Joe Root best in the world against spin, Moeen Ali says
Thursday 22 October 2015 15:55, UK
Moeen Ali says England should not fear a turning pitch in Dubai this week as they have "the best player of spin in the world".
A more helpful surface is anticipated for the second Test against Pakistan than for the opening game in Abu Dhabi, where the two sides scored a combined 1,121 first-innings runs before England almost pulled off an incredible fiifth-day win.
That could spell trouble for the tourists given Pakistan's top leg-spinner Yasir Shah is expected to return to the side on Thursday after missing the first Test with a back problem.
Shah has 61 wickets in 10 Tests and is currently the world's top-ranked slow bowler, but Moeen believes an England batting line-up led by Joe Root has the game to cope.
He said: "Yasir's obviously their gun spinner and the guy they go to to win them games, but we just need to play him as we would anyone, just get on with it.
"Batting's obviously going to be tougher than it was in Abu Dhabi. But we've got some good players of spin.
"I think Rooty's probably the best player of spin in the world, so we're not too fazed. We're preparing well, and as long as we're prepared we're happy to go into the game full of confidence."
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England's own leg-spinner Adil Rashid underlined his potential with five second-innings wickets in the first Test, while Moeen's off-spin yielded two more amid the final-day drama.
And Moeen is looking forward to a bit of assistance from the pitch - and the rough generated by Pakistan's left-armers Wahab Riaz and Rahat Ali - at the International Cricket Stadium.
"They've got a few left-armers, which is nice," he said. "It would be nice if they had a few left-hand batters to bowl at as well.
"But I think it will be good for me and Rash, especially the way we bowled towards the end of their second innings. They'll probably come at us in a different sort of way this time.
"It's given us a lot of confidence and probably given Pakistan a bit of a nudge as well that we are here to be serious. We probably caught them off guard a bit in that last session, but I'm sure they'll come back stronger and be well aware of it now."
Alastair Cook's marathon double hundred set up England for that final-day assault, and Moeen said: "It was a great effort by Cooky - just what we needed, a big hundred for us, and it's great for the series. We know what he's like when he gets one score under his belt - he rolls them out."
