This was a most composed Lord’s Test debut. No, not that of Jake Ball, who bowled perfectly well after becoming Stuart Broad’s third new-ball partner for England from Nottinghamshire (the other two, before you do yourself a mischief, are Darren Pattinson and Graeme Swann). Misbah-ul-Haq, at the age of 42, played his first Test innings in England and it was a very good one.
Misbah did not surprise us. He may be a debutant in England but we know how he plays. After all, this was his 107th innings for Pakistan yet he was not picked for the England tours of 2001, 2006 and 2010. Watching him serenely pitch tent on a sunny Lord’s square, this somehow seems like a mistake.
The 42-year-old Misbah-ul-Haq scored an excellent century, and celebrated with 10 press-ups, as Pakistan ended a fascinating first day of the series on 282 for six
There is something wonderfully dependable about Misbah. Until the last fortnight the following parallel was unlikely ever to see the light of day but it may just be worth a mention now: could Misbah be regarded as Pakistan cricket’s Theresa May? They turned to him six years ago when their game was plunged into crisis after the last Lord’s Test. A safe pair of hands was desperately required. There was no one else and yet within a few Test matches he seemed the obvious choice.
Misbah does not set out to dazzle; he does not crave the limelight; he is happy to avoid easy adulation; he rarely produces a soundbite. His every move is considered and conscientious. He just wants to get the job done.
There have been doubts over whether this was a tour too far. Even Misbah has recognised that possibility – for obvious reasons. Most normal sportsmen of his age are in decline – Brian Close batted for England at Lord’s at the age of 45 but he could never be held up as a beacon of normality.
The reflexes are bound to slow in one’s fifth decade. Fast bowling is an increased threat and it is harder to survive those first 20 balls. Sure enough, Misbah was not an especially reassuring sight at the start of his innings. Back and across he went but for a while it seemed as if he was looking for the ball rather than watching it. His first run came from an inside edge and the ever-frisky Younis Khan, with whom he has forged many a partnership, beckoned him for his first run.
Gradually the arch-pragmatist, which makes the fact he bats in bright orange boots all the more incongruous, became acclimatised. His first boundary came from his glove when attempting to hook a surprise bouncer from Broad. His second, two balls later, was a punched back-foot drive, which purred from the middle of his bat.
Soon he was hit on the thigh by a ball from Steven Finn and the game stopped. Misbah never seems to be in a hurry. Out came a physio; out came some drinks. He would gather himself, the game would restart when he was ready. Now he began to attract the ball towards his pads. He looks like an lbw candidate. Back he goes but he seldom comes forward so there is the anticipation that he will miss one soon. Hence he stealthily picks up runs on the leg side. The only chance he offered was a low catch to Joe Root at second slip off Finn when playing his push drive. Otherwise he watched and waited and the pitch gradually seemed to become slower and slower when he was on strike.
His plan is simple. Essentially, he blocks the pacemen and shreds the spinners. He scores off the fast bowlers only if they bowl him a bad ball and he has the patience to wait for over after over if necessary. Unfortunately for Moeen Ali, there is a different policy against spinners. Alastair Cook tried Moeen in mid-afternoon. Immediately Misbah’s antennae were alerted.
England know about his penchant for hitting spinners straight for six, which is why Cook stationed a long-on immediately. So Misbah opted to sweep a straight ball to fine leg for four; then he produced a calculated hoick to the empty mid-wicket boundary. After two overs Cook withdrew Moeen from the attack but he had to bring him back in the final session because he was running out of bowlers.
Misbah was immediately on the attack again. He hit four balls out of five to the boundary with deft sweep shots, two reverse, two (relatively) orthodox. After four overs Moeen had yielded 35 runs, standard figures in a T20 match; he had not really bowled any bad deliveries either but Misbah could hit the ball wherever he wished – in all, he took 32 runs from 23 balls from Moeen. Ideally, the Pakistan captain should never receive a ball from a spinner unless the ball is turning.
Misbah’s century was reached with a pragmatic prod to third man off Finn. Having jogged a single Misbah then celebrated his landmark by doing half a dozen press-ups, to the great delight of a packed and beaming Pakistan balcony – the Theresa May parallels, you understand, have long since expired. Already he has calmly given promise of a bright and prosperous summer for his country.