Summary Misbah stressed it was important for Pakistan not to panic in the last period of play.
ABU DHABI (Agencies) - A relieved Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq cited Mohammad Hafeez’s foolish run out on 34 and his own dismissal — bowled by Moeen Ali as he skipped forward for a slog — as crucial errors that nearly cost his team dear, but praised his bowlers for denying England victory in the first Test.
The veteran Misbah, who made a second-innings half-century, admitted he was mighty relieved Pakistan were not trailing in the three-match series and hoped his boys will not repeat the mistakes they committed on Saturday’s dramatic last day at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium which nearly handed England a shock victory.
“I think the big advantage is that we are not 1-0 down,” said Misbah. “I think in Test cricket pressure lets everything happen and we caused that pressure with some wrong shots.
“If you commit mistakes then such situations arise, especially Younis [Khan] and I played wrong shots at the wrong time.”
Misbah stressed it was important for Pakistan not to panic in the last period of play with England chasing 99 in 19 possible overs and early wickets helped his team to contain Alastair Cook’s side.
“We were looking to take wickets early on, bowl the spinners when the batsmen are not set and then maybe at the end we had the option of bowling with the seamers,” Misbah told reporters. “That plan worked.
“England are a good team and the pitch also helped them because there was not much turn and bounce. But credit to them for almost winning,” added Misbah who criticised the pitch.
“Even a kid knows what kind of pitch you need when you are playing against England. You need a spin track. If the pitch was not prepared like that then I am as surprised as you are.”
Misbah was also critical of no cover in his spin after key leg-spinner Yasir Shah was declared unfit before the match. “I think you should ask this question to the selectors or somebody back home.”
Meanwhile, Cook hailed his team’s performance after the tourists recovered from conceding more than 500 first innings runs to be within 25 of an improbable victory before bad light forced an end to the match.
England’s remarkable change of fortune, after Pakistan had piled up a mammoth 523-8 declared in the first innings, left Cook the happier of the two captains.
Cook said his team’s resurgence made him just as proud as any of his Test wins as England captain.
“The fact that you concede 520 and then you’re the side who are pretty much going to win the game, an inexperienced side too,” said Cook. “In the next 10 days of Test cricket we have to show the same kind of resilience and character.
“It’s a really strange feeling because there’s one of disappointment in the dressing room which is very strange because everyone would have taken the result at tea time,” said Cook of the interval when Pakistan were apparently safe at 102-3.
But Pakistan lost seven wickets in the space of 71 runs, the last five off just 14 overs.
Cook praised Adil Rashid, whose bowling figures of 0-163 in the first innings were the worst by a debutant in Test history but was the architect of Pakistan’s collapse as he finished with 5-64, his five wickets coming in the space of 53 balls.
“He’s had a tough introduction, bowling on probably the worst wicket you’d ever want to make your debut on as a leg-spinner. We know how important a leg-spinner can be,” said Cook. ““He can change games very quickly and the criticism he got was unfair, he handled the pressure well. Full credit to Adil for really having that character and confidence in his ability to not get too down on himself.”
Cook attributed his own good form in tough Asian conditions to patience.
“I don’t quite know why I’ve got such a good subcontinent record,” said Cook who now has eight hundreds in Asia. It’s pretty much a game of patience out here a lot of the time and playing to your strengths.”
