Jamie Smith believes that the third Test, and consequently the series, will hinge on 'small margins' on a pitch that has already posed challenges for batters and is expected to worsen. 'People didn't quite know what to expect from that surface,' Smith remarked after 13 wickets fell on the opening day. 'I can only see it getting worse from here.' Despite many of his teammates struggling to score runs, Smith managed to hit six of the day's seven sixes – 'It was more luck than judgment with some of those,' he admitted – and five fours, helping England recover from 98 for five and 118 for six to reach a first-innings total of 267. Pakistan ended the day on 73 for three in reply.
'You can have your gameplan before the game but it's adapting to the surface provided,' Smith said. 'The people who batted first and got out came and gave advice about what might work. It's just being clear how you want to go about things. You're not thinking about the game situation, you're thinking about how you can impose your skills.' One piece of feedback relayed to the dressing room was that the sweep shot, which England relied on heavily during last week's second Test, was proving difficult and risky on this surface. 'We had a bit of a laugh about that,' Smith said. 'When Ben Duckett is saying it's tough to sweep, then it probably is near on impossible.'
Sajid Khan, who added six wickets to the nine he took in Multan last week, dismissed the notion that the wicket made life easy for the bowlers. 'There were some good balls, but also poor shots from them,' he said. 'Wickets don't get given to you here. You have to vary the pace, use the crease, and that's how I got my wickets.' Smith said England were 'pretty pleased with the position we're in' given how difficult batting could become as the game progresses. 'The low bounce will make it harder. I can't see it bouncing any more – it's only going to get lower,' he said. 'When you feel the pitch is going to deteriorate as the game goes on, every first-innings run is vital.'
Source link: https://www.theguardian.com
