LONDON: Lifeless, listless, without enthusiasm; find your own adjective to describe England's performance in the field on the second day of the final Test of the summer at the Oval.

Remorseless, ruthless, determined; it is not difficult to find the right word to describe Pakistan's first innings as its proficient batsmen cruised past England's miserable 173, with eight wickets standing.

There was only one result looming after that England disaster on the first day and Pakistan knew it had only to bat sensibly to win and put the four-Test series into perspective at 2-1 and take a little shine off England's march towards the Ashes next November.

Wrong signals

It all looked so simple a few days ago as England completed its series victory at Leeds and seemed to be ready for the challenges in Australia. A winning side with the prospect of a return by one or two of the wounded and afterwards cheering news that Andrew Flintoff was making quicker progress than expected.

We anticipated that Pakistan might, like a good many beaten sides going to the Oval, collapse and give England a morale-boosting third victory. Instead we have seen a return to old England, the up and down side no one could rely on.

For two days the Englishmen have shown lack of spirit and drive that used to be their best-known characteristic.

What went wrong? If only I were clever enough to answer that question.

At one stage on Friday England was so concerned about the form of its premier fast bowler Steve Harmison that it instructed its PR people to say he was all right; he clearly was not.

He bowled only three overs in the first two-and-a-half hours and when play was stopped for bad light in the middle of one of his overs there was only one protesting boo.

Pakistan did nothing to add to the gaiety by its batting. The hope that we would all be cheered by Imran Farhat scoring a century was killed in the 32nd over when, nine runs short of his hundred, he stretched for a wide half volley from Matthew Hoggard and was caught in the slips.

Mohammad Hafeez, injured in the final session on Thursday, returned and played fluently; Mohammad Yousuf reminded everyone that in recent times he has scored 223, 202, 48, 38, 15, 192 and 8 off England and that he was determined to make everyone forget the scores under fifty.

In other words it was a wretched day's play made memorable by Monty Panesar being hit for six off his first ball by Imran Farhat and again by Hafeez, with a lazy shot that mistimed the ball over extra cover. Panesar bowled economically for all those big shots and even on this flattest of flat pitches obtained some turn.

His return from 16 overs split only by lunch was none for 53.

In command

An hour before tea darkness followed by heavy rain brought some relief to the more sensitive spectators. Pakistan at 257 for two off 63.3 overs was clearly in command and although Hoggard looked fully fit for the first time in the series there was nothing in the England attack to disturb the even tenor of the Pakistani ways.

Tea was taken early but even when the announcement was made, the fact that only the security men remained in the middle suggested that it would be a long while before any considered playing again.

Yousuf on 78 and Hafeez on 61 might be anxious to continue after their stand of 109 but no one else seemed to be interested. It was that sort of day.

SCOREBOARD

England — 1st innings: M. Trescothick c Hafeez b Gul 6, A. Strauss c Akmal b Asif 38, A. Cook lbw b Nazir 40, K. Pietersen c Akmal b Asif 0, P. Collingwood lbw b Asif 5, I. Bell c Iqbal b Kaneria 9, C. Read b Gul 33, S. Mahmood b Gul 15, M. Hoggard c Akmal b Asif 4, S. Harmison (not out) 8, M. Panesar b Gul 0; Extras (b-4, lb-4, nb-7) 15; Total (in 53.2 overs) 173.

Fall of wickets: 1-36, 2-54, 3-54, 4-64, 5-99, 6-112, 7-158, 8-163, 9-173.

Pakistan bowling: Asif 19-5-56-4, Gul 15.2-2-47-4, Nazir 11-1-44-1, Kaneria 8-1-18-1.

Pakistan — 1st innings: M. Hafeez (batting) 61, I. Farhat c Trescothick b Hoggard 91, Younis c Read b Mahmood 9, M. Yousuf (batting) 78; Extras: (lb-7, w-6, nb-5) 18; Total (for two wkts. in 63.3 overs at tea) 257.

Fall of wickets: 1-70, 2-148.

England bowling: Hoggard 17-2-66-1, Harmison 13.3-2-67-0, Mahmood 15-2-59-1, Panesar 16-3-52-0, Collingwood 2-0-6-0.

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