Kevin Pietersen and his wife Jessica Taylor

Kevin Pietersen and his wife Jessica Taylor pose at the Brylcreem Paste Lauch Party at Vendome

Kevin Pietersen and his wife Jessica Taylor

Kevin Pietersen walks back after another failure, Pakistan v England, 3rd Test, Dubai, 4th day, February 6, 2012

Kevin Pietersen walks back after another failure, Pakistan v England, 3rd Test, Dubai, 4th day, February 6, 2012 

©Getty Images

Kevin Pietersen crying

Kevin Pietersen walks back after another failure, Pakistan v England, 3rd Test, Dubai, 4th day, February 6, 2012 ©Getty Images

Pakistan complete series whitewash

Pakistan v England, 3rd Test, Dubai, 4th day
Pakistan complete series whitewash

Kevin Pietersen

Pakistan secured a whitewash over England with a 71-run victory late on the fourth day in Dubai. It was the first time since 1907 that a team had won a Test after being bowled out for less than 100 in their first innings. Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal shared eight wickets with Abdur Rehman claiming the final scalp to complete an impressive series.

England had come out positively after the tea interval as Matt Prior and Stuart Broad played their shots but Broad picked out deep mid-off against the first delivery from the second new ball from Gul. Graeme Swann soon drove to point to give Gul his fourth and although Prior made Pakistan wait the result was never in doubt.

James Anderson edged to slip and Monty Panesar was the last man out when he missed a sweep against Rehman. The defeat leaves England clinging to their No. 1 ranking which they will lose if South Africa win their forthcoming series against New Zealand 3-0. For Pakistan, their upward curve shows no signs of slowing.

Full report to follow

Tea: England 141 (Strauss 56, Rehman 5-40) and 173 for 6 (Prior 10*, Broad 4*) require another 151 to beat Pakistan 99 and 365 (Azhar 157, Panesar 5-124)

The sunny disposition of Saeed Ajmal and the stiff-limbed tenacity of Abdur Rehman have tormented England throughout this Test series and there was the slimmest likelihood of escape at tea on the fourth day of the final Test in Dubai as Pakistan sought to inflict a whitewash upon England for the first time.

There was plentiful spin for Pakistan's spinners, leaping spin at times when the ball struck the rough, and England, still 151 runs short of victory with only four wickets remaining, looked bound for a 3-0 defeat in the series.

Ajmal, spinning the ball both ways, not extravagantly but often, dismissed Kevin Pietersen and Alastair Cook in the afternoon session, to add to Jonathan Trott before lunch. Rehman counted Andrew Strauss as his sole success as he bowled unchanged for two sessions, 30 overs sent down with unerring accuracy. He is the sort of spin bowler who looks slightly weary from the outset, but never noticeably tires after that.

Pietersen was bent upon playing enterprisingly. The first ball of the afternoon provided a reminder of his vulnerability when a bat-pad against Rehman flew high past short leg, but he had the fleeting satisfaction of striking him straight for six before Ajmal, from around the wicket, spun one through the gate and beamed at further bounty.

Cook put up statuesque resistance. Along the way he became the second youngest person, at 27 years and 43 days, to reach 6,000 Test runs. Only Sachin Tendulkar has reached the landmark at a younger age. His most attacking shot of the morning, a loft into the leg side against Rehman, caused the bowler to taunt him with applause. He lived on scraps, combating the turning ball with thoughtful defence and numerous works to the leg side and that proved his undoing as a leading edge was brilliantly held by Younis Khan, diving to his left at first slip.

The emphasis has been upon spin, but Umar Gul reminded England that the quicker bowlers should not be entirely discounted as he got the old ball to reverse swing as much as at any time in the series. Ian Bell's state of mind is such that a long hop is quite enough. He averaged more than 100 last summer, less than 10 in this series, and when Gul offered up a gift he mistimed it wide of point. The ball that dismissed Eoin Morgan, caught by the wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal, who embarked upon a merry dance, was of higher quality.

England, 36 runs banked the previous evening, needed a further 288 at the start of play. Strauss fell in the sixth over of the morning, lbw on the back foot to Rehman. That was lbw No. 42 in this three-Test series, one short of the all-time record for a series of any length. Strauss reviewed it, although it smacked of a captain's review and he would have been better to head smartly for the dressing room. But when it comes to captain's reviews Strauss cannot match Misbah-ul-Haq. Misbah has been lbw on five occasions in this series and he has taken a review every time. It must be a captain's prerogative.

Without lapses in the field, Pakistan could have been in a stronger position. They had dropped Cook the previous evening, a relatively simple chance to Taufeeq Umar at third slip and Gul's drop in the shadows of the stand at deep square gave him another reprieve as Pakistan lost the efficiency that has characterised their cricket throughout this series. Rehman made his frustration clear when he caught Trott at deep square as he flung the ball into the turf with feeling at the errors that had gone before.

Adnan's fumble behind the stumps to reprieve Strauss, although not costly as the England captain was out in the next over, was the worst miss of all. Adnan has had a good series behind the stumps and has the opportunity to be Pakistan's first-choice keeper for many years to come but his excitable chatter had reached a peak. As Pakistan press for victory, it is in danger of becoming counterproductive. Strauss' edge flew to him at comfortable height but he put it down. For a few minutes he was quiet and you could hear your ears ringing.

Adnan's cacophony of cries often rent the air for inexplicable reasons. As do parrots, Adnan vocalises for many reasons. He may be excitedly greeting the day or summoning his family at sunset. He may be screeching when he is excited or when he is merely trying it on. He may screech when he thinks things have got too quiet or when he thinks it is his duty to scream. He just likes screeching. At one point he burst out coughing as if in sore need of a lozenge and Trott looked at him in deadpan fashion.

Adnan is also incorrigibly optimistic about reviewing umpiring decisions. "Do it, do it, yes, yes, all good," you can sense him saying. Misbah has learned not to take his evidence into consideration and looks askance at him. But Pakistan challenged umpire Steve Davis' not-out ruling when Ajmal beat Cook on the sweep. Hawk-Eye showed that the ball pitched outside leg. There again, disturbingly, it seems that Hawk-Eye also cannot read Ajmal's doosra, probably because it is English.

David Hopps is the UK editor of ESPNcricinfo

England squeeze into lead as wickets tumble, Pakistan v England, 3rd Test, Dubai, 1st day

Pakistan 99

England 104/6 (43.0 ov)

England lead by 5 runs with 4 wickets remaining in the 1st innings

Pakistan v England, 3rd Test, Dubai, 1st day

England squeeze into lead as wickets tumble

Kevin Pietersen

England's batting has been so ineffably weak in this Test series that even the sight of a Pakistan side bundled out for 99 was not about to fill them with resolve. Where once they were steadfast now they are overwrought. All logic suggested they should have ended the opening day of the third Test in a position of authority but logic left this series long ago.

It is the first time that Test cricket has been played in winter in the UAE and the pitches have been enlivened from their usual moribund state as a result but not remotely to the extent that the scores suggest. Every day brings something more bizarre. This should not by any stretch of the imagination have been a 16-wicket day.

Pakistan avoided their lowest Test score against England thanks only to 45 from Asad Shafiq, the one batsman to pass muster as England's new-ball pair, Stuart Broad and James Anderson, made full use of encouraging conditions. Pakistan began the final Test imagining they could whitewash England in a Test series for the first time. It is quite something to be dismissed for fewer than 100 on a decent-enough surface and still be in the match.

An England innings has become something fantastical. The DRS has sapped their resolve. It was introduced to reduce umpiring mistakes, and it has achieved its purpose, but in this series at least, it has shifted the balance of the game fundamentally. Umpires in this series are giving most marginal calls to the bowler, too many marginal calls. Batsmen are confused about their technique and spinners are bowling straight and imagining themselves as superheroes. It will right itself in time; the authorities are not fond of three-day Tests.

This series has already produced more lbws than in any three-Test series in history - 35 and counting. There were eight umpiring reviews and the Australian Simon Taufel, who has mused about retirement more than once, had an uncomfortable day as he had several decisions overturned.

Almost unnoticed, Andrew Strauss reached the close of a bewildering day unbeaten on 41, an England captain labouring to add a major batting contribution to his undoubted leadership qualities. Overlook a flirt with a sweep or two and he stood alongside Shafiq and Kevin Pietersen as the most secure batsmen on an insecure day.

Memories of England's batting debacles in the first two Tests must have preyed on Alastair Cook's mind as he fell to the sort of hesitant jab against Umar Gul that Australia, in England's victorious Ashes series barely a year ago, must have dreamed of. Gul also had Trott lbw: a dodgy decision by the umpire, Steve Davis, which England failed to review.

Then came the curiosities. Kevin Pietersen looked in good trim but fell to left-arm spin once more, a marginal decision that might have been designed to taunt his pre-match assertion that his record against this type of bowler was "not a train crash". Ian Bell was out to Saeed Ajmal for the fourth series, straying out of his crease and stumped fortuitously by Adnan Akmal off a blur of pads and gloves - that is how his brother Kamran used to do it. Eoin Morgan, his reputation as a good player of spin now in tatters, was trapped on the back foot by a quicker, flatter one. And finally Matt Prior, desperate not to be struck on the pads, was bowled by one that turned.

Pakistan were no better. By drinks on the first morning, England had five Pakistan wickets; shortly after drinks came round again in the afternoon they had them all. This was far from a fast bowlers' feast but Broad, England's outstanding player of the series, and Anderson made full use of a little swing and some unexpected bounce.

Broad's new-ball return of 3 for 12 in six overs included two overturned decisions for Taufel as England successfully resorted to DRS. The dismissal of Mohammad Hafeez was the most controversial of the day.

England were searching for a lbw decision but there seemed to be little conclusive evidence to overturn Taufel's decision. Indeed those blessed with the eyes of a hawk and high-definition TVs insisted there was a slight mark on hot spot that should have reprieved Hafeez. Shavir Tarapore, the third umpire from India in his fourth Test, gave him out, causing Hafeez to slap his bat in unconcealed disgust.

In the seconds a fielding side has to decide on a review, the captain, Andrew Strauss, mentally dons a business suit, calls a meeting, studies a report, draws conclusions and lays out a systematic process. The sense is of clipboards, posh pens and PowerPoint presentations. Misbah tries to do the same for Pakistan but he is a bit short of reliable middle management.

In England in 2010, Pakistan collapsed for 72, 76 and 80, three batting disasters at Edgbaston, Lord's and Trent Bridge that count among their eight lowest Test scores in history. They no longer had to contend with a surly English summer but they did face the debilitating effect of a series already secured.

Their collapse began in the first over, Taufeeq Umar defeated by Anderson's inswinger. There were few demons in the ball from Broad that dismissed Azhar and Younis Khan's jab at a wide, rising ball, even allowing for the unexpected steepness of the bounce: another poor shot in a career nearing its end.

Misbah and Adnan, who should also have been run out by Morgan, both turned to DRS without success to try to stem the flow of wickets. Rehman's slog at Graeme Swann, in his solitary over, was the worst batting moment on a day replete with them. Shafiq was ninth out, trying to cut Panesar and getting struck on the pad in front of middle.

For Pakistan the morning had brought back bad memories of their first Test in the UAE. Against Australia in Sharjah ten years ago they were dismissed for 53 and 59 - their two lowest Test scores. Misbah, Taufeeq and Younis were all in the top six then. In some ways little has changed in Pakistan cricket. In other, more significant ways, everything has changed.

David Hopps is the UK editor of ESPNcricinfo

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