Pakistan know only victory in the third Test against England at Headingley will be good enough to keep alive their hopes of taking the series after a crushing defeat last time out.
England's innings and 120-run win, completed inside three days, in the second Test at Old Trafford last week left them 1-0 up in the four-Test encounter after a drawn opener at Lord's.
Pakistan had no answer in Manchester to fast bowler Stephen Harmison, who took a devastating six for 19 as the tourists collapsed to a meagre 119 all out in their first innings.
From then on Pakistan were always chasing the game and defeat was made all the worse on Saturday when England slow left-armer Monty Panesar dented their deserved reputation as fine players of spin by taking five for 72, including five of the top six.
Meanwhile the major handicap that has dogged Pakistan throughout the series -- the absence through injury of leading quick bowlers Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan -- remains.
Trying to find a solid opening batting partnership has also been a problem.
And with Imran Farhat set to miss the Headingley match because of a broken finger sustained while catching Kevin Pietersen at Old Trafford, Pakistan are on course to field their third different opening combination in as many Tests.
Promoting Kamran Akmal to the top of the order in Manchester (where he scored just four in both innings) was not a success.
Pakistan could now recall Salman Butt, dropped for the second Test, while fellow opener Taufeeq Umar, a late addition to the squad, is another possibility.
Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer is also contemplating changes to his side's bowling attack after they went in with two leg-spinners, Danish Kaneria and Shahid Afridi, at Old Trafford.
However, in the last 10 years at Headingley only one frontline England spinner has taken a Test wicket (left-armer Ashley Giles dismissing India's Rahul Dravid in 2002).
That has left Woolmer thinking of playing four quicks and one spinner.
Paceman Mohammad Sami, especially, struggled to make much of an impression in Manchester and Pakistan, for all their injury problems, have the likes of seamers Rao Iftikhar Anjum, Shahid Nazir and the uncapped Samiullah Niazi all available.
But, as Woolmer weighed up his options, he admitted: "We've just got to play better than we did last time."
For England all eyes will be on wicket-keeper Chris Read following his recall in place of the dropped Geraint Jones.
Jones, who supplanted Read two years ago on account of his better batting, has lost his place after just one fifty in his last 15 Test innings.
Santiago Castro on Tuesday had an immediate impact off the bench as he scored the goal to send Bologna into the Coppa Italia semi-finals for the first time in 26 years. Bologna won 1-0 against last year’s runners-up, Atalanta BC, and are to play either holders Juventus or Empoli in the final four. Juventus are to host Empoli in their quarter-final on Feb. 26. The last time Bologna reached the semi-finals was in 1999, when they lost 4-2 to ACF Fiorentina. There were chances for both sides in a high-tempo match in Bergamo, but it was Bologna who broke the deadlock 10 minutes from
The former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani on Thursday was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for bank and tax fraud after he stole nearly US$17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers player’s bank account. Ippei Mizuhara, who was supposed to bridge the gap between the Japanese athlete and his English-speaking teammates and fans, was sentenced in federal court in Santa Ana to four years and nine months after pleading guilty last year. He was ordered to pay US$18 million in restitution, with nearly US$17 million going to Ohtani and the remainder to the US Internal Revenue Service. He was
The 40-year-old LeBron James on Thursday became the oldest player to score 40 points in an NBA game, putting up a season-high 42 in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 120-112 victory over the Golden State Warriors. James passed the record held by Michael Jordan, his idol and the only other NBA player to score 40 after his 40th birthday. “I’m old, that’s my take,” James said when asked about his latest achievement. “I need a glass of wine and some sleep, that’s what I think.” Jordan did it for the Washington Wizards just three days after turning 40 in February 2003. James is 38
SPEEDSKATER: Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s run at the Asian Winter Games without a medal since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990 Speedskater Chen Ying-chu yesterday made history as the first athlete representing Taiwan to secure a medal at the Asian Winter Games. Competing at the HIC Speedskating Oval in Harbin, China, Chen clocked 10.510 seconds in the women’s 100m event, finishing third behind South Koreans Lee Na-hyum and Kim Min-sun, who posted times of 10.501 and 10.505 seconds respectively. Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s drought at the Asian Winter Games since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990. This year’s Games mark Chen’s debut at the event. Previously excelling in roller speedskating, she won six medals at world championships before transitioning