Buttler And Bess Spare England An Innings Defeat By Pakistan

London, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th May, 2018 ) :Jos Buttler and Dominic Bess fought a determined rearguard action as England avoided an innings defeat by Pakistan in the first Test at Lord's on Saturday.

When the pair came together before tea on the third day, England were 110 for six in their second innings -- still needing a further 69 runs to make Pakistan bat again. But come stumps, England were 235 for six after an unbroken century stand by their seventh-wicket duo.

England were a mere 56 runs ahead with four wickets standing and the new ball on the horizon, but at least they were still in the game. Buttler was 66 not out and Bess 55 not out after marking his Test debut with a fine fifty.

The duo's 125-run stand was also a vindication for England's new national selector, Ed Smith, who had recalled Buttler as a specialist number seven batsman and picked Somerset off-spinner Bess. But the way the pair played on a sunny day in the best batting conditions of the match, was also an indictment of some of their top-order colleagues involved in England's latest collapse.

England are historically difficult to beat in home Tests starting in May - they've lost just three out of 33. Yet they were facing the prospect of going 1-0 down in this two-match series midway though the afternoon after Mohammad Amir took two wickets in three balls to dismiss Dawid Malan and Jonny Bairstow.

England were 179 runs behind on first innings after Pakistan were bowled out for 363 early on Saturday, with Babar Azam unable to add to his 68 after retiring hurt Friday with a broken forearm while facing Ben Stokes.

The hosts soon found themselves in further trouble as Alastair Cook was dismissed for just one. The left-handed opener, making a record-equalling 153rd consecutive Test appearance, had top-scored with 70 in England's meagre first-innings 184.

But Saturday saw England's all-time leading Test run-scorer lbw to Mohammad Abbas. Teenage leg-spinner Shadab Khan struck next when Mark Stoneman was bowled off stump by a ball that kept low.