Pakistan v England, first Test report: Umar Gul exposes tourists' batting flaws yet again Alastair Cook gloved a bouncer, Kevin Pietersen scooped another bouncer to one of the two men posted for the shot, and Jonathan Trott - after the only resistance in the match by an England specialist batsman - lost patience and slashed a short ball to the keeper. The pitch was as blameless as it had been on the opening day in England's first collapse. That much was proved when Pakistan's wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal slashed, swept and reverse-swept to his second Test 50 and his highest Test score, giving Pakistan a first innings lead of 146. Then England buckled a second time. Strauss was first to go, disbelievingly, after he had called for a review - not instantaneously, it is true - and been given caught down the leg-side. What was strange was that television screens showed no Hot Spot, and for want of a "high degree of confidence" on the part of the television umpire, the original decision by Billy Bowden had to stand. Yet the replay screen inside the stadium showed a clear, bright mark on Strauss's trousers. Only one sound was detected on the snickometer, and if the replay screen was to be believed, it had to be the ball hitting his thigh, not his bat. England were aiming to score 300 and set Pakistan something over 150: then it would have been game on. For that to happen, a positive start against the Pakistan seamers was a prerequisite: not 28 for three off 17 overs, which was England's score when Pakistan paired their spinners. Cook gloved a bouncer from Gul, as Stuart Broad did later without paying the price. Eight runs off 61 balls was the way that cricket brought Cook down to earth after his fabulous run starting with the Ashes. Kevin Pietersen's match was even less rewarding: just two singles off 37 balls. Pakistan were remarkably disciplined in restricting England's batsmen before they did something silly - like hooking to the squarer of the two men placed for the shot. And Ian Bell had as big a shocker as any England batsmen, twice beaten by Ajmal's doosra. It was brilliant bowling, if you accept that Ajmal's elbow bends less than 15 degrees; and it is brilliant for cricket that a batsman who does not use his feet - no matter how good he is - is defeated. Trott mainly played back to the spin or drove it. He and Matt Prior seemed to be the England batsmen who could read Ajmal - Trott having had the experience of a big century against Ajmal at Lord's in the lamentable Test of August 2010. Gul would have had the figures of five wickets for 26 if he had not no-balled in the process of pinning Graeme Swann leg-before. Gul was dismayed, because Swann proceeded to swot him merrily and force Pakistan to bat again. Ajmal got a bit of tap too from Swann and James Anderson, which helped to demystify him a little before the second Test starts in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. But Ajmal still finished with ten wickets for 97, the man of the match in every way.