I have very good memories from my time in Manchester. Really amazing ones. However, this past week in Manchester is something I would like to wipe out from memory.

It was a disaster.

After the euphoria of the win at Lords, Pakistan turned out with the worst performance in tests in a very long time. To put it into perspective, England's win at Old Trafford was their 5th largest victory in tests in terms of runs, and their 2nd largest against Pakistan!

After 6 wins and a draw in 7 tests against England, Pakistan finally succumbed to a defeat.

The biggest reason, in my opinion, for this change in fortunes was the toss. In the past 7 tests that resulted in 6 wins for Pakistan, they had batted first in all tests except one.

Despite losing the toss, I did not think that Pakistan would be defeated this badly.

If anyone had told me that England would beat Pakistan at Old Trafford, I would not have placed my money on them given how they had played against Pakistan's attack in the previous 7 tests.

England's batting line up in this test series is quite weak. Their middle order is nonexistent and Bairstow is not the same against this Pakistan attack as he was against Sri Lanka.

England's batting line up starts with Alastair Cook and ends with Joe Root, who Pakistan were able to tame at Lord's.

However at Old Trafford it was different ball game. Root was a man on a mission and he played one of the best test innings I have seen in a long time.

Root's innings was all about learning from past mistakes, application, determination, and dominance.

It was a true blue test classic.

Root's match aggregate of 335 was only 97 runs less than what Pakistan's 22 batsmen collectively scored at Old Trafford.

Pakistan's batting has always been vulnerable, however this test team has been different. Azhar, Younis, Misbah, Asad, and Sarfraz have been more consistent than any Pakistan number 3-7 in the past. For them to struggle across two innings has been rare. Yet, one can still fathom their failure because we have been accustomed to it.

What is quite unfathomable is how toothless Yasir Shah and the rest of Pakistan's attack were at Old Trafford. Yasir had just accomplished a rare feat at Lord's and climbed to the top of bowling rankings, but Root brought him back down to earth - from number 1 to number 5 in the rankings - that is how poor a test match Yasir had.

This Pakistan team though is not one to fall without a fight.

Two remaining tests promise to be thrilling ones. With the series level, there is everything to play for. Pakistan's batsman will have to rise to the challenge. Misbah and Asad require more support from the likes of Hafeez, Azhar, and Younis, who despite starts have been unable to convert their scores into big ones. They are all due and there won't be better opportunities than at Edgbaston and the Oval.

Manchester was home for me between 2009 and 2011 and while I spent two magnificent years in the city, I was quite disappointed when England did not schedule a test, or for that matter neither an ODI or a T20I, at Old Trafford during Pakistan's tour in 2010.

I did manage to watch a couple of T20 games between England and Australia at Old Trafford and also made my way down to London on the weekends to catch a few days play at Lords and Oval in 2010, I feel like I missed out not watching Pakistan play in Manchester during my two years there.

Pakistan have pretty good memories associated with Manchester, however with mixed results.

1992


Despite that fabulous knock and a 5 wicket haul from Wasim Akram, rain robbed Pakistan of time to press for a win and the match ended in a draw.


2001

In 1996, there was no test at Old Trafford, but Pakistan returned to the venue in 2001 for the final test of a 2-test series after being comprehensively beaten in the first test. Pakistan needed to win the test to maintain their undefeated run in England that stretched back 14 years to 1987.

Looking to maintain their record on England soil, Pakistan posted 400 in the first innings on the back of a classic century by Inzamam Ul Haq who was well supported by Younis Khan (65) and Rashid Latif (71). England's response was emphatic with both Vaughan and Thorpe posting centuries, however once their 267 run partnership was broken, Saqlain and Razzaq combined to send England's next 7 wickets crashing for 75 runs giving Pakistan a 50 run lead.

Another Inzamam classic innings of 85 in the second innings helped Pakistan set an improbably 370 run target, which proved too much for England, even though Trescothick (117) and Atherton (51) set up the chase with a 146 run opening partnership.

Not many teams lose tests after three of their batsmen score centuries, but the two Ws along with Saqlain and Razzaq were a handful for the remaining batsmen.

2006

Pakistan returned to Manchester in 2006 with the series level 0-0 after a draw in the first test. Unlike the tests in 1992 and 2001, which went the distance into the final session of day 5, England finished the game inside 3 days in 2006.

Rather, it was Steve Harmison and Monty Panesar who dashed Pakistani hopes at Old Trafford. The two combined to take 19 Pakistani wickets, which would have been all 20 had Danish Kaneria not run himself out to give England a win by an innings.

2016

Much like 1992, Pakistan will reach Manchester 1-0 up in the series. Back then they had also won the previous test at Lord's. While Manchester's weather is always unpredictable and typical overcast conditions will create seaming conditions, the word is that Old Trafford has become quite a batsman friendly pitch in recent years.

There are also whispers of the pitch suiting Yasir Shah more than the one at Lord's, which will prove to be quite dangerous for England's batsmen.

England have already strengthened their squad by recalling Anderson, Stokes, and Rashid. They are contemplating playing two spinners; whatever XI they pick for Old Trafford, Pakistan will face a much tougher challenge in this test from a hurt English team. But have no doubt that Pakistan will be ready.

It is still arguable whether this is Pakistan's strongest team team or not, however what is clear is that this Pakistan team mean serious business.

They are well prepared, more than any Pakistani outfit before them; they are hungry for success; they are determined to prove their detractors wrong; they are motivated to bring honors to the green and white flag; and they can't wait to bring out the push ups and the salute once again.

At the end of day 1 of the first test, Misbah became the first Pakistan captain to score a century at Lord's in 24 years.

On day 2, Yasir Shah became the first Pakistani leg spinner to take a 5 wicket haul at Lord's in 20 years.

Such is the class act that this Pakistan team is.

Both Misbah and Yasir were realizing their dreams playing their first test in England at Lord's; both of them had to prove to their critics that their recent success had not been only due to helpful conditions in the UAE but due to their own determination; both of them managed to do this and more forever engraving their names on the Lord's honors board.

Yasir not only became the first leg spinner from Pakistan since Mushtaq Ahmed in 1996 to pick up 5 wickets at Lord's; he became the first leg spinner from anywhere in the world to do so!

Only the second leg spinner in 20 years to achieve this feat.

Yasir now finds himself on an honors board that does not have the names of Shane Warne, Anil Kumble, Muttiah Muralitharan. The best leg spinners / spinners in the world never managed 5 wickets at the home of cricket.

Yasir's achievement is even more impressive considering that the last time a leg spinner picked up 5 wickets in the first innings at Lord's was in 1967! Almost half a century ago!

That is how special Yasir Shah is.



He was the fastest bowler from Pakistan to reach 50 test wickets; took him only 9 tests.

Now in only 13 tests, he has 82 wickets, which is the most any bowler has ever had after 13 test matches.

He is well on his way in becoming the fastest bowler from Pakistan to reach 100 test wickets; the current record is 19 tests held by Saeed Ajmal.

If Yasir can manage 18 wickets in the next innings at Lord's and the following 3 test matches, which is extremely likely considering the way he bowled in the first inning at Lord's, Yasir will equal a record that has been standing strong for 120 years now!

In 1896, George Lohmann reached 100 test wickets in only his 16th test. Since then, no one has managed it that quickly.

Given Yasir's current form and England's ability against leg spin, I reckon Yasir can get there in 15.

We all might just see history in the making in Birmingham during the first week of August.

The first test between Pakistan and England at Lord's started with England as firm favorites; the odds said 4.25 on Pakistan and 1.75 on England.

At the end of day 1, the odds were still in favor of England despite a memorable hundred by the Pakistan captain and a decent score on the board by Pakistan; Pakistan 3.75, England 1.50.

On the second morning of the test, Pakistan lost their last 4 wickets very quickly. They lost their last 6 wickets for the addition of only 57 runs. Pakistan should have got more than 339; they were certainly poised to get further, however they have a long tail and Chris Woakes made sure that they don't even get to 350, a number Misbah had spoken about a day earlier.

At this time, the odds were still in favor of England; Pakistan 4.00, England 1.50.

You can take a look at the odds of this cricket match and other cricket matches by picking a site from Gamblingsites.net.

Pakistan got an early breakthrough in England's first innings, but then for the next 2 hours it was the Cook-Root show. Their partnership threatened to take the game away from Pakistan in very quick time with Pakistan's fielders further helping their cause.

They put on 110 runs in only 25 overs before Root had a brain freeze and slogged one right up in the air. The fielder this time helped his own team.

While Cook and Root were running rampant, the odds moved more in favor of England; Pakistan 4.33, England 1.33.

England firm favorites.

Root's wicket however changed the proceedings and Yasir Shah ripped through England's middle order. No other batsman managed to dominate the innings and Pakistan looked right on top at the end of the second day with England trailing by 86 runs with 3 wickets remaining.

At this stage one would think that the odds would have moved in Pakistan's favor. But that was not the case as day 2 ended with Pakistan 2.40, England 1.90.

The bookmakers really think highly of England despite seeing what Yasir Shah has done to them; and this was only the first innings. Just imagine what Yasir will do in the 4th innings in more helpful conditions.

Surely Pakistan are favorites at this stage.

Any lead in the first innings will be a bonus. All those runs that Pakistan score in the second innings will pile on the pressure on England.

I reckon a target of 300 will be well defendable by this Pakistan attack.

Yet the bookmakers are still favoring England.

Surely they must know something we dont!

At 42 most cricketers have passed over half a decade in retirement and are either serving their cricket boards or television broadcasters. Especially these days when the riches of T20 leagues around the world have driven cricketers to retire even earlier.

Misbah, however, is still playing. He is still batting. He is still captaining his country in the purest form of the game. Misbah, at 42, is scoring centuries and breaking records.
His test average as a captain is 58.54; just a bit behind Hanif Mohammad's 58.73. But there aren't many captaincy records that Misbah will not hold by the time he hangs up his boots.

When Misbah led Pakistan to a 15th test victory as captain, he broke the record for most test wins for a Pakistan captain, which was jointly held by Imran Khan and Javed Miandad. He now has 20 test wins.

When Misbah scored his 2,409th run as captain in tests, he broke the record for most test runs as Pakistan captain, going past Imran Khan. Just a bit before that he had surpassed the runs tally of Inzamam Ul Haq and Javed Miandad as well. He now has a 1,000 more test runs as Pakistan captain than the next best.

When Misbah scored a century at Lord's yesterday, his 8th as Pakistan captain, he broke the record for most centuries by a Pakistan captain, beating Inzamam's record of 7. Who knows how many he will end up with.

The hundred at Lord's was really special considering it came in England, where many thought that Misbah will struggle. Like so many other times, Misbah stood tall and gave a fitting reply to all the skeptics.



It was the first century by a Pakistan captain in England for 24 years with the last one scored by Javed Miandad in 1992!

It was only the third century by a Pakistan captain at Lord's; the previous two were scored by Hanif Mohammad and Javed Burki.

It was only the third instance of a Pakistan captain scoring a century in his first innings as captain in England; previously it was achieved by Hanif Mohammad and Javed Miandad.

He became the oldest captain to score a test century, breaking Bob Simpson's record who had scored a ton at 41.

It was already special when the day started with Misbah, at the twilight of his career, playing a test match and leading Pakistan for the first time in England; that too at Lord's. The fact that the day ended with Misbah's name forever engraved on the honors' board at Lord's is the stuff of dreams.

In less than an hour, Pakistan and England will start the first test of their series at the home of cricket, Lord's.

For all cricketers, it is a dream to play at Lord's. Some realize this dream early in their careers, while others at the twilight.

For Pakistan's 42-year old captain, Misbah Ul Haq, this will be his first test at Lord's. His first in England.

Unfortunately, Pakistan don't schedule international test tours as frequently as other Asian teams like India and Sri Lanka. It is unfortunate that in a test career that began in 2001 and has spanned 60 odd test matches, with the majority since 2007, Misbah has not played a single test in England or Australia.

However, at the same time, it is a dream come true for him. This tour marks a full circle of Misbah's captaincy tenure, which started after the demoralizing tour to England in 2010. Since then he has led Pakistan's team in whites with aplomb and is today the most successful captain in Pakistan's test history.

Many cricketers dream of playing a test at Lord's; Misbah would not have thought that he would realize it at 42. 

Another cricketer who probably thought that he would never play cricket again, let alone play at Lord's, is Mohammad Aamer.

Lord's is the scene of his crime that almost ended his career way too prematurely. Having served his punishment and returned to white ball cricket for Pakistan since the start of the year, Aamer is all geared up for his return to test cricket at the venue where he lost 5 years of a promising career.

The build up to Aamer's return has been as expected with a number of current and former England cricketers and the British media reminding the world of what he did in 2010. The England captain has also warned Aamer about the possible abuse he may receive from the crowd at Lord's.

Pakistan's cricketers have been supportive like a bunch of elder brothers looking to protect the problem child. While other supporters, like myself, cannot wait to see Aamer back in action.

Aamer might have dreamed of playing for Pakistan again, but he would have never thought that he would resume his career at Lord's!

Shan Masood recently spoke about living in St. John's Wood, walking and jogging around the neighborhood, and thinking about playing at Lord's every time he passed by the gates. That is quite some story for this opener who has gradually cemented his place in Pakistan's Test XI.

For Shan, stepping into Lord's as a Pakistan test cricketer, is a very filmy story. I can just picture this Pakistani kid standing outside the Lord's gates and imagining himself playing a cover drive before continuing on his jog and dreaming about playing cricket for Pakistan.

Shan dreamed about playing for Pakistan, he dreamed about playing at Lord's, and today he will realize that dream is Pakistan's first choice test opener.

Besides Younis Khan, Azhar Ali, Wahab Riaz, and Mohammad Aamer none of the players from Pakistan's test squad have played at Lord's.

Today is going to be a dream come for all of them, however it will be a bit more special for Misbah, Aamer, and Shan.