Pakistan face up to home truths

Sadly, it is likely that Pakistan will have to use the UAE as a home-from-from for some time to come. They have every right to tailor conditions how they want them, but the surface in Abu Dhabi has done no one any favours. It is too slow for bowlers of all types, even for batsmen as well, and has led to stultifying cricket.

After England, it has been Pakistan's turn to toil and their stint in the field will extend into an eighth session on Saturday. Dennis Lillee, the former Australia great, once called the Faisalabad pitch a graveyard for fast bowlers in the early 1980s and it is a term that would have suited the Sheikh Zayed Stadium over these last four days, although it has been just as bad for spinners who had to 1021 deliveries before taking a wicket when Shoaib Malik bowled Ben Stokes.

In Wahab Riaz, Pakistan have one of the fastest bowlers in the world. He has bowled his heart out on this surface, sending down 33 overs across eight spells, regularly clocking over 90mph. He produced a magnificent display of fast reverse swing on the fourth afternoon during which he trapped Jonny Bairstow lbw, adding to his third-day wickets of Ian Bell and Mark Wood, and could easily have removed Stokes with a set of searing yorkers.

"It was a good spell," Wahab said. "The ball was reversing both ways and I was in my rhythm. I took full advantage of it and I was trying to get the batsman out all the time, even Ben Stokes, who was quite lucky I thought. In cricket, sometimes you get wickets and sometimes you don't, but it was good for me."

When asked about bowling on such an unresponsive pitch, Wahab said: "As far as the pitch is concerned, we are playing for Pakistan and that is more important. When you are playing for your country, you have to give it your full effort. Obviously, the wicket is slow, but we are doing our best to get the wickets. Given the conditions out there, I am very satisfied with the way we bowled."

He added that he had plans to keep himself motivated in the trying conditions so that he was ready whenever Misbah-ul-Haq threw him the ball. "I always try to do something different and try to get the batsmen out. The motivation is that you have to play according to the situation of your team. You have to apply yourself according to the state of the game. If we had given the batsmen freedom they could have scored at a faster pace and then it would have become difficult for Pakistan to save the match."

One batsman Wahab saw at the opposite end longer than anyone else was Alastair Cook, the England captain making 263 in 863 minutes, the third longest Test innings history. The pair had a good battle, Cook taking 55 off the 102 balls he faced from Wahab, who paid tribute to the mammoth innings.

"He is an excellent player," Wahab said. "The way he batted, it was very frustrating for me as a bowler at times. He has got a great temperament and he played solid. He played a chanceless knock and on a pitch like this, he showcased his full batting skills. To be honest, the way he was playing, it looked difficult to get him out. He paced his innings very well."

Wahab wasn't given the new ball - any of the three that have been available to Pakistan - as he is known to be more comfortable when the ball gets older and he is content with that situation although added he would not mind a chance with it.

"I have no problems bowling with the new ball, but we have Rahat and Imran in the team who are specialists with the new ball," he said. "They get a lot more swing with the new ball compared to me. So, you would want somebody who swings the ball more so that the batsmen can make some mistakes. And once they are done, then I am always there as the back-up.

"I will definitely have more advantage with the new ball given my pace. The track is slow and the batsmen are getting time to play their shots. I can hit a length consistently, but if there is no swing, the batsman will not be troubled."