Daijiworld Media Network
Abu Dhabi, Oct 13 : There is a bit of grass which is usual for the Abu Dhabi track says Ramiz Raja. There are a lot of bare patches as well which will aid spin when the ball pitches on one of those spots. Come day 4 and day 5 it will be a tough task for the batters in managing spin bowling feels Ramiz
Match Date: October 13-17, 2015
Venue: Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Start Time: 10:00 local (06:00 GMT | 11:30 IST)
Weather: Sunny, High of 36 degree Celsius
While Yasir is a doubtful starter for today, Azhar Ali - who suffered a foot infection while on a pilgrimage to the Mecca recently - hasn't recovered in time to make the team. For England, Finn has been ruled out clearing the way for Mark Wood to feature in the XI. Moeen Ali is expected to accompany Cook at the top of the order. This opens up a slot at Ali's previous position of no. 8, which means that leggie Adil Rashid is set to be handed his Test debut.
Jan 17, 2012: A chuffed English outfit, a world no. 1 English outfit shepherded by Andrew Strauss, took the field in the middle-east to show Pakistan what champions are like. Three (short) Tests later they were brought down to Earth, rather rubbed into the dirt with a 3-0 humbling. Strauss' deputy then, now faces a similar stern test. Indeed, Cook has a huge role to play. Being one of his team's best players of spin, much depends on his shoulders not only as captain, but as batsman first. Yes, they just won the Ashes. But the batting looked shaky. Make no mistake, it will be a trial by spin under the hot sun. And many of the batters are on their first sub-continent sojourn. Let me also add that this is the most consistent Pakistan team at home (adopted) in recent memory.
Yasir Shah injured his back during yesterday's nets, Steven Finn his foot (in a practice match), and I might have injured my eye-sight after reading some of the responses to a 5-run ODI defeat somewhere in Kanpur. Test cricket, you were missed.
Match Preview:
Following a refreshing break after regaining the Ashes, England will brace themselves for the Asian challenge as they take on Pakistan in a three-Test series in the United Arab Emirates. In 2012, the No. 1 ranked England side suffered humiliation at the hands of Pakistan as they were blanked 3-0 in UAE. Alastair Cook's side will be hoping to make amends from that forgettable outing when they face Misbah-ul-Haq's men. England's task though is arduous as the advantage lies with Pakistan, who thrive in spin-friendly conditions.
The last time England toured UAE to face Pakistan, Saeed Ajmal and Abdul Rehman wreaked havoc as they picked up 43 wickets between them to leave the Andrew Strauss-led side in a spin. The England batsmen will not face the Ajmal-Rehman combo in this series, but they will have their hands full when they are up against Yasir Shah and Zulfiqar Babar, if the leggie Yasir passes his early fitness test on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, England's pacemen will also have to cope with the desert heat, something which they are not used to often, and that may have a bearing on their performance. For Pakistan, UAE has been their home away from home and they will look to put their experience in these conditions to good use to replicate their 2012 performance.
Pakistan
Forced to play in UAE due to security issues back home, Pakistan have been a force to reckon with in the Emirates. They have never lost a series in their last seven attempts at UAE - winning four and drawing three. What's special with Misbah's team is that they have shed their 'unpredictables' tag and have shown tremendous consistency. They are currently placed fourth in the ICC Test rankings and are only one point shy of England at number 3. Favourable results for Pakistan can see them rise up to as high as number two and the spirited team will be hoping to do just that.
There is plenty of experience when it comes to the Pakistan team, with the presence of Misbah, Younis Khan, Mohammad Hafeez and Wahab Riaz. Azhar Ali's absence in this game due to a toe injury is an opportunity for another experienced player - Shoaib Malik - to play his first Test in five years. With Ahmed Shehzad, Asad Shafiq and the impressive Sarfraz Ahmed, Pakistan have the right personnel to succeed in familiar conditions. If fit, Yasir will pose all the problems for England while Zulfiqar will also be a key member of the bowling department, alongwith Riaz, Junaid Khan and Rahat Ali.
Probable XI: Misbah-ul-Haq (c), Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Khan (wk), Yasir Shah, Zulfiqar Babar, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan
England
Cook and his team will be aware of the challenges that lie ahead of them in the series and have left no stone unturned in their preparations. With Mahela Jayawardene as part of the coaching staff, England have the support of a shrewd cricketing brain who knows what it takes to succeed in spin-friendly and energy-sapping conditions. However, the cricketers will be on their own when they take the field, and putting aside all that is done at the back-end, what matters most is how they handle the pressure and live up to the challenges.
In the two tour matches leading up to the first Test, England have shown a lot of promise. Ian Bell, James Taylor, Alastair Cook, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow have fifties to their names while Steven Finn, Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali have done well with the ball. One of their biggest concerns will be the absence of Finn due to a foot injury and how the rest of the bowlers cope with the 'alien' conditions.
In the batting department, Moeen as a makeshift opener has not worked while Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes also need to step up after consecutive failures. What also needs to be seen is whether England can sustain enough steam over a period of five days with the sun beating down hard.
Probable XI: Alastair Cook (c), Moeen Ali, Ian Bell, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (wk), Adil Rashid, Stuart Broad, Mark Wood, James Anderson
Stats:
19: The number of runs Younis Khan (8814) requires to surpass Javed Miandad as Pakistan's highest run-getter in Test cricket.
29: The number of overs James Anderson is shy of to become the first England bowler to bowl 4000 overs in Tests.
12, 15, 10, 24: Yasir Shah's wickets tally in his last four Test series.
3: The number of catches Ian Bell needs to become the eighth England fielder with 100 or more catch in Test cricket.