‘Loose’ England bowlers urged to hit their stride after allowing Pakistan to recover in first Test at Old Trafford

The tourists opted to bat first at Emirates Old Trafford but were kept on a tight leash before lunch, reaching the interval at 53-2.

By the time stumps were finally pulled, following a three-hour rain delay and bad light, that had stretched to 139-2 with Babar Azam boasting a free-flowing unbeaten 69 and Shan Masood twice reprieved by Jos Buttler on his closing score of 46 not out.

Babar’s impeccable timing, which saw him knit together an enviable highlights reel of 11 boundaries, stole the show but Silverwood felt his attack was complicit during a 16-over period which leaked 68 runs.

“We started off very well, we asked a lot of good questions and beat the bat a lot, but after lunch we weren’t so good,” he conceded. “We bowled too many four balls and gave the momentum back to Pakistan. They capitalised.

“We weren’t quite on the money when we went back out there and the challenge I’ve thrown out there in the dressing room to the boys is, if that happens again – and it will do because not everything goes our way all of the time – how do we wrestle things back?

“We know we’re up against very good batsmen. If we’re not on top of our game, they will take it away from us. It’s a timely reminder.”

Had Ben Stokes been fit enough to bowl a full share Silverwood and Joe Root might have been faced with a tricky selection poser between the in-form Chris Woakes and record wicket-taker James Anderson on his home ground.

Concerns over Stokes’s quad injury meant both played, with Woakes dismissing captain Azhar Ali during a brilliant eight-over spell worth 1-14, while Anderson was somewhat short of his considerable best.

“He was struggling for a bit of rhythm,” admitted Silverwood of the 38-year-old.

“As a bowler I’ve felt that before, it happens, but what I’ve said to Jimmy is you’re only ever one ball from finding that rhythm again.

“When he does, we know how devastating he is.”

Pakistan’s position would have been undermined a touch had Buttler held Masood’s outside edge before the rain break or completed a stumping afterwards.

But the opening batsman was more than happy to cash in on his chances against Dom Bess having done the hard work early on under dark skies.

“We know England have world-class bowlers, especially on their home turf. It was important to get rid of the shine in the first hour and make it easier for the guys coming in,” he said.

“This game is pretty funny...you get an element of fortune every now and then and there are times when the tide goes the other way. You just try to stay in and whatever chances you get, you try to capitalise. England has always been a place for world cricketers to prove their mettle.”

Editor’s note: First and foremost - and rarely have I written down these words with more sincerity - I hope this finds you well.

Almost certainly you are here because you value the quality and the integrity of the journalism produced by The Yorkshire Post’s journalists - almost all of which live alongside you in Yorkshire, spending the wages they earn with Yorkshire businesses - who last year took this title to the industry watchdog’s Most Trusted Newspaper in Britain accolade.

And that is why I must make an urgent request of you: as advertising revenue declines, your support becomes evermore crucial to the maintenance of the journalistic standards expected of The Yorkshire Post. If you can, safely, please buy a paper or take up a subscription. We want to continue to make you proud of Yorkshire’s National Newspaper but we are going to need your help.

Postal subscription copies can be ordered by calling 0330 4030066 or by emailing [email protected]. Vouchers, to be exchanged at retail sales outlets - our newsagents need you, too - can be subscribed to by contacting subscriptions on 0330 1235950 or by visiting www.localsubsplus.co.uk where you should select The Yorkshire Post from the list of titles available.

If you want to help right now, download our tablet app from the App / Play Stores. Every contribution you make helps to provide this county with the best regional journalism in the country.

Sincerely. Thank you. James Mitchinson, Editor