Andrew Strauss will demand searching self-examination from every member of England's batting unit, himself included, after a second flop in the space of three days condemned them to a first Test defeat in 10 matches stretching back to December 2010.
After collapsing to 43 for five on the first morning having chosen to bat on a placid pitch, they slumped to 87 for seven in their second innings. Only late-order defiance from Graeme Swann and even Jimmy Anderson averted the team's first innings defeat since they were outclassed by South Africa in Johannesburg almost two years ago.
Pakistan were left needing only 15 to complete a 10-wicket win, the worst possible start to a series of tough challenges in Asia for England this year as they defend their title of the world's leading Test team that they earned by winning seven of their nine matches, and drawing the other two, in a flawless 2011.
"This is just not the time for us to be worrying about world No1 rankings or anything like that," said Strauss. "What we need to do is make sure we don't play the type of cricket we played in this game in the next Test match. That's what our focus is on."
He made clear that before the start of the second Test in Abu Dhabi next Wednesday, it is the batsmen who will be challenged to improve. "We're very disappointed with the way we batted in both innings, but especially the first innings, because that wasn't a 50 for five pitch," the captain said.
"In both innings we didn't apply ourselves as well as we should have done with the bat. You can scratch your head and ask why and come up with so many recriminations and so many questions. The most important thing is that batsmen are very clear about their method and that you use the feeling of disappointment as a good motivation to make sure it doesn't happen again.
"One of the things you've got to be as an international cricketer, and certainly part of the England team, is honest with yourself, and make sure you ask yourself the right sort of questions and come up with the right sort of answers before moving on.
"What is important is that you don't run away from facts, and you don't run away from the truth. As individual batsmen we've got to be honest, and say: 'Did we play well enough? Was our game plan smart enough? Were we switched on enough?' All those questions are important."
The facts show that none of the first three dismissals were down to the mystery spin of Saeed Ajmal but were caused by short, leg-side deliveries from the experienced seamer Umar Gul. Strauss was visibly annoyed to be given out caught behind after the television umpire Steve Davis ruled there was insufficient evidence to overturn the initial decision of Billy Bowden. But he refused to make an issue of it afterwards, conceding that one decision was "of little consequence" in such a crushing defeat and reiterating his support for the system.
Alastair Cook gloved an attempted hook, and Kevin Pietersen, after scratching around for two in 29 balls in the first innings, fell to the ultimate sucker punch, picking out one of two fielders on the leg-side boundary as he tried to get off the mark from his eighth delivery.
Jonathan Trott was the only member of the top eight to pass 20, but he fell for 49 slashing loosely at another short ball from Gul wide outside the off stump. "The key is for the batsmen that are in not to give their wickets away, and that's probably what we did too much in this Test match," added Strauss.
He admitted that England had been "caught off guard", but denied that there was anything wrong with their preparation. "There was nothing that was at the back of my mind thinking that we were undercooked or underprepared," he said. "To that extent we're all slightly surprised by how things turned out. But it's happened, it's done, it's finished. As a group we'll get together and talk about how we could have done things differently or better. I'm certainly very determined to come back strong in Abu Dhabi and I'm sure the rest of the guys are too."
They responded to their last defeat in Perth by skittling Australia for 98 on the first day of the next Test in Melbourne, and going on to clinch the Ashes 3-1 with another convincing victory in Sydney. "That's a good template to use," the captain said. "We treated it like a bit of an aberration in Perth and it would be right for us to treat this as an aberration as well, as long as we make sure we don't repeat those mistakes."
However, winning, or even saving, this series from 1-0 down may prove even tougher than bouncing back in Australia. Pakistan are now unbeaten in six Tests in the desert, and both their previous fixtures in Abu Dhabi, against South Africa and Sri Lanka, have been drawn, on a pitch that has given bowlers less assistance than the one in Dubai, where the teams will return for the third Test early next month.
But Strauss believes his team still have the ability to avoid a first series defeat since they were beaten 1-0 in the West Indies in early 2009, in his first series working in partnership with Andy Flower after he was promoted to succeed Peter Moores.
"There will be a huge feeling that we haven't given as good an account of ourselves as we should have done," he said. "It will be good motivation for us to come back strong in the second Test match. This is an opportunity for us to show our resilience and our character. I know we've got it in abundance but we've got to go out there and show that now. As a side it's important to keep connected to the fact we've done a lot of good things over the last two years and we'll continue to do so."
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