Courtesy: Dawn News/AFP
LEEDS: Joe Root said a new-look England pace quartet “don’t really understand how good they are” after helping him launch his second stint as full-time Test captain with an innings and 103-run rout of a lacklustre Pakistan at Headingley on Friday.
England’s first Test without the two architects of their ultra-aggressive Bazball approach in former skipper Ben Stokes, now retired from all international cricket, and Brendon McCullum — sacked as red-ball coach following the recent series loss at home to New Zealand — was all over inside three days.
From the moment Ollie Robinson took a wicket with the very first ball of the match, England were on top in an utterly lopsided clash.
Robinson and Josh Tongue bagged five wickets apiece as Pakistan were dismissed for just 171 in their first innings and the duo, who received good support from Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson, took three more each second time around.
Sussex captain Robinson won player-of-the-match honours with 8-80 on his return to England duty.
Root’s first stint as skipper saw him lean heavily on James Anderson and Stuart Broad, England’s two most successful Test bowlers of all time.
But the vastly experienced Root was clearly excited by the potential of a pace quartet that had never played together for England before this match at his Yorkshire home ground.
“I don’t think they really understand how good they are, how well they complement each other and what they are capable of doing in these conditions,” Root said.
“Clearly we will have different challenges and surfaces to manage, but it’s a brilliant start to things.”
This was just England’s third win in 11 Tests, with interim coach Marcus Trescothick — himself an ex-England opening batsman — assisting Root before Stephen Fleming arrives to replace fellow former New Zealand captain McCullum as the team’s red-ball supremo.
Root, however, said Fleming had kept a close eye on proceedings in Leeds.
“We spoke every day,” said Root. “He’s kept tabs on things. It’s been great to have him on the end of the phone.”
PAKISTAN ‘MAKING A FUTURE’
Pakistan have little time to regroup before the second of this three-match series gets underway at Lord’s on Thursday, with the tourists now having won just one of their last 10 Tests overseas.
They were dismissed for a paltry 135 in their second innings, while an attack lacking the fast-bowling threat of many previous Pakistan teams proved largely powerless as England piled up 409 thanks to fifties from Harry Brook (91), Jordan Cox (73), Root (66) and Dan Lawrence (51).
Pakistan, however, arrived in England straight from a drawn series in the West Indies and only had one warm-up to get used to local conditions, although a lack of preparation time was no excuse for a particularly poor fielding display featuring dropped catches and some woeful attempts at preventing boundaries.
“We’re not playing well for sure when it comes to away series. We haven’t done well anywhere in the world and this is concerning,” Pakistan’s stand-in captain Salman Ali Agha said.
“It’s not like we came here a month ago. We came here a week ago. And I don’t think a week is enough to get used to these conditions.”
But a defiant Salman, asked if fans should be worried by Pakistan’s plight, replied: “It’s an inexperienced side but it’s not about worrying about the future — it’s about making a future.”
Nevertheless, Salman made it clear he would have no qualms should Pakistan captain Babar Azam — ruled out of the series opener after failing a fitness Test on a hand injury — return to lead the side at Lord’s.
“I’m more than happy to hand back the captaincy,” said Salman. “Hopefully he [Babar] is fine.”