The ongoing England vs Pakistan Test series has been dominated by fast bowlers, with batters from both sides struggling to cope with the challenging conditions. While England’s batting has somehow managed to remain respectable, Pakistan have been completely exposed, with their batting unit falling apart under pressure. Neither side has produced an individual century in the first two Tests of the three-match series, with England already taking an unassailable 2-0 lead. Pakistan’s struggles have been particularly alarming. They have failed to cross 200 in all four innings so far, underlining just how badly their batting has suffered. With one Test still to go, Pakistan’s batters face a major challenge to restore some pride.
Joe Root, England’s all-time leading Test run-scorer, managed just 28 runs across two innings at Lord’s. His recent struggles against Pakistan have also continued, with the England batter dismissed lbw nine times in his last seven matches. So far in this series, Root has scored only 94 runs across three innings.
Root pointed to a possible change in the Dukes ball as one reason for the unusual movement and the struggles batters have faced in the series, admitting he did not have concrete evidence but had noticed a difference in how the ball behaved.
“I think the balls have been very different this year,” Root said. “I think there’s a different lacquer to them. I’ve not got evidence on that, I probably need to ask Dukes, but I think there’s a lacquer on the seam. They don’t want them to go out of shape and get them changed,” he added.
Pacers have largely dominated the English summer, with recalled England seamer Ollie Robinson taking 23 wickets in three Tests at a staggering average of 8.34, before adding eight more scalps in the series-clinching 194-run win over Pakistan at Lord’s.
“Balls are slightly different and it’s hard”
Root further explained how the conditions and the nature of the ball have combined to make life difficult for batters, with the England star admitting it has been one of those challenging summers where everything seems to favour the bowlers.
“They seem a lot firmer and probably if they’re dinting the wickets then it’s going to seam off the dints, it’s going to make it move more. Sometimes you do come across summers where you know it is the perfect storm. You get overcast conditions, you get a bit of rain to contend with, the balls are slightly different and it’s hard. But that’s part of the challenge of Test cricket,” he added.
