LONDON: To keep its viewers entertained during the rain breaks at the Oval on Saturday Sky TV showed highlights of the second Ashes Test at Edgbaston a year ago.

In many ways it was like watching a wartime propaganda film; England's troops winning every battle, every decision going their way, a few brave shots from the Australians and, as we all knew the result, a happy ending to come.

The reality of the fourth Test against Pakistan, now in its third day, with Pakistan heading slowly for a huge first innings lead, was stark. Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard combined to take three wickets for 19 runs but by tea Pakistan had scored 444 for seven, a lead of 271.

Monty Panesar bowled just before tea with four fielders round the bat - and was promptly hit for six by the tail ender Shahid Nazir who was dropped in Panesar's next over trying to repeat the shot. Hoggard caught him off the last ball before the interval off Sajid Mahmood.

Damp squib

The whole effect was still of a damp squib left after the Bonfire Night party. I don't doubt that every England player was straining to produce his maximum effort but that extra ounce, brought out by passion, by the collective fight for the cause, by the need to support your mates, was missing.

England was not quite going through the motions; but in its inner mind it could not find a reason to try much harder.

The series is already won, without the injured stars it has been hard work and the opposition has fine batsmen at No. 3 to No. 5 and the first Ashes Test is too far away to be worth worrying about.

We will have to keep something back for the one-day games and then it's off to India for another one-day tournament. It is all enough to make a man want to lie down in a darkened room.

Inzamam-ul-Haq, in his most majestic _ some might say lazy _ mood took runs when they were on offer but not so hard as to lose some of the weight he has accumulated this summer. Mohammad Yousuf, the highest run scorer this year among all the great batsmen as he pushed past 100, knew there was no need to hurry _ however little time remains Pakistan is almost bound to win _ and preferred to continue without taking a chance. By the time the third shower of the day stopped play soon 40 minutes after lunch the fourth wicket pair had put on 76 and taken the lead to 201.

Enthused

When the teams came back, after exactly an hour had been lost, Steve Harmison made one leap and Inzamam edged it to second slip. At 379 for four Pakistan was 206 ahead but suddenly England seemed enthused and in the next over Hoggard's outswinger had Yousuf caught behind.

His farewell wave to the crowd seemed to be more than au revoir. We must hope he returns for he has won friends in this country in the last two months.

Five more overs passed and Kamran Akmal was caught in the slips giving Harmison either two or 99 or two for one in 15 balls. Between lunch and tea he recorded: 9.1-4-22-2, a vast improvement on the previous day.

Meanwhile on the small screens around the ground England was heading for one of the most dramatic wins in Test history. It did not inspire either side to greater efforts but it is difficult to think of anything that might.

England 1st innings 173

Pakistan 1st innings: M. Hafeez c Strauss b Hoggard 95, I. Farhat c Trescothick b Hoggard 91, Y. Khan c Read b Mahmood 9, M. Yousuf c Read b Hoggard 128, Inzamam c Strauss b Harmison 31, F. Iqbal (batting) 30, K. Akmal c Collingwood b Harmison 15, S. Nazir c Hoggard b Mahmood 17;

Extras (lb-9, w-11, nb-8) 28; Total (for seven wkts. in 115.5 overs at tea) 444.

Fall of wickets: 1-70, 2-148, 3-325, 4-379, 5-381, 6-398, 7-444.

Bowling: Hoggard 33-2-119-3, Harmison 30-6-119-2, Mahmood 21.5-3-84-2, Panesar 23-4-75-0, Collingwood 6-0-29-0, Pietersen 2-0-9-0.

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