England captain Ben Stokes believes wicketkeeper Ollie Pope grabbed a clear catch to dismiss Pakistan batter Saud Shakeel in his group’s series-deciding win within the second Take a look at on Monday.
“Little question about that (catch) in my thoughts,” Stokes mentioned after Pakistan have been bowled out for 328 an hour into the second session and fell 26 runs in need of the 355-run goal on Monday as England took an unassailable 2-0 lead within the three-match collection.
“The one factor the place you begin worrying is when it will get checked out for an extended time period as a result of that is whenever you begin having doubt in your individual head,” Stokes added.
“I have been a part of video games earlier than the place I have been on the group who’s been on the receiving finish of these choices and also you’re all the time like, ‘that is not carried’.”
Shakeel battled gallantly for simply over five-and-a-half hours in making 94 off 213 balls earlier than Mark Wooden tangled the left-hander down the legside simply earlier than the lunch interval.
Pope claimed a low two-handed catch to his proper , lowering Pakistan to 7-291 by lunch.
Tv umpire Joel Wilson of the West Indies upheld onfield umpire Aleem Dar’s tender sign of out as he took a number of minutes and watched the replays from varied angles.
Shakeel’s dismissal took the sport away from Pakistan earlier than England folded the tail after lunch for his or her second absorbing win within the final two weeks.
“You see a variety of lot of these choices and people kind of catches in cricket,” Stokes mentioned.
“It went our approach, however I have been concerned in a couple of choices the place stuff like that has gone towards us, however you may’t change that.”
Pakistan captain Babar Azam believed the catch value his group the sport. He felt the ball was grounded earlier than it went into Pope’s gloves, however mentioned the groups need to observe the umpires’ choices.
England, on their first Take a look at tour to Pakistan in 17 years, have been on a roll via their aggressive model of cricket that began within the English summer season after they gained six of their seven Assessments beneath the captaincy of Stokes and new coach Brendon McCullum.
Up to now England had gained solely two Take a look at matches in Pakistan – in 1959 and 2000 – however now they’ve gained back-to-back matches in simply two weeks on difficult dry, flat and sluggish turning wickets at Rawalpindi and Multan.
“I feel it was one other nice recreation, utterly totally different circumstances to the primary Take a look at match,” Stokes mentioned.
“We tailored to these circumstances and caught to the best way that we needed to function. Final week clearly was a really flat wicket, whereas this one was a difficult one, however we nonetheless went out and utilized ourselves the best way that we needed.”
Wooden did not determine within the first Take a look at as he was nonetheless recovering from a hip damage, however the quick bowler bowled with loads of tempo and struck thrice as soon as Stokes took the second new ball with Pakistan nonetheless needing 109.
Shakeel and Mohammad Nawaz had raised Pakistan’s hopes of their highest-ever profitable run-chase at house with an 80-run sixth-wicket stand earlier than Wooden dismissed each with equivalent quick balls down the legside.
“I am fairly certain I would not need to be dealing with bouncers at 145-150 kph with 20 minutes left earlier than lunch even when I had confronted as many balls as these two,” Stokes mentioned.
“That is what we picked him for, to come back in, change the sport and blow that wicket for us and it was a straightforward choice to make to carry him on.”
The third and closing Take a look at begins in Karachi on Saturday.
