Late burst gives England relief after Babar leads Pakistan’s strong reply
Rawalpindi: England found ways to take wickets and sensed a good lead despite hundreds from three Pakistan players on the third day of the opening Test in Rawalpindi Saturday.
Pakistan were 499-7 at stumps with Agha Salman (10) and Zahid Mahmood (yet to score) at the crease — still trailing England’s mammoth 657 first innings total by 158 runs, with three wickets in hand.
On a see-saw day, Pakistan were lited by centuries from skipper Babar Azam (136), and openers Imam-ul-haq (121) and Abdullah Shafique (114).
But England took three wickets in the first session, none in the second and three again before the close to put themselves in a beter position.
If the tourists can force a 100-plus lead and score like they did in the first innings, they can still force a win on a Rawalpindi Stadium pitch which has given litle help to the bowlers.
Spinners Will Jacks (3-132) and Jack Leach (2-160) shared the early spoils, while the pace duo of James Anderson and Ollie Robinson took a wicket each.
Jacks said Azam’s wicket gave England an edge.
“That wicket was almost the game-changing moment,” he said.
“It was a great day for us — seven wickets in the day — and as the match goes on, the pitch will get more turn.”
Saturday’s final session belonged to home skipper Azam, who hit 19 boundaries and a six for his first Test hundred against England.
He cracked a boundary towards cover off opposition skipper Ben Stokes to reach his eighth career Test century, this coming off 126 balls and studded with 13 boundaries.
Jacks forced a miscued drive off Azam to get him caught at point, and in the next over Mohammad Rizwan played straight in to the hands of mid-wicket off Anderson.
Debutant Saud Shakil, who added 123 for the fourth wicket with Azam, was caught behind off Robinson soon ater the tea interval.
Haq admited Pakistan can still come under pressure.
“There is wear and tear in the pitch, it’s keeping slightly low and will definitely change on the last two days,” he said.
“But we have encountered such situations before so a lot will depend on the first session tomorrow.”
Earlier, Azam upped the tempo in the second session ater Pakistan lost centurions Shafique (114), Haq (121) and Azhar Ali (27) before lunch.
England 1st innings 657 (Harry Brook 153, Z.crawley 122, O.pope 108, B. ducket 107; Zahid Mahmood 4-235, naseem Shah 3-140) pakistan 1st innings (overnight 181-3)
Abdullah Shafique c Pope b Jacks Imam-ul-haq c Robinson b Leach Azhar Ali lbw b Leach
Babar Azam c Leach b Jacks Saud Shakeel c Pope b Robinson Rizwan c Stokes b Anderson Agha Salman not out Naseem Shah c Leach b Jacks Zahid Mahmood not out
Extras (b7, nb2)
Total: (for seven wkts, 136 overs) Fall of wickets: 1-225 (Shafique), 2-245 (Haq), 3-290 (Azhar), 4-413 (Shakeel), 5-473 (Azam), 6-475 (Rizwan), 7-497 (Naseem)
Bowling: Anderson 20-4-47-1, Robinson 18-2-64-1 (nb2), Leach 42-5160-2, Jacks 33-5-132-3, Root 16-3-540, Stokes 7-0-35-0 114 121 27 136 37 29 10 15 1
9 499
The centuries by Shafique and Haq meant for the first time in 146 years of Test cricket the openers of both teams reached three figures in the first innings.
Their 225-run opening stand — a Pakistan record against England — is also the first time in Test history that two 200-plus opening partnerships were made, following Zak Crawley and Ben Ducket’s 233-run partnership for the visitors.
Pakistan started the day on 181 without loss and Shafique, 89 overnight, was the first to three figures with a sharp single off Joe Root.
Haq, who started the session on 90, followed with a boundary off the same bowler to complete his century.
They both now have three Test centuries and successive hundreds at the venue, having also reached three figures against Australia in March this year.
Crawley (122), Ducket (107), Ollie Pope (108) and Harry Brook (153) scored centuries for England in their first innings.
The next two Tests are in Multan (December 9-13) and Karachi (December 17-21).