England vs Pakistan: Moeen Ali not the frontline spinner needed in attack

The hosts face a tough run chase to take the first Test

Moeen Ali of England during day three of the 1st Investec Test (Getty)

England may still win this Test but they would have stood a better chance of doing had they possessed a better spinner than Mooen Ali to pressurise Pakistan’s batsmen in their second innings.

It is a wish of course, as Moeen, through no fault of his own but rather one of the system, is arguably the best England have. Decent, but not a patch on Yasir Shah, the man to whom Pakistan will turn to win them this match now that England will probably need to beat their previously successful highest fourth innings score at Lord's, of 282 against New Zealand in 2004, to win the match.

Moeen took two wickets on the third day but neither was the product of great bowling or even of pressure being created. Misbah-ul-Haq, who followed his first innings hundred with a duck in the second, was a victim of his own disdain for Moeen, his scything hack to the man at deep mid-wicket speaking loudly of his disregard for England’s main spinner.

Younis Khan, Pakistan’s other senior batsman, also fell to him, bowled off the bottom edge, cutting. But it was pressure created by the seam bowlers, of whom Chris Woakes was again outstanding with five wickets.

It wouldn’t be a huge problem if England played at home most of the time but their ambitions, as they should be, are to become the No 1 Test team again, a crown they last wore in 2011. To achieve that means winning in Asia, as soon as this winter, where they have five Tests in India and two in Bangladesh.

Moeen will tour, as he should, as one of three spinners in the party. He will probably start the series as well, as one of two spinners in the attack. Who the others might be will be open to much discussion. Adil Rashid has his advocates though it is thought Alastair Cook, England’s captain, is not among them. Like Moeen, he bowls too many bad balls which is fine if his strike-rate is high, but not otherwise.

Obvious candidates to join them do not stand out, though there are several spinners of promise like Surrey’s Zafar Ansari, Durham’s Scott Borthwick, Somerset’s Jack Leach, Lancashire’s Simon Kerrigan, and Mason Crane of Hampshire. Others like Liam Dawson and Stephen Parry are better regarded as one-day spinners, and they plough a very different furrow.

Woakes celebrates with Ali after taking Shan Masoo's wicket (Getty)

With counties having tended to prepare pitches for their more plentiful supply of seam bowlers, there has been a dearth of spinners in domestic cricket. This season, there has been an attempt to curb those seam-friendly pitches by allowing visiting captains in the County Championship to have the privilege of bowling first if they choose. But has it, as was hoped, worked in promoting spin?

So far the jury is out as it probably needs to be in place for at least three seasons to have an effect. Pitches have been better though, which has resulted in more overs for spinners, which is a good thing. After all, it has been their lack of overs in domestic cricket that has hindered their development most.

Ansari, who took a first class degree from Cambridge, has probably caught the eye most though Crane, a wrist-spinner like Yasir and Rashid, is said to be aggressive and gives the ball a rip.

Ansari though has been hindered by playing in a Surrey side guilty of underperforming especially in producing competitive first innings totals. If a side is not making enough runs their spinner comes under enormous pressure to contain rather than take wickets and that can further stifle their development.

Borthwick, who many expected to play in this Test as a top-order batsman, would, in hindsight, have offered useful support to Moeen. A hyperactive leg-spinner, the England and Wales Cricket Board sent him to spend a winter playing in Wellington, New Zealand.

There, under Jeetan Patel, Warwickshire’s overseas player, Borthwick tried to improve everything from his preparation to process, in the hope of solving England’s spin crisis. He has not done that yet, or he would have been at Lord’s for this Test, but those monitoring him say progress is being made.

As England sought to get back in the game after tea, Moeen should have bowled about half of the 32 overs sent down in that session, something Yasir would have done for Pakistan. Instead, he bowled just five after Pakistan’s batsmen hit them for 36 runs.

In a nip and tuck Test such as this, that is unaffordable and you feel greatness will continue to elude this England team, especially abroad, until a frontline spinner is unearthed.