England vs Pakistan 2016, 2nd Test Day 3: Stats - biggest leads where follow-ons weren’t enforced, Misbah and Wahab’s feats
After Alastair Cook and Joe Root dominated the first two days of the second Test at Old Trafford, day three was all about Pakistan’s batting collapse and Cook’s decision to not enforce the follow-on despite having a lead of almost 400 runs in the bank.
Resuming the day on 57/4, the start didn’t go according to plan for the visitors. Pakistan lost four wickets before lunch and had to rely on Misbah’s fifty once again to ensure further embarrassment. Eventually, they were bowled out for 198.
Instead of enforcing the follow-on, Cook decided to bat again and with rain around Old Trafford, it didn’t seem like the best move. Still, England ended the day on 98/1 with the captain still at the crease and a lead of 489 going into the fourth day of the second Test.
Here are some interesting numbers from the day:
1 – Only once have England taken a bigger first innings lead against Pakistan in Tests. In 1954, they took a lead of 401 runs before going on to claim an innings victory.
2 – This was the second-highest 1st innings lead conceded by Pakistan when batting second in away Tests. The 391 they conceded against England is only bettered by the 473 they conceded against West Indies at Bridgetown in 1958. Overall, Pakistan have only conceded a bigger lead than 391 only five times in Tests.
3 – The 60-run stand between Misbah-ul-Haq and Wahab Riaz is Pakistan’s third-best for the ninth wicket in England in Tests.
4 – Wahab Riaz’s score of 39 was the fourth-best score by a Pakistan No.10 batsman against England in Tests. The highest is Sarfraz Nawaz’s 90 in 1984 and the top three were all made before 1985.
5 – For the 5th successive Test, Misbah has top-scored for Pakistan in at least one of the innings.
13 – This was Misbah’s 13th 50+ score after the age of 40. Only Jack Hobbs (19) and Patsy Hendren (15) have more such scores than Misbah.
16 – Of the 77 occasions that the No.10 has come into bat, this was the 16th time that Pakistan have been eight down for less than 120 in Tests in England.
64.11 – In his last ten Test innings, Misbah has scored 577 runs at an average of 64.11. In seven of those 10 innings, he has scored more than 50 (two hundreds and five fifties).
92.45 – Alastair Cook’s strike rate of 92.45 is his best strike rate in a Test innings in which he has faced at least 25 balls, beating his 39-ball 36 (92.30) at Lord’s in 2007 against India.
145.1 – The record for the most number of overs batted in the fourth innings at Old Trafford is held by India, who batted for 145.1 overs in 1959.
236.1 – Pakistan’s first six of the series came after 236 overs. Wahab Riaz’s six off Moeen Ali brought up his country’s first maximum of the series.
391 – In the history of Tests, this is the fifth-highest lead where the follow-on wasn’t enforced and the third-highest by England. The highest was also by England, when they had a lead of 563 but still didn’t enforce the follow-on in the Timeless Test against West Indies in 1930.
402 – Australia’s total of 402 is the highest fourth-innings total at Old Trafford. With the lead already at 489, a successful chase will mean Pakistan will hold the new record at the venue.