Re: Pakistan V England 2nd Test Match, Faislabad
**Geoff Boycott column **](BBC SPORT | Cricket | England | Geoff Boycott column)
England believe they can come back from anything, and they have fought their way out of all sorts of trouble to win over the last few years.
Well they’re in real trouble this time because they’re 1-0 down against Pakistan and if they continue with their gung-ho batting approach they will be down further.
On a flat pitch in Multan, the bowlers had done their job, the match was won. Pakistan made a good start but for three-and-a-half days the match was England’s.
All the batsmen had to do was take the sting out of the Pakistan bowling, and occupy the crease. Runs would have come without looking for them.
Andrew Flintoff, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood and Ian Bell were all guilty of very poor, attacking shots.
They don’t read the leg-spinner Danish Kaneria very well even though they have just been through a whole series against Shane Warne.
And they only seem to want to play one way. They don’t seem to adapt to the situation or show any patience.
The tail-enders did a good job but you can’t expect them to knock the runs off.
They’re expected to misread the spinner. They’re expected, like Ashley Giles, to get out to a 90mph yorker and, like Shaun Udal to be gated by a googly.
You might argue that is the way the top order play, and that they have won Test matches that way.
But if a slowcoach player blocked out one end in a tight run-chase, people would play merry hell.
A good cricketer is a thinking cricketer and there was some unsound thinking this week.
You must be able to adapt to the circumstances, whether it’s the pitch, the opposition or the state of the game.
If they’re not used to the conditions, they should have played more warm-up matches.
England could learn from the Pakistan opener Salman Butt, who played beautifully.
He’s supposed to be a shot-maker but the coach Bob Woolmer has told him to play steadily and he did just that.
He started the second innings with Pakistan 144 behind but he didn’t come out crashing the ball around; he grafted.
England’s batting has been wobbly for the last couple of years but they’ve always had one guy who has provided a big score, as Marcus Trescothick did in the first innings.
The seam bowling has been responsible for this recent Test success and they were outstanding again, with Flintoff, Matthew Hoggard and Steve Harmison taking 18 of the 20 wickets.
When it comes to selection for the second Test, if Michael Vaughan is fit they have no choice - it’s Vaughan for Paul Collingwood, who doesn’t look as if he can cut it at Test level.
He had two knocks at The Oval and two here and he doesn’t look the part, he hasn’t passed 10.
Bell’s first innings was excellent, especially his footwork, but at the moment he’s not a number three so Vaughan will slot straight back in there.
If I were Pakistan I wouldn’t be looking for draws in the next two matches; I would look to rub it in.
They have Shahid Afridi, who bowls quick wrist-spin and, judging by the way England played Kaneria, if Afridi had played in the first Test it would have been over earlier.
England have the ability to come back because they’ve always shown a lot of character before and they’re confident after so much recent success. But the batsmen have got to knuckle down. It’s as simple as that.
