The National's Sport cover for the Thursday, October 15 issue, featuring Jonny Bairstow and England in another long day on the Abu Dhabi pitch against Pakistan.
Osman Samiuddin, covering the action from Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, writes about Adil Rashid's disastrous debut – and why it doesn't spell doom for the leg-spinner:
“Here, in the form of bald figures, is some consolation for Adil Rashid: 1 for 150; 3 for 105 and 0 for 65; 0 for 69 and 1 for 72; 1 for 82; 2 for 89 and 0 for 30.
“Those are, in order, the debut figures of Shane Warne, Anil Kumble, Mushtaq Ahmed, Abdul Qadir and Danish Kaneria, the most prominent members of the breed of which Rashid is a member.
“All of them, sadly, are still better than the figures Rashid ended up with – 0 for 163 – which is the most runs conceded without a wicket by any bowler on debut.
“Just for now, as important will be the way in which Alastair Cook handles him. He showed faith, if that is to be judged by his persistence in keeping him on for spells longer than was often necessary.
“But it will have to go beyond. Cook cannot have led too many leg-spinners in his time and it is a skill that goes beyond the setting of fields.”
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