Jos Buttler is battling to retain his place in England’s Test lineup following a wretched day when his lean spell with the bat continued and catches went down in the field.
The 25-year-old wicketkeeper, out for a nine-ball duck as the team lost seven wickets for 36 runs, has averaged 13 with the bat since the start of the Ashes series and an end of season break appears to have done little to revive his fortunes.
His glove work has faltered too, with the opener Shan Masood dropped down the leg side in the second over of Pakistan’s second innings and Misbah‑ul-Haq spared on 61 when Buttler and Joe Root at first slip failed to go for the catch off Ben Stokes.
One option for England is putting Jonny Bairstow behind the stumps, with James Taylor – a player the management are keen on in spinning conditions – bolstering the batting lineup.
Root, whose dismissal started the rot, admits his team-mate’s mood is low at present. “Jos will be disappointed after today,” the England vice-captain said. “He’s a fine player. I expect him to bounce back because that’s what fine players do. And I expect him to score many runs for England in years to come. We always look out for each other. I have every confidence in him.”
On the collapse, which leaves England staring at the prospect of defeat in the second Test that would leave a series win out of the equation, Root said: “We have got no choice but to pitch up and put in a better performance. We’ve not been good enough to be brutally honest. Pakistan got the ball to reverse at good speeds but there were a few shots that we probably want to rethink.”
The fast bowler Wahab Riaz, who claimed four for 66, said: “We are now looking to score more runs and put England back in and then see how it looks. That was one of the good spells of mine; five would have been special but it was very good as it helped my team.
“Root is a very good player and aggressive; he’s an important player to get out. We thought getting him we could dry up the runs and put pressure on the incoming batsmen.”
