adminLONDON. — England’s red-ball woes continued on Sunday as they slumped to a humiliating nine-wicket defeat in the first Test against Pakistan at Lord’s.
Joe Root’s side were comprehensively outplayed once more as the tourists wrapped up an emphatic victory half an hour before lunch on day four.
Here, Sportsmail’s David “Bumble’’ Lloyd takes us through his own unique perspective of the action.
Just 25 deliveries were needed by Pakistan to take those last four wickets, leaving England totally dejected.
They just haven’t been at the races in this Test.
There can be no hiding place. There’s something fundamentally wrong. It’s not the bowlers either. They kept Pakistan down to par. It’s woeful batting . . .
It’s all very well saying England’s batsmen are a talented bunch. The bottom line is you have to score runs. If I were the coach now I’d be forever on tenterhooks because they just look like they’re going to get out.
It’s basic stuff too. Like a propensity to play back when they should be getting forward. England look in a haze.
New national selector Ed Smith’s honeymoon period is over after just one match! What can he come up with before the second Test at Headingley on Friday? He’s a very worthy man but he’s all of a sudden got a lot on his plate. I can tell him and you — there’s nobody knocking that door down . . .
We haven’t heard from Andy Flower for ages but he made significant comments on Friday after stepping in for Andrew Strauss.
He said we need to look at county cricket and when it is played. Virtually all the championship games are at the beginning or end of the season! It’s no preparation for international cricket…
The finger will start to point at Trevor Bayliss now, just as at one stage many years ago it pointed at David Lloyd. But Trevor doesn’t play just like I didn’t when I was coach.
You can talk until you’re blue in the face but you can’t actually go out there and do it for them. I wish you could! — Mailonline.
Online Reporter