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Swann optimistic of England’s chances of reaching win target
England's Graeme Swann celebrates with his teammates. AP
England hope hard graft has given them a shot at redemption in the final throes of their hugely disappointing Test series against Pakistan.
It took England almost nine hours to shift the limpet-like Azhar Ali (157), who was eventually ninth out in Pakistan’s second innings of 365, in which the last seven wickets fell for just 34 runs.
But after Azhar and Younus Khan (127) had shut them out for more than 80 overs in a stand of 216, England must still make the second-highest fourth-innings chase in their history to claw back a 2-1 series defeat over the last two days at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
There was nonetheless a spring in the step of Graeme Swann after he and Monty Panesar (5-124) ensured a target of 324 which openers Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss had reduced by 36 at the close.
Heroics will be needed today from batsmen who have produced no such thing in a series of collapses to date, most embarrassingly when being bowled out for just 72 after being set 145 to win in Abu Dhabi and level the series nine days ago.
However, Swann dares to believe that the world No 1’s slumbering batsmen may be about to reawaken at last in the Middle East.
“You can easily get really down on yourselves and start feeling sorry for yourselves,” said Swann, reflecting on Pakistan’s mid-afternoon score of 331-3.
“But we didn’t do that and made sure we kept fighting because, let’s face it, chasing 500 is nigh-on impossible, but 320 is gettable.”
Previous disappointments ought to be significant motivation too.
“This game should be the decider,” Swann added. “This should be the best day’s Test cricket ever (today) because it’s deciding the whole series.
“If it wasn’t for two hours of absolute madness in Abu Dhabi it would be.
“We have to salvage something from this series. It looked for a long time (yesterday) as if we wouldn’t have the chance to do that. But it was a great end to the day.
“We got just rewards for our perseverance with the ball, pulled it back, and now we’re in with a fighting chance.
“Without the perseverance we all showed out there, Pakistan would have got an unassailable lead. But I don’t believe they’ve got that.”
Strauss and Cook have made a start, but that is all.
“It could have been a very tricky period for the openers, but they’ve calmed the storm nicely and set us up nicely for what we hope will be a good chase (today),” Swann added.
“Each of the batsmen will have come up with game plans that differ from the Abu Dhabi debacle in the second innings because that simply wasn’t good enough for a Test team, not to be able to chase that total against anyone.
“On current form, it’s an absolute mountain to climb. But I think we’re due a decent score in this series. I’m forever the optimist and I’d like to think a couple of them are going to go out and wow everyone (today).
“Our batsmen have certainly got a point to prove
“If this game goes the full five days, I’ll eat this hat. I’d be very surprised if there wasn’t a result by the end of (today), or early on the fifth day, and I look forward to toasting Straussy and Cooky’s magnificent 330-run partnership.”
Swann was delighted to see fellow spinner Panesar back with such a vengeance, taking 14 wickets in two matches since his return to Test cricket.
“People were very quick to jump on Monty’s back a couple of years ago when he was left out,” he added.
“But he’s remained a very fine bowler and he’s bowled exceptionally well in the two games he’s played over here.”
Having said that, Pakistan’s third-wicket pair had few problems with either Swann or Panesar for more than three sessions.
“Younus and Ali batted superbly,” Swann said. “But it may be the worst thing they could possibly do, because they may have shown us how to bat against the spinners on this pitch.”
Azhar is not so sure that will prove to be the case.
“I really enjoyed it out there, batting long is a real pleasure,” he said.
“We are 100 per cent confident now. We can’t relax because we have to get 10 wickets, but that’s a big total.”
English hopes were dashed at yesterday’s Indian Premier League auction as James Anderson, Graeme Swann, Ian Bell and Matt Prior all went unsold.
Anderson was the first one to learn his fate, ignored at his base price of $300,000, almost as soon as the process began in Bangalore.
Bell and Prior soon followed suit, as did a clutch of other English players before off-spinner Graeme Swann – with a reserve of $400,000 – was also disappointed.
Test batsman Ravi Bopara and limited-overs international all-rounder Luke Wright were unsold too, as was Ireland’s big-hitter Kevin O-Brien – despite his astounding World Cup hundred to help beat England in Bangalore last year.
The IPL wipe-out for England’s best means only Stuart Broad, Kevin Pietersen and Eoin Morgan – already contracted to franchises – will be playing in India in the window between forthcoming Test series in Sri Lanka and at home to West Indies.
Yuvraj Singh’s physiotherapist Jatin Chaudhary has confirmed the India batsman is undergoing treatment for cancer in the United States.
Former Yorkshire cricketer Yuvraj said last year that he was diagnosed with a non-malignant tumour of the lungs but further tests showed he has cancer and he is now undergoing chemotherapy at the Cancer Research Institute in Boston. Chaudhary said the cancer is at a dangerous place in the body but is curable.
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