Test Match Special - Day 4: England fight back to beat Pakistan

Episode Date: August 8, 2020

Jonathan Agnew presents from Old Trafford where England produced an incredible comeback to snatch victory from Pakistan. Chasing 277, England looked all but beaten at 117-5, but pushed on by a Chris Woakes and Jos Buttler partnership of 139, they claimed a thrilling win by 3 wickets. Michael Vaughan, Azhar Mahmood, Mark Ramprakash and Simon Mann look at where it was won and lost. Aggers speaks to the respective captains Joe Root and Azhar Ali, as well as England heroes Buttler and Woakes, while TMS statistician Andy Zaltzman gives a historical perspective to England's win.

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. Bring more gear, carry more passengers, face greater challenges. Welcome to the world of Defender, with seating up to eight, ample cargo space and legendary off-road capability. It's built to make the most of every adventure. Learn more at landrover.ca. BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts. This is the TMS podcast. from BBC Radio 5 Live. I'm Jonathan Agnew, welcome to the Test Match Special podcast

and our review of a thrilling final day of the Old Trafford test. We'll have plenty of reaction to England's three wicket win, hearing from Joe Roots, Josh Butler, Chris Wokes and Azar Ali. But first the thoughts of Michael Vaughn, Azamamamud and Mark Rambrakesh with Simon Mann. You're listening to the TMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 live. Well, just a wonderful game of cricket. It really is. I'm just looking down at the outfield here.

Graham Thorpe having a few words with his former teammate and Wakar Yunus is down there as well. They will know that this has been a fantastic contest. Of course, Pakistan, huge favourites with that lead, first innings lead of 107, that was largely down to Shan Masoods, 150. But England fought back and to bowl out Pakistani. They are chasing 277 that we all thought,

well, the odds were that England wouldn't make it. This wicket, and we looked at it this morning, very, very dry, lots of footmarks, dusty footmarks, as the groundsmen now are quickly getting the hoses on it to water it down, but it was providing uneven bounce for the quick bowlers and spin for Yasashar and Shadab. So the odds were very much against England, and there were good contributions from Sibley and Root,

but it was kind of a one-day scenario, and Joss Butler really provided a bit of impetus along with Chris Wokes. It was that partnership that was the key partnership. And they came out and threw caution to the wind a little bit. They played quite aggressively. Some reverse sweeps from Joss Butler, his trademark shot that we see a lot in one-day cricket. And Chris Wokes, who had been hit on the head in the first innings, he came out and played bravely.

Some glorious drives. And they rattled along, and they rattled the Pakistanis. And Azar Ali and his bowlers really struggled to continue. them. The field went out and suddenly there were singles ticking over the scoreboard and the Pakistanis look rattled and what tension that we've had there at the end, well obviously with the departure of Butler and then broad, but England getting over the line and what confidence that will give them as a lot of young players in that dressing room and Dominic Best there being out there at the end. Chris Silverwood, Joe Root, you know, credit to them. They've been through quite a lot

I think, as a group, but Silverwood, in particular, as head coach, will be so pleased that they've put to bed this situation where they kept losing the first test of a series, and they've managed to turn it around in such a fashion that they can be very, very proud, and take a lot of confidence forward, I think,

through to tests two and three. Yeah, a stunning win for England, really, from 170 for 8 yesterday, and 117 for 5 today. They have really turned this test match. on its head, magnificent victory for England. In the sunshine of Manchester, the Old Trappard ground staff

are getting the water on their pitches now. It's a very dry surface here, but I mean, it actually made for a fascinating test match, didn't it, that pitch here? The third one they've had at Old Trafford. Well, part of me, I think, would have thought that as an England player, and you turn up and you see that, very, very dry.

It wasn't a particularly quick surface. You're thinking that actually Pakistan would be very happy to see that surface and England would probably be a bit disappointed I think the ground staff have done brilliantly to get the pitches up over the course of the last few weeks to play and this was a good cricket wicket

and it had a bit in it for everyone it kept the bowlers interested but if you clearly Sean Massoud showed that as a batsmith you got your head down you had good judgment you put away the bad ball you could make runs on this surface so really good cricket match and the fact that England were able to knock off

277 means that the surface stayed good enough. Of course, the deliveries that Ollie Pope won't have enjoyed those deliveries that he got in particular and that bit of uneven bounds. But by and large, a terrific test match, mainly due to the fact of the pitch and there was something in it for the bowlers all the way through.

Well, test cricket can confound us all. England looked as if they were heading for defeat. Yesterday, they were 170 for 8. They added 49 for their last two wickets. Then they began to get into Pakistan's second innings. Pakistan perhaps will look back and think, did we just fritter too many wickets away? We had a chance to nail the game, really,

and get a really big second innings score, big enough second innings score, to make England's task in the final innings impossible. That didn't happen. England restricted them to 169. And then the chase today, 277 England needed for victory, and they won it at half-past six in the Manchester Sunshine with Chris Wokes,

Hero today, Knicking a ball down to third man for four. But most of his innings had been played off the middle of the bat, really. He played a magnificent innings, a stand of 139 with Joss Butler. Redemption, really, for Joss Butler after those two misses early in the match when Sean Massoud was reprieved on 45 twice, stumping in a drop catch, and he went on to make 156. That looked to be the match-winning innings, but there was a double-match winning innings played by England today.

it was Butler and there was Wokes. Butler was 75 and Wokes with 84 not out. Not easy for Pakistan now. After losing a match, they were in control for so long really. Even today you thought, yeah, they're going to go on and win this match. Asimamam is here, Michael Vaughn is here. How do you react to that? How do the players, how are the Pakistan players react to that?

Oh, extraordinary game of cricket, you know. I must give credit to England. the way Chris Woke and Butler played. It was tough condition when they come in. But the only thing I would say to Pakistan, there was a brilliant effort from all the bowlers. They were running in and they tried everything. But the only thing, I think, in my mind,

caused Pakistan a test match, is the captaincy. We saw... Just told him one second. Let's go to Jonathan. He's got the Pakistan captain with him. I do. I've got Azarelli. Very sporting days come down to talk to us. Well, what a game.

A bit of a roller coaster. for you today? Yes, of course, disappointing. But I think the beauty of test match is test match cricket. I think one good partnership took the game away from us. We were in very comfortable position when they were five down. I think credit to England, they stuck to the task when they came into the bad. They started off really well.

They had partnership up front. But then we came back very strongly. Got wickets in between lunch and tea. but the last 30, 40 minutes when Butler and Wokes came in and they tried to play their strokes from the word go and they started successfully straight away so they put us under pressure and we couldn't really answer them

and the pitch to play as they did I mean Chris Wokes came in after that ball that awful ball that Pope had got actually not an easy surface to bat on yeah I think after those couple of balls I think one two both to Pope I think and a couple here and there as well. And I think that's why they thought

that we have to go and play our strokes. Otherwise, there's no chance. And I think it paid off to them and unfortunately we are on the wrong side of it. Yeah. Just the last one, how well do you think that they actually played? I mean, that was a special partnership, I think, in those conditions.

Yes, very special. I think it was turning. It was and also for the fast bowler. When they arrived, both arrived, it was doing up and down a bit, especially it was jumping from the length. And credit to them, they did actually outplayed us in that period. And then I think maybe we were too late to bring fielders up, maybe when 50 runs, 55 runs needed.

Whenever someone comes in and play reverse sweep, sweep shots, you know, you need to cover the boundaries as well because otherwise they will take the game away. Unfortunately, there was no luck in between for us. about Shah Masoud who I think you'll be delighted for he played so well in the first sittings yeah fantastic nog I think it was he's on when he came into the test arena he was in and out of the team a lot and but his hard work and his passion of the game now is paying off for him and he's been consistent I think three

hundreds in a row and especially coming here in England and when we won the toss overcast conditions and he played really well in those conditions it wasn't easy but he stuck to it and he has been patient and then whenever when he got set he got a hundred he really showed some player as well so he's a fantastic place fantastic young guy a big future in front of him and you've got to fight back now you've got to win the next test as I hope if you can yeah of course I think it's disappointing but that's not over yet we have still two test matches to wear a lot of positives from this game where we be I think I've played England in most part of the test matches.

Test match, I think only one partnership or maybe a period where we got one runout and when Assad got run out where we were going very well. I think a couple of sessions I think we lost and we lost them badly. Well, it's no consolation, but you've contributed to a great game of cricket. Anyway, Azar, thank you very much. We'll see you in Southampton. Thank you very much. Thank you. There we go.

Pakistan's captain Azar Ali, pointing at one or two areas along the way in which he felt that things. didn't go their way, one or two errors that he might have made as well, not bringing the field up, as he said, early enough, a little minutiae I like that, but I think conceding at the end of the day that really was a very special partnership

indeed, and it was that that has seen England over the line. Michael Vaughn is listening to that and Azamamamud too, I think up there, any... Any thoughts from your perspective as to what you heard there? Yeah, what he said, you know, He's the nicest bloke to come across Azareli.

And he's a young captain, and he was very honest. And I was telling him about this thing. You know, field was out. Only thing cost Pakistan test match because of his captaincy. And he was very honest about that. I think he will learn from his mistake for the next matches, and Pakistan is the team to bounce back. They always done that before, and I think they will do it this time around.

Normally, England had a habit for last five-six-series, lost the test match and win the same. series, I think this is the time for Pakistan. I'm hoping they can turn the table around in the next test match. Well, Michael, 117 for 5. And I think even first thing this morning, Pakistan would have been firm favourites to have won. They had that real attack on England, 32 runs in the first 16 balls, a little bit shambolic from England. It really did seem as if the writing might be on the wall. But I'm just trying to put context to it into that partnership between Butler and Wokes, 139 in 33 overs. It was the manner in which. It was a manner in which

which they came out and played from the start, really. Yeah, I mean, well, it's a partnership we're going to talk about for many, many years. You know, you just don't see it happen in test match cricket that often. With this England side, we've seen it twice inside a year that, you know, they get written off and then all of a sudden, you know, a player or two steps up and starts to make a little bit of mincemeat of a bowling team. You only have to go back to Hedley that, you know, that Australian bowling team is high class. I'm going to interrupt you a second, Michael, because I've got a beaming face in front of it,

and it's Josh Butler. Wow, that's quite a win, isn't it? Yeah, a fantastic win. You know, looked a long way away from probably yesterday and I think it just showed a lot of character and determination from the boys to get over the line. I mean, numbers are numbers, but what really seems special to me is the conditions

in which you, to knock off that number of runs from the position that you were, what, 117 for 5, that awful ball that Ollie Pope got and to win it from there. Yeah, absolutely, fantastic win. I think the wicket's been very dry like I say only day four today as well so I think

like you say from the position we're in to get over the line is a fantastic effort from from all of us Chris Wokes outstanding to walk off not out at the end having won the game for your team is a brilliant effort and I think like say when we saw that ball to Olly Pope it sort of made us feel like

we've got to score runs you know if we sit on the wicket too much I feel like there's balls in there that are going to get you out so try to change the momentum and and score sort of around four and over to, we knew that would sort of take us to about the target before the second new ball if we were able to do that. They said to chill through the commentary box,

if that's any consolation. I mean, from your perspective, what was your view of that ball to poke? Yeah, it was a brute of a delivery, wasn't it? It was really nasty. Hopefully he's okay. I think it called him quite nasty on the wrist, so hopefully he's all right.

But, yeah, it's very tough when you see deliveries like that to try and put the wicket out of your mind and try and think as that as the anomaly and back as if it's not going to happen. Was there a period where you suddenly thought we could win this now and it went into your shells a little bit? Was that sort of when you actually become within range, it can suddenly put that pressure on, can't it?

Yeah, it does. It can get harder. I actually thought, you know, you're sort of looking at the game, so of how many required and how many wickets, you know, if you're sort of thinking, God, if we lose 50 for 5 here, that is a collapse. So at that sort of period, you're thinking we can do this. But, yeah, it's never easy as it.

As soon as the game does become more winnable, the pressure does come on and expectation of getting there. I think Pakistan actually started to bowl a bit better as well. Personally, Yassiz Shah came back over the wicket, having been around the wicket for a while, and that asks different questions. But, yeah, I'm just delighted and relieved and everything else, really. wicket-keeping is a tough job

Josh and Sean Massoud on 45 we know did you feel that you owed the team a few today yeah absolutely I take those chances we're not we're not chasing 270 I and I know it's not good enough as an international wicketkeeper you've got to be better

and you've got to perform at a level that's custom to international cricket and I know that I didn't keep well enough and that's disappointing so as a wicketkeeper there is nowhere to hide as well you know it's tough anyone who drops a catch I think it's one of the worst feelings in cricket but yeah as a wicket keeper you know that you're going to be back in the heat of battle and you've got nowhere to hide so I found it tough I found it hard to shut out

and I know that if I'm going to continue to be a wicketkeeper in this team I have to be better that's very honest of you do you think that the runs that you scored today and everything else has helped immediately yeah potentially but you know it still doesn't change the role as a wicket-keeper. You know, you expected to take those chances, especially at this level. And like you say, they can be match-changing chances. You know, a guy on 45 goes on to make 100 more runs.

Now, especially in these kind of games, 100 more runs is a hell of a lot. So, I'm honest enough to know I have to be better. Well, that's a brilliant innings, Joss as well, too. So thank you. Well, well, I really enjoyed. Josh Butler. Well, he might beat that for honesty, will you?

It really was. and I'm loud looking at the Brummy Botham, who's making his way towards me. Once we can just pull him over, Chris Wokes, who is a man in the match. I think he's having a word with Joss Butler, perhaps just reliving some of that partnership. But he's had an extraordinarily excellent test match, haven't you, Chris? Yeah, good, pretty good. Well, amazing feeling, amazing feeling. You know, you come here this morning with a lot of belief that we can go and do it,

but, you know, there's obviously still in the back of your mind. You think where it's a fourth innings on a real turning pitch against Pakistan, it's going to be hard work. So to really, you know, go and do it, is pretty special. You walked out after Olly Pope had that grenade. Yeah, yeah. Did you look at where it might have come up from, or did you just try to ignore the pitch altogether?

I mean, you try to ignore it, but I think as a, you know, as a bowler, you kind of know that you're looking at, as a, you know, from me from being a bowler's point of view, but then when you look down the wicket as a batsman, you can always see it. You know, you try and put out your mind. There was a little bit of a crack on that, you know, like that fifth stomach line.

You know, unfortunately, Ali got a nasty one, but, you know, pretty much after that, there wasn't that many. There was one that was a bit wide. But you just try and put out your mind. It's hard to do, but thankfully I managed to do that. Yeah. Was it that ball that made you and Josh think, oh, actually, if we just hang around here,

we're going to get out. There's one with our name on it. Yeah, certainly was, yeah. I think once I got to the crease and I'd seen that, I thought, you know, my tactic was to stay a little bit. leg side of it and you know and if there's any width try and you know flay it really try and get score as quickly as possible and we spoke about it and we thought you know I think that's the best way if we hang around for too long you know by the time if we were to survive to a new

ball and we still needed 70 runs it was going to probably be too much so um yeah that certainly changed our mindset yeah and it sees the initiative back actually from from Pakistan yeah it did I think you know when you you know some two people create a partnership like that you know and you're in the four things and you try and defend the score, I think naturally you get a little bit emotional and you try a few different things and you go away from the basics

and thankfully we took them away from that and that worked in our favour. They rested a little bit back towards the end but thankfully we'd done the damage. How did you feel when Butler got out? Were you a bit anxious? Yeah, a little bit. I mean, I still believed I was the man then

to kind of take over and make sure I was not out at the end. I was devastated for Joss to get out in that manner. You know, obviously we'd put on a great partnership. He was, you know, the main instigate, for a lot of it and I was just playing second fiddle at the other end and then obviously for him to get out it was really frustrating I loved him to be there

at the end but you know take nothing away from him what a knock and you know really special feeling he is one of the great modern run chasers isn't he what was it like to bat the other end to that the sort of calculating mind I suppose yeah I don't think there's anyone in world cricket that I prefer at the other end especially when you've got scored to chase

in a relatively quick time one of the best whiteball players in the world you're going to use that experience today with his sweet reverse sweeps to Yasichai. He was bowling very well on a turning wicket. You know, he wrestled the initiative back for us and I was just, you know, it's a pleasure to be at the other end. Runs, wickets, having time with your life, aren't you? Yeah, I am. I mean, the runs had dried up a little bit. So it's nice to get score. You know, I've been working hard in the nets and sometimes you can't put your finger on why it is.

You're not getting those scores. So, you know, I really do want to contribute with the bat and, you know, obviously delighted to be in decent form of the ball and, you know, really nice to get those runs today. Well, that's an outstanding win. Well play, Chris. Cheers, I guess. Well done. Chris Wokes, man of the match, and how well he played, too. We'll get Joe Root shortly. He's just completing an interview down to my right. Well, there you go, Michael. Let's start with what Josh Butler was saying, shall we? You'll be pretty honest, wasn't he? Well, it is a class act. I think that's almost an indication of why England thinks so highly of him, because he's like that in the dressing room. He just tells the truth.

He knows that he let the team down. He knows, and he said himself, that he feels that he has to be more consistent behind the stumps. He'll go away, I'm sure over the next few days try and work as hard as he can with Bruce French trying to improve that technical side. We've seen him every morning since those drop catches

with Bruce French. He's an open and honest player and you look at him the way that he played today of course he's still under threat with his keeping. You can't be dropping the balls that he dropped this week

and missing the stumping chance it could have cost England test match but we saw again today with the bat in hand it was a one day situation I think that helped him the way that he could go out there and strike the ball

but he's got something that's very very special he's got a mentality that can cope with pressure and somehow England has got to try and work on his keeping to make sure that he stays in the team because he keeps having weeks dropping the ball you can't carry on with the keeper that potentially against India away Australian and Ashes series

you have to catch the key moments and he missed a couple this week which he knows he admitted it he should have taken here's the England captain who's smiling again wow you've must have been on a bit of a roller coaster in there today won't you it's not the first time is it

No, it's not. Let's be honest. But what a fantastic days cricket. What a fantastic test match, to be honest, for anyone watching or listening, they must have thoroughly enjoyed that. I thought Pakistan played brilliantly. And today, I couldn't be more proud of the group. Showed immense character.

Mental strength at times, great amounts of skill as well. And that partnership was breathtaking, really. I thought it contained everything. Composure, high levels of skill. Been able to manipulate field at times, the pace and temper. that they fluctuate out up and down the gears. It really had it all. Yeah.

And actually, I'm going to just take you back to those first 16 balls of the day too. I mean, that didn't exactly go according to plan either, did it? No, it didn't, but that can happen. We knew that we wanted to hit them as hard as we could with our informed bowler and our bowler that can bowl at 90 miles an hour. And albeit it took us two and a half over us to bowl them out, probably more runs than we would have liked.

But then again, we knew that when it came to back, how we were going to approach it. It was all about being really clear about how we wanted to go and play individually and committing to that. And you saw that with the way the guys played. There's a couple of dismissals in there that guys couldn't have done much about. And the guys that followed, they didn't like that affect them. They went and were very clear and precise about executing their game plans.

And I'm extremely proud of the way that they managed that. Yeah. So about Josh Buckley, he's been very honest about his wicket keeping just now. standing where you are, saying that it wasn't good enough and he has to do better. So a lot of pressure on him actually going out there and batting because he's accepted that, well, who knows what might happen, but to go out and play as he did with that possibly in the back of his mind.

That's why he's in our team. Those situations, his strength of character, his strength of mind, being able to read the game as well as he does. And he's been in those pressure cooker situations before you look at the World Cup final. He knows how to deal with it. And I think this could be a real stepping step for him in his career. But mischances do cost. They do cost, but it's something that we'll look to improve on

and we'll look to learn from, as we always do. There's been a number of things that we can take from this game and look to get better at. And we won't be naive enough to not talk about that and make sure that we are better moving forward. But when you play poorly and still manage to find a way to win a game, that's a brilliant trait. and that shows a huge amount of belief in character

from that set of players and that holds a lot of weight moving forward if we can match that with higher skill levels and take those chances then we'll continue to keep being a force to play against. Just try and put into context I've been trying to with terms of numbers and stats and chasing figures and so on,

are one thing. But actually the reality of that starting that run chase you want to call it that today and what you're up against and the attack and the pitch and so on. I just wonder where you put this in terms of victory in your captaincy.

I'm not talking about Headington last year. But it's still a pretty extraordinary win, don't you think? That monumental win, yeah, absolutely. As I said, so many parts of this game we were behind. And going into today, you look at the momentum of the start, as you mentioned. We were up against it, but we found a way. And that's a sign of a good team with clubs.

clarity that know what they're trying to do and you look at how we're trying to set up as a team long term it's working it's starting to you're starting to see how we're trying to shape things and and guys are taking opportunities and doing special things and we're very aware that we're not the finished article and we've got areas to improve on and then we'll keep looking to learn but we keep doing things and backing them up and learning from mistakes every now and again then we will get there eventually and we've got to keep trust in that and And, you know, really understand that that is a fantastic win on a very difficult surface, a surface that we didn't expect at the start of the week.

So we've got to make sure we really enjoy this and then turn up ready to go again on what will be hopefully a very different service in Southampton. We'll see you there. See you there. Thank you, Joe. That's excellent. Well done. So, Michael, again, I set some thoughts from you, shall we?

Again, very honest. You know, mistakes are made and yet they managed to win despite it. Yeah, you could say England got away with one this week But you know, you don't win test matches without at the end of it being the better team I think England were the better team eventually because you won the test match I mean there were key moments that Pakistan will look at the second innings You know some really poor shots which allowed England to bowl them out cheaply Obviously the drop catches for England he mentioned those that that's got to get better if they want to go and

Force the better teams in the world around you know beating them like India and Australia in particular particularly away from home you just won't get away with fielding the way that England did this week tactically I think Joe can learn from this week I don't think he had a great game tactically

and I think he needs to kind of step aside and understand some of the tactical manoeuvres that he made this week which weren't quite right but when you've got a character dresser in like they have that as he said you know they've won a game of cricket

where they haven't really played great they haven't played to their potential they turn up and play to their potential I think they'll blow Pakistan away and the fact that they didn't The fact that, you know, he mentioned the pitch. You know, I'm delighted that England have won on a pitch that I know they've had some grumbles about for the last two or three days.

It's been a constant kind of messaging service of how bad this pitch has been for the England team. Why are we getting a pitch like this in home conditions? It more suits Pakistan. You know what, to be a good team, you've got to winning all surfaces. And you've got to get used to winning on all surfaces. So delighted that they've done that. We move on to Southampton.

It may be dry again. You never know. from BBC Radio 5 Live. Well, I really enjoyed speaking to the players after that brilliant win. Andy Zaltzman, what a day for statisticians too. I just wonder, how do you put that into context in terms of the conditions as well? Well, fourth innings chase is, you know, it's hard to interpret the stats because, as you say, it depends so much on the pitch.

And the recent trend in world cricket for teams chasing scores around about what England were chasing is 827. Teams have generally lost. So the last five or six years, I think only two. wins out of the last sort of 16 or 17 chases of that size. But if we look at this in a historical context and where England were when that fifth wicket went down to that brutish delivery to Olly Pope, 117 for 5, needing 160 to win. Only once in England's entire test history have they won a test when they've needed more than 130 to win a test in the fourth innings when their fifth wicket has fallen.

And that game was way back in 1902. And in that game, Gilbert Jess had made 100. no other England players batting six or lower in a fourth innings chase that's ended in victory have scored more than 70 and Wokes and Butler both did so today and Chris Wokes and we'd be bowling superbly through the summer in this game only four wickets but hugely influential ones all top six players are the Pakistan captain in both innings Babbar Azam their best player in the second that crucially kept that that target down his recent batting has been been awful until this game as he admitted yes he batted it quite nicely in the first innings

He had eight single figure scores out of nine and seven of those eight innings. He'd been out in his first ten balls faced. So it was, I think, I mean, it's hard to judge exactly, but I think that partnership might be very high up the list of greatest partnerships in English test history. It was wonderful. That says it all. Thank you, Andy. I bet you enjoyed watching it too. You can watch the highlights on today at the test on the BBC Eye Player.

There are video clips, lots more reaction on the BBC Sport website and the app. On Five Live Sports Extra from Sunday, we'll have commentary on Nottingham, against Yorkshire in the Bob Bullitts Trophy. And then the second test starts on Thursday, and we're on air from 1025. BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, podcasts.