yasir Shah’s struggles had added another headache for the
Pakistani think-tank.
Few expected Pakistan to stun England at The Oval and level
the series.
Yet this was Pakistan — a team with an extraordinary habit
of producing its best cricket when expectations are at their lowest.
England Escape After Wahab’s Early Burst
Pakistan began the Test with purpose. Wahab Riaz’s fiery
pace unsettled England’s batting line-up, and when Gary Ballance was dismissed,
the hosts were reeling at 110 for 5.
Pakistan had an opportunity to seize complete control.
Instead, Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali dragged England back
into the contest. Both benefited from crucial reprieves early in their innings,
and Pakistan were left to rue their missed opportunities. Moeen then combined
with Chris Woakes to strengthen England’s recovery.
What had looked like a potentially disastrous innings for
England was transformed into a competitive total.
By stumps, Pakistan were 3 for 1, and after the batting
failures of the previous two Tests, another collapse seemed entirely possible.
The pitch was offering enough assistance to England’s fast bowlers to make the
situation even more precarious.
But the first hour of the second morning changed the
complexion of the Test.
Yasir Shah’s Resistance Sets the Tone
Against the best teams in Test cricket, the opening session
— and particularly the first hour — can dictate the course of an entire day.
Pakistan had sent Yasir Shah in as the nightwatchman. Given
how poorly the lower order had performed during the series, England probably
regarded him as an easy early wicket.
For Pakistan, losing Yasir immediately could have exposed an already fragile middle order to James Anderson and Stuart Broad with a relatively new ball.
Instead, Yasir resisted.
For almost an hour, he weathered the storm from Anderson and
Broad with remarkable composure. His 26 valuable runs were important, but
the significance of the innings went beyond the scorecard.
He absorbed pressure, frustrated England and allowed
Pakistan to begin the morning on their own terms.
The nightwatchman had done his job — and more.
Asad Shafiq’s Promotion Reaps a Rich Harvest
At the other end, Azhar Ali ensured that Pakistan did not
surrender the momentum. His partnership with Asad Shafiq steadied the innings
and gradually shifted the pressure back onto England.
The decision to promote Shafiq from No. 6 to No. 4 proved
inspired.
Shafiq had endured a difficult time in the previous two
Tests, but batting higher up the order appeared to suit his technique and
temperament. Rather than treating the move as a desperate gamble, Pakistan
seemed to recognize that the position could allow him to play his natural game.
He responded magnificently.
Shafiq constructed a superb century, combining patience with
fluent strokeplay and giving Pakistan the platform they desperately needed
But his dismissal brought another fascinating question to
the surface:
Could Younis Khan finally deliver?
Never Write Off Younis Khan
During the first three Tests, Younis Khan had looked
strangely uncomfortable.
His exaggerated movement at the crease, awkward balance and
questionable shot selection had attracted widespread criticism. Some had begun
to wonder whether age had finally caught up with one of Pakistan’s greatest
Test batsmen.
At The Oval, however, Younis entered a completely different
zone.
He played the ball late, got himself into better positions
and used his feet with far greater authority. Gone was much of the frantic
movement that had troubled him earlier in the series. In its place was the
composure and hunger that had defined his career.
Once settled, Younis took control.
His magnificent 218 transformed Pakistan’s innings and once
again reminded everyone why writing him off had always been a dangerous
exercise.
It was another classic Younis Khan comeback: criticized,
questioned and seemingly cornered — only to respond with a monumental innings.
Mohammad Amir Provides the Resistance Younis Needed
Pakistan’s lower order had offered little resistance during
much of the series, and that weakness had hurt them badly at Edgbaston.
At The Oval, things were different.
Yasir Shah had already demonstrated that the tail could
contribute. Mohammad Amir then took that resistance to another level.
Amir defended with patience and showed admirable discipline
against an increasingly frustrated English attack. More importantly, his calm
presence allowed Younis to continue accumulating runs at the other end.
Without Amir’s support, Younis might never have reached his
double century.
Together, Younis and Amir added a remarkable 117 runs for
the ninth wicket.
By the time England finally broke the partnership, Pakistan
had established such a commanding position that the hosts were staring at
defeat.
Misbah Attacks Instead of Waiting
Misbah-ul-Haq’s field settings had attracted criticism
earlier in the series, with accusations that Pakistan had occasionally become
too defensive.
At The Oval, the captain changed the script.
As England began their second innings, Misbah attacked.
Rather than allowing the batsmen easy opportunities to
settle, he surrounded them with catching fielders. At various stages, Pakistan
employed three slips, a leg slip, short leg and a catching man at short
mid-off, while Yasir Shah was given men around the bat.
It sent a clear message to the bowlers: Go for wickets.
The attacking fields encouraged aggressive bowling, and
England quickly found themselves under severe pressure.
By stumps on the third day, they were already four wickets
down.
Pakistan could sense victory.
Yasir Shah Loves Bowling in London
Misbah maintained the same attacking philosophy on the
fourth day, placing his faith in his premier spinner
And Yasir Shah delivered.
He subtly altered his approach from earlier in the series.
He varied his pace intelligently, while his quicker deliveries skidded off the
surface and repeatedly threatened the pads. His line moved between
middle-and-off and middle stump, making it difficult for the batsmen to decide
whether to play forward or back.
Most importantly, Yasir exploited the footmarks superbly.
England never found a convincing method against him.
The leg-spinner who had struggled during parts of the series
suddenly looked dangerous again, using variation, accuracy and the
deteriorating surface to dismantle England’s resistance.
The transformation was complete.
Unpredictable Pakistan — The Cornered Tigers Return
It is never easy to recover from consecutive painful
defeats, particularly when confidence is low and criticism is mounting
But Pakistan cricket has rarely followed conventional logic.
Just when the team appears vulnerable enough to collapse
completely, it can produce something extraordinary
At The Oval, Pakistan did exactly that.
Yasir Shah resisted with the bat before destroying England
with the ball. Asad Shafiq responded to his promotion with a magnificent
century. Mohammad Amir rediscovered the value of lower-order resistance.
Misbah-ul-Haq captained aggressively.
And above them all stood Younis Khan, answering his critics
with a majestic double hundred.
The Pakistan side that arrived at The Oval looked wounded.
The Pakistan side that left it looked like the Cornered
Tigers again.
It was a magnificent victory, a remarkable turnaround and a fitting tribute to the late Hanif Mohammad, whose legendary career had embodied the same qualities of patience, resistance and determination that Pakistan displayed at The Oval.
For Misbah-ul-Haq and his men, there could hardly have been
a better gift to the nation on Independence Day. From the despair of Edgbaston
to the celebrations at The Oval, Pakistan had once again demonstrated one of
the most enduring truths about their cricket:
Write them off at your own peril.
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