Ben Stokes believes the level-minded nature of Adil Rashid’s character will see the leg-spinner’s first bowl in Test cricket – the most expensive wicketless figures by a debutant – wiped from the memory bank quickly as England look to salvage the first Test.
Day two against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi was the second of toil for England’s attack, with the 523 for eight declared scored by Misbah-ul-Haq’s side given some context when Alastair Cook and his new opening partner, Moeen Ali, reached 56 for no loss by the close.
Among the returns from Cook’s bowlers came Rashid’s none for 163, with his 34 overs the most sent down by an Englishman without registering a maiden. Along with Moeen and Joe Root, and even briefly from Stokes himself, England bowled 70 overs of spin and conceded 302 runs without taking a wicket – a new world best, or low.
But Stokes, after claiming four for 57 as Pakistan’s batsmen went on the charge, sees the Yorkshireman being unaffected by this unwanted world record.
“It hasn’t gone the way he would have wanted it to,” said Stokes. “But he doesn’t seem to get down too much, or get too high. I’ve played one-day cricket with him and when he’s done well he hasn’t celebrated over the top. He’s a level-minded cricketer and will put this behind him.
“We’ve been here for two weeks and know how well he’s been bowling in practice. Next time he has the ball in hand, hopefully he can deliver something big.”
Shoaib Malik, returning to the Pakistan Test side after a five-year absence, scored a career-best 245 from 420 balls – 205 of which came after his reprieve on day one when Stuart Broad overstepped – and added 248 for the fifth wicket with Asad Shafiq, who made 107. The No3 made light of Rashid in particular, scoring 76 off 84 of his deliveries.
Stokes added: “It’s just to do with how good subcontinent players are against spin. We aren’t looking into that deeply at all. It could easily have been the other way around, they could have got the eight wickets instead of the seamers.”
Asked how long he had taken to feel comfortable in Test cricket, the all-rounder replied: “The biggest thing is knowing you have the backing from your team and your team know you can deliver. Adil has done very well in one-day cricket so we all know he can perform on the big stage. Leg-spinners can go for runs but they can also change games.”
Stokes believes those batsmen prepared to get themselves set on this run-filled pitch at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium will score heaviest, as shown by Malik and Shafiq in Pakistan’s innings. Cook, who will resume on 39, and Moeen, on 15 in his first Test innings as an opener, managed to get to stumps unbeaten.
Stokes said: “The two batsmen who went big gave themselves time to get in. They didn’t really look to change gears, just knew they needed to go big because they know the pitch will deteriorate and that first innings will be big.
“Cooky and Mo have set the tone for the next two days of batting, and to come off after what could have been a dodgy 21 overs for none is a great effort.”
On Steven Finn, who will be replaced on the tour by Chris Jordan after suffering a bone-stress injury to his left foot, Stokes added: “To see him go home after bowling so well – it’s pretty heartbreaking.
“The seam bowlers who aren’t in this game could have a role to play in this series and I think he would have been one of the first names in the hat. So it’s not great timing.”
