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| Alastair Cook has the backing of his captain as he battles to find form |
England had to work harder than expected to wrap up the second Test - and at one stage their frustrations, especially Stuart Broad's, boiled over - but eventually a commanding nine-wicket success confirmed the gulf between these two teams. Now the home side's attention is firmly fixed on a whitewash as the countdown to the Ashes gathers pace; with a little help from Ricky Ponting's whitewash comments.
Pakistan continue to be a mind-boggling mixture of confused signals, but after much deliberation it has been confirmed that Zulqarnain Haider is out of the series which is a major blow after his gutsy display last week. How much impact Broad's throw actually had on Haider's finger is still subject to conjecture, but it adds a bit of spice to this encounter. The Oval, of course, has had its fair share of controversy in England-Pakistan contests when four years ago the match was abandoned on the fourth evening after Darrell Hair accused the visitors of ball tampering.
This time, though, the venue should lift Pakistan's hopes of fighting back to at least give England a decent contest. The ball is unlikely to move as much (although cloudy weather is still a possibility) and it is a fast-scoring ground. Mohammad Yousuf will return to strengthen the batting line-up, though he is short of form and fitness. So far Pakistan's lower order has been more productive than the top and Salman Butt desperately needs to rediscover his form. If the pitch turns Saeed Ajmal could also prove a handful with England's batsmen struggling to pick his doosra.
But it's very hard to see England being denied another victory over the next five days. They have three impressive quicks backed up by the outstanding Graeme Swann. What this match does present is the chance for the batsmen to dominate and show their hunger for big scores. Alastair Cook is most in need of a major contribution after a difficult season, but this England team doesn't ditch players at the first sign of a problem.
