England shut the third Test of the series-deciding series on Thursday at Rawalpindi with Pakistan struggling at 73-3, trailing by 194 runs as home team spinners dished out a gripping display of spin bowling.
Sajid Khan was the hero for Pakistan, finishing with remarkable figures of 6 wickets for 128 runs, whereas Noman Ali contributed 3 wickets for 88 runs. The day started with England winning the toss and having decided to bat first but were soon in trouble at 110-5 and it was a resilient knock by Jamie Smith that took the team past the 267 run mark. Smith scored a crucial 89 showcasing his batting skill with six sixes and five fours in just 119 balls, before losing the wicket in the final over before tea.
Bangladesh’s morning session was all over the place as the spin duo of Sajid and Noman went on a rampage on the very track that aided them so well previously. With an opening stand of promising 56 from Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, England soon seems to lose its way after an initial period. Within a 24-run gap, three wickets fell – those of Crawley (29), Ollie Pope (3) and Joe Root (5).
Duckett managed to reach his half-century (52) but got himself trapped lbw by Noman after hitting four boundaries and a six. Sajid bowled Harry Brook, who had gone for just five, behind his legs.
In response, Pakistan played with caution at the top and lost Abdullah Shafique to a catch by Sajid off the bowling of Shoaib Bashir, and then Saim Ayub was shortly before the close of play, when he fell to Jack Leach for 19. At stumps, the captain Shan Masood and Saud Shakeel were the two stable wickets in their backyard and that is what Pakistan needs to get back into the contest on day two.
The conditions further look to test the skills of the batsmen as the match advances, especially as both teams employ three spinners looking to get the better of the dry and spin-friendly wicket.
Pakistan: Shan Masood (c), Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Agha, Aamer Jamal, Sajid Khan, Noman Ali, Zahid Mehmood
England: Ben Stokes (c), Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Gus Atkinson, Rehan Ahmed, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir
Referee: Chris Gaffaney (NZL) and Sharfuddoula Saikat (BAN)
TV Umpire: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI)
Match Referee: Richie Richardson (WIS)