It was another day for Pakistan, but Sarfaraz Ahmed repeated his familiar concerns. The head coach lamented yet another batting collapse, with his side dismissed for 110 and conceding a 180‑run first‑innings lead at Lord’s.
“Batting remains a real concern,” he said. “In both Tests we have failed to bat well. We are looking to assemble a lineup that bolsters the batting order, but that approach has not yielded results in this series either.”
It seems nothing Pakistan have attempted with their batting has produced the desired outcome. On the contrary, the batting figures have deteriorated each time. Across the three innings of this series, Pakistan have posted successively lower totals, and each innings has seen them lose wickets more quickly than the last.
After the bowlers had kept Pakistan in the contest, the afternoon turned into a devastating spell. England needed only a session to bowl Pakistan out, handing them what now looks like an unassailable lead.
Sarfaraz urged his batsmen to display greater resilience at the crease, highlighting Azan Awais, who faced 102 balls and top‑scored with 46, for his fighting spirit.
“We keep losing wickets within 30‑odd overs,” Sarfaraz observed. “We are unable to occupy the crease for long. The conditions are tough for batsmen, but patience is rewarded. The opening 30‑40 balls are the hardest, but once you survive them, the innings becomes easier, as Azan showed. The first hour demands solid technique from each batter and a cohesive batting unit.”
Sarfaraz believes the path to improvement extends beyond this series and the current players. As technical concerns arise among the batsmen, he stressed that every player must maximise their first‑class cricket exposure.
“Play domestic cricket regularly,” he added. “If you are not involved in domestic cricket, that reflects on you. Consistent domestic action is always beneficial.”
Nevertheless, Sarfaraz remained optimistic about salvaging the Test, despite England’s massive and growing lead. By the time bad light halted play, England had added 81 more runs, pushing their overall advantage to 261. Even without further scoring overnight, Pakistan would need a rare display of skill and patience—something the side has not shown this series—to mount a comeback.
“Cricket can produce unexpected results, so I stay hopeful,” he said. “We have one innings left. If we can restrict England to the next 70‑80 runs and chase a target of roughly 300‑350, there is a possibility.”
Such an outcome would defy both recent and historic precedent. Pakistan have never exceeded 300 runs in a fourth‑innings chase against England in a Test, and this touring side has not yet managed 200 runs. Moreover, they will likely field a reduced batting line‑up, as Imam‑ul‑Haq has been ruled out with a calf injury sustained in the first innings.
Sarfaraz may face criticism for some of the results since he took charge, but his description of the situation as “quite strange” is hard to dispute.
