England vs Pakistan: Chris Woakes admits home team threw wickets away
All-rounder disappointed with manner of some dismissals
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Your support makes all the difference.Chris Woakes admitted England were guilty of throwing wickets away on the second day of the first Test against Pakistan here at Lord’s as the home side find themselves in a sticky situation.
Woakes was the England hero of day two, adding two wickets in the morning to finish with 6 for 70 and digging in at the end to make an unbeaten 31 as the home side finished the day on 253 for 7, still 86 behind Pakistan.
England had been plodding along nicely at 118 for 1 but Joe Root’s heave at the leg-spinner Yasir Shah, that sent the ball high but not long, put the skids under the home side who will have their work cut out to surpass Pakistan’s first innings of 339. Shah took five wickets – the first leg-spinner to do so at Lord’s for 20 years.
“We are a little bit disappointed with a couple of dismissals,” Woakes said. “[Alastair] Cook and Root got us in a good position but Root won’t be happy with the way he was out. We feel we gave them one or two wickets but Yasir bowled very well too.
“If Root had hit it for four or six we’d have been clapping on the balcony. We are encouraged to take our options – unfortunately it has not gone his way. Occasionally you’re going to get out to them.”
Woakes did not feel the Lord’s wicket could share some of the blame either. “It is a pretty good pitch,” he said. “There are no demons. Shah got a couple to turn and a couple went straight on, that is tricky. But we are an honest group and we have to go back to the drawing board. We need to sit down and see how we should be playing him going forward.
“We are still in a decent position. We are not out of it. We just had a tricky spell in the middle order. Me and [his fellow not out overnight batsman] Stuart Broad have a bit of a job in the morning. We need to get up to their score or past it. If we can get a lead the pressure is on. Then we need to bowl well, put the ball in the right areas.”
On a personal note, Woakes was overjoyed to get his name on the Lord’s board for his five for. “I didn’t envisage getting it with a long hop, caught at point,” he said of his fifth wicket, taken by James Vince. “But I am delighted. It was nice to hold the ball up. My Dad and my brother were here so it is a special moment.
“It’s been a nice summer so far,” he added of his fine performances. “I’m in good form. I did well against Sri Lanka and I’ve gone really well here. But it’s important that I continue this form from now on.”
The Pakistan spin coach Mushtaq Ahmed was delighted for Shah, who was bowling outside of the sub-continent in a Test for the first time. “It’s a great honour for him,” he said. “Here at the home of cricket to get your name on the board. When we are here we are always looking to see how many Pakistan players are on there. When you are, you feel proud.”
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