The first Test finished in the expected draw, that much is true. That the match ended in deepest dusk, the sun having long set over the Grand Mosque in the distance, with England hounding down the most unlikeliest of wins was as unexpected as if paddy fields had sprung up in the desert surrounding the Zayed Stadium. For four days the match had trundled along, seeing out its time. Only on the last day, when Adil Rashid became a Test match hero after suffering first-innings humiliation, was it resuscitated back to life.
England had declared their first innings closed at 598 for nine, a lead of 75, useful enough to apply a little pressure on the Pakistan batting. Jimmy Anderson responded with two new-ball wickets, including the double centurion of the first innings, Shoaib Malik, for nought, there was a spectacularly efficient run-out of Mohammad Hafeez by Ben Stokes and suddenly Pakistan were under the cosh at 47 for three.
If the ship was steadied by the old hands Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq then both were then guilty of eyebrow-raising indiscretions that surrendered their wickets. It left an opening. By now the pitch, derided for so much of the match, had begun to take spin. Rashid’s wrist snapped as he ripped out his leg-breaks and suddenly they began to dip and drift in flight and turn sharply away.
He began to find the edge, Anderson was a safe pair of hands at slip, and from the rubble of his first-innings nought for 163, he had taken five for 64, the first England leg-spinner to take five wickets in an innings since the Lancastrian Tommy Greenhough bowled out India at Lord’s in 1959.
Rashid walked from the field, proudly holding the ball aloft knowing that in instigating a Pakistan collapse where the last five wickets fell for 14 runs in 30 balls, he had bowled England to the verge of what would be an astounding win. England required 99, with plenty of overs, but less than an hour batting, before the light failed.
Pakistan could set fields without restriction. It was the toughest of asks, but England gave it their best shot, running hard but struggling to find the boundary. Jos Buttler, who opened with Moeen Ali, departed early, Moeen and Ben Stokes were caught at deep midwicket, the latter to a fine catch gazing straight into the setting sun, and Jonny Bairstow, having pulled Wahab Riaz over square-leg and beyond the security fence, was stumped. There simply was not time for Joe Root and Ian Bell to get England any closer. England were tantalisingly 25 runs short.
It was a day that contained reversals of fortune. When Shoaib fended Anderson’s brilliantly directed bouncer into the hands of short-leg, he became the fifth batsman to score a double-century in the first innings and follow it with a nought in the second, and the one with the greatest differential. Rashid on the other hand can take enormous credit for the manner he was able to shoulder the disappointment of the first innings and bowl so well in the second. The first innings was purgatory, but put into perspective by the lack of success by all the other spinners.
Circumstance too was different for him, for Alastair Cook’s magnificent defiance had not only reeled Pakistan in, but helped give his side the advantage. This makes the world of difference to any bowler, for wickets become the absolute focus, while Pakistan, who will have thought they had created a first-innings position that was all but impossible to lose on such a pitch, were under pressure.
Rashid upped his pace a little, not a lot but enough and spun the ball hard. Younis, having completed a comfortable half-century, had an inexplicable rush of blood and skewed a huge mow from the toe end to extra cover to give the Yorkshire spinner his first wicket and he was away.
Asad Shafiq was caught at the wicket, although still chose to review it, whereupon Misbah, attempting to hit Moeen into the next state, was bowled, an astonishing piece of indiscipline from the Pakistan captain. It opened the way for England. Wahab was caught at short leg, off Moeen again, whereupon Rashid was able to mop up the tail, all with catches by Anderson, the first requiring the endorsement of the third umpire although the batsman Zulfiqur had been happy enough.
All along those who know him best have said that not least among Rashid’s virtues was his ability to clean up the lower order and here was proof positive.
The series is thus set up, with the second Test starting in Dubai on Thursday. England came to the Emirates being given little chance of being able to compete strongly with what was viewed as a weaker spin attack compared to last time and batsmen unused to the techniques of playing spin themselves and have given Pakistan a scare.
Cook has shown what is possible with dedication and a gameplan and it is no coincidence that no non-Asian batsman averages more than he does in Asia. And now they have shown that they are in a position not just to survive but to take Pakistan to the wire. It bodes well for the next two Tests.
