England’s Durham trio confirmed coronary heart and guile on a pitch that spun and stored low – and one bowled like Freddie Flintoff in his prime, writes NASSER HUSSAIN

I believed England’s seamers have been glorious on the primary day of the second Check. The match is being performed on what’s successfully a day six pitch. What you achieve from that’s extra flip, however what you lose is tempo and bounce.

So what was a troublesome job for England seamers to get it by within the first Check, was much more troublesome right here. The ball was bouncing ankle peak.

However on days like this when it’s pee rolling by to the keeper, what I at all times search for is: have you ever acquired an enormous ticker? Effectively, the three Durham lads of Matthew Potts, Brydon Carse and Ben Stokes confirmed quite a lot of coronary heart. They have been glorious at making an attempt to get one thing out of a very lifeless floor they usually put in an actual shift.

I’ve at all times been impressed with Potts as a workhorse. He jogs my memory a little bit of Matthew Hoggard. He’s faster than Hoggard and a distinct sort of bowler, however he’s constructed like him. He has acquired a superb sturdy bottom, for need of a greater phrase, and robust shoulders.

Potts seems like somebody who will at all times do the onerous yards for you. Taking part in in his first Check abroad, he was unfortunate to not shut the day with two wickets, when England didn’t overview after Mohammad Rizwan nicked behind to Jamie Smith. Potts was the one participant to essentially attraction.

Matthew Potts was glorious on a floor that supplied little or no to the England seamers

The one space Potts has to work on – and he is aware of this – is bowling across the wicket to left handers with both orthodox or reverse swing.

Yesterday, he struggled in opposition to Pakistan’s left handers from that angle. His alignment across the wicket isn’t fairly like that of Stuart Broad, who was so efficient bowling across the wicket at David Warner.

You assume again as properly to how Andrew Flintoff bowled at Adam Gilchrist at Edgbaston in 2005. Ultimately, it was Potts’ county colleague Carse who got here on and bowled like Flintoff to dismiss Saud Shakeel.

One large asset England had yesterday which they didn’t have within the first Check was reverse swing – and Stokes is a grasp at managing his bowlers when it reverses.

He intentionally didn’t bowl his seamers a lot within the first session when it was gun barrel straight. However the second it began reversing an hour earlier than tea, he introduced them on they usually have been excellent.

The situations are the exact opposite to what we’ve in England, when the brand new Dukes ball does all the things for the seamer, then when the ball will get older, your spinner has extra of a task.

Right here, the onerous Kookaburra ball acquired flip and bounce for Jack Leach early on, then reversed later for the seamers. It’s why it’s a must to assume exterior the field as a captain, which is the place Stokes is so good.

I additionally thought Smith was excellent behind the stumps yesterday. It was his finest show of wicketkeeping in an England shirt.

Brydon Carse (left) confirmed shades of Andrew Flintoff when he dismissed Saud Shakeel

Wicketkeeper Jamie Smith delivered his finest show in an England shirt behind the stumps

When he was chosen throughout the summer season, there have been a couple of individuals who weren’t positive about his retaining. He’s following on from Ben Foakes and in the event you make errors, everybody goes to say, ‘Why have they not noted Foakes, the most effective keeper on the earth?’

However on a Multan pitch that spun and stored low, Smith was fairly sensible. It was an extremely Foakes-like show.

His catch to dismiss Shakeel off Carse was magnificent. He was standing three yards nearer than he would usually as a result of all the things was dying in entrance of him, however Shakeel’s edge flew by to him. It was an exhibition of wicketkeeping.