As Pakistan set about bowling England out and taking a 1-0 series lead into the final Test in Sharjah, all eyes were on first innings stars Yasir Shah and Wahab Riaz.
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It was largely expected that the spin-pace combination of the pair that took eight of England’s first innings wickets would once again account for the bulk of the tourists’ batting line up.
In England’s first reply, Riaz bowled with devastating pace in a gruelling nine over spell that helped turn this game in Pakistan’s favour on the third morning.
At the other end, Shah joined his team-mate in going to four wickets in the innings as the pair ensured a route to victory for their side as England conceded a lead of 136.
Although he superbly bowled Stuart Broad, Riaz wasn’t able to replicate his heroics second time around but he didn’t have to.
Pakistan had, alongside Shah, another match winner with previous in Dubai.
Having gone wicketless first time around, slow left-armer Zulfiqar Babar was criticised for his failure to maintain pressure on England’s batsmen, too often allowing the opposition to find relief away from the strenuous experience of facing an on-song Shah.
This was highlighted by a late spell bowled at Jonny Bairstow on day two.
Bairstow looked at sea against Shah, bamboozled by the leggie as he left, played and missed, and tried to counter when he should have chosen one of the other two options.
He was playing by numbers, desperately clinging on to an unbeaten asterisk that was crucial to England’s hopes – at the time still realistic – of winning.
Instead of frustrating Bairstow further, Babar was loose and once the Englishman had skipped down the wicket and cleared the extra cover boundary he was a man free of his shackles.
Zulfiqar Babar strikes Joe Root caught on 71 by Younis Khan! #England 157/4, Target 491 #PakvsEng #PakvEng #EngvPak pic.twitter.com/KXFlSs1If8
— Aleena علینہ (@AnmolAleena) October 26, 2015
That one six, releasing the pressure on Bairstow, could have proven costly and for those outside of the Pakistan camp it looked a concern.
For his team-mates, however, there was a belief that he would come good. After all, in the four Test matches Babar has played in Dubai, 12 of his 19 wickets have come in the away side’s last innings.
At an average of 18.58, compared to 53.85 in first innings, Babar is a deadly proposition second time round and has bowled in an opposition’s second outing with the bat on three occasions, compared to four first-innings twirls.
His five-for against Australia took Pakistan to victory, four against New Zealand led to a draw and a further three against England here helped secure a resounding win.
Those figures have also included the scalps of David Warner, Brendan McCullum, Kane Williamson, Ian Bell and Joe Root – all big wickets to take.
2nd Test. 137.3: WICKET! A Rashid (61) is out, c Zulfiqar Babar b Yasir Shah, 312 all out https://t.co/IjDwTHhv9z #PakvEng
— ICC Live Scores (@ICCLive) October 26, 2015
And with his side painfully denied by England late on day five, Babar came up with the goods once again.
Adil Rashid and Mark Wood had made 55 for the ninth wicket, denying the hosts for 29.2 overs when victory was there to be wrapped up with a session to spare earlier in the day.
At that moment, Babar induced Wood’s outside edge and finally dragged Pakistan towards the finish line.
It was fitting that he would then play a part in England’s final wicket in a supporting role, taking the catch of Rashid at cover, off the bowling of Shah.
Accepting that one of your two frontline spinners has gone without a wicket in anticipation of their impact later on in the game is a luxury few teams can afford.
For Pakistan, however, it is a part of their armoury that comes without too much cost.
Yasir Shah, Misbah Ul Haq, Zulfiqar Babar, Younis Khan. These oldies can perform way better than youngsters.
— Ahmed Mallick (@AhmedDamn) October 26, 2015
With Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan compiling marathon knocks of huge substance – backed up by Asad Shafiq, Mohammad Hafeez and Shan Masood – and the Dubai pitch’s receptive nature to seam over the first two days or so, Babar can play a supporting role.
Shah, Riaz and Imran can do the damage in terms of taking wickets, Babar on hand to ease the burden and aim to keep the scoring down.
While he did not do that here, he certainly picked up the slack on day five.
Bowling with great control and subtle variation, Babar had the ball spitting outside the right-handers’ off stump, turning and bouncing the ball in a flirtatious manner – almost ‘twerking’ in the direction of the outside edge.
He may not take the headlines, but Babar’s return at the business end of proceedings should serve as a warning for any side bound for the UAE.
