England captain Ben Stokes has openly dismissed the idea that Pakistan's victory in the second Test was due to their superior skill. Instead, he attributed the 152-run defeat to the advantage gained by Pakistan from winning the toss. The home team capitalized on the reused pitch at Multan Cricket Stadium, which favored their style of play.
While acknowledging the impact of the toss, Stokes suggested that had England won the toss, the outcome of the match could have been different. Both he and Pakistan captain Shan Masood were aware of the importance of winning the toss in such conditions.
Ben Stokes finds toss as a crucial factor behind England's 152-run loss against Pakistan in 2nd Test
Despite the loss, Stokes remains committed to his approach and has no plans to change his strategy for the final Test in Rawalpindi. He even hinted at a preference for calling "tails" in the toss, indicating his determination to turn the series around.
“Well, I think they just used their home conditions in their favor; you know, again, you could look back, and if we had won the toss, it could have been completely different, and then it would have been a silly decision. But, you know, the Toss was always going to be massive on this thing; me and Shan Masood both knew that, walking out there at 9.30 on whatever day it was. I always call tails, and I won't be changing it next week either,” Stokes said at the post-match press conference following England's defeat against Pakistan in the second Test.
Meanwhile, England head coach Brendon McCullum acknowledged the challenging conditions in Multan as a big factor in their defeat against Pakistan. The reused pitch added an extra layer of difficulty, making it challenging for England to adapt. While winning the toss would have been advantageous, McCullum credited Pakistan's strategic approach and their ability to capitalize in the first innings as the key factors in their victory. He also praised Pakistan's spinners for their exceptional performance on the deteriorating pitch. Despite the setback, McCullum remains optimistic about the final Test in Rawalpindi.
“Obviously, the conditions were incredibly extreme, and we knew that heading into this test match with the reused surface would have been lovely to have won the toss. I don't think it was a 100% toss; it was a 65 to 30-35%, but you know credit to Pakistan," Brendon McCullum said after the match.
"I thought they were able to get enough runs on the board in that first inning, and the way their spinners operated as the surface started to deteriorate was simply outstanding. It put us under a lot of pressure, and we weren't quite able to respond, but some stuff to be proud of, and we look forward to the next test,” he added.
The series decider between Pakistan and England will start from October 24 in Rawalpindi.
