Pakistan v England — Multan Day 3.
As I’m oft to do, today’s review of the day is being penned in real time and currently at 7.12am on a very cold English Sunday morning we have the very real possibility of an exciting Test Match on our hands. I concluded yesterday’s review stating comprehensively that England were on the cusp of historic back-to-back victories in Pakistan and with today being the 22nd anniversary of England’s famous victory in the pitch dark of Karachi in 2000 that is still the case and they are overwhelming favourites. However, following a stunning session of cricket from the hosts, Pakistan are clearly intent on making this Test Match a real game.
Here’s the morning session from a much cooler than normal yet sunshine filled Multan Cricket Stadium:
England commenced this 3rd day on 202–5, a commanding lead of 281 and captain Ben Stokes (16 not out) accompanied by yesterday’s batting hero Harry Brook (74 not out). As expected, both Stokes and Brook looked to attack the Pakistan bowlers from the off in search of quick runs to push an already positive looking lead into an unreachable one. But Pakistan fought back to “win” the opening session, and in spades.
5.24am BEN STOKES caught Ali bowled Nawaz (41).
The England captain was clearly in one-day cricket mode as he quickly biffed an additional 25 quick runs to his overnight score of 16, equalling the all time Test Match record of 6’s hit in the process held by his current coach and great friend Brendon McCullum. This mini tour continues to spring so many record setting feats! Stokes’ 41 runs came from 51 balls received, the last of which he clubbed to what is colloquially known in English cricketing circles as “Cow Corner” and Mohammad Ali snagged a fantastic running catch just inside the boundary.
5.28am OLLIE ROBINSON bowled Ahmed (3).
Chasing quick runs, Robinson’s stay was a brief one as he faced just 5 deliveries before trying to swipe Pakistan’s bowling hero Abrar Ahmed out of the ground but instead played all around a straight delivery that spun a little before crashing into his leg stump. This was Ahmed’s 11th and final wicket of the match and a stunning debut worthy of the “Man of the Match” award whether his team triumphs or not.
5.41am MARK WOOD caught Azam bowled Mahmood (6).
“Woody” clubbed a boundary 4 before edging a great delivery from leg spinner Zahid Mahmood to his captain Babar Azam at slip. It was a sharp chance brilliantly taken by the Pakistan skipper.
5.48am HARRY BROOK caught Shakeel bowled Mahmood (108).
Brook extended his overnight total of 74 to an eventual 108 (from just 149 balls received) before falling in a similar manner to his captain earlier, swiping a huge hit for a boundary 6 and coming up just short, with Saud Shakeel pouching a safe catch to bring the Englishman’s brilliant innings to a close.
5.53am JAMES ANDERSON lbw bowled Mahmood (4).
Veteran Anderson reviewed the decision but he was “plumb” in front of his stumps and his wicket closed the England 2nd innings on a total of 275.
Setting Pakistan 355 to win which, should they be successful, will be their second highest all time run chase at home, makeshift opening batsman Mohammad Rizwan accompanied usual opener Abdullah Shafique for a final hour’s play in the opening session. Each batsman received a cricketing “life”, Shafique when on just 1 run and the innings total just 2 before his partner was reprieved on a DRS review when on 25 runs and the innings total just 51. The opening pair walked off for the Lunch Break having compiled an otherwise carefree and risk free unbroken partnership of 64 and although still a long way away, the hosts need a further 291 runs to win with all 10 wickets remaining in their 2nd and final innings.
AFTERNOON SESSION: Pakistan 136–3 (219 further runs for victory)
It’s currently 10.07am and the two hours of cricket in the afternoon session can easily be divided into a brilliant and successful first hour for the tourists before a rally from the hosts crucially “won” the second hour.
7.49am MOHAMMAD RIZWAN bowled Anderson (30).
“When you need a wicket, you turn to Jimmy Anderson”. So enthused ex England captain Nasser Hussain on co-commentary duties, and on the very anniversary day of 22 years ago when he led his England team to that famous victory in the famed pitch dark of Karachi. The ex England skipper was almost as excited as I was as the 40 year old veteran produced a cricketing “Jaffa” or unplayable delivery that swung in through the air before pitching and jagging away from the immaculate forward defence of Mohammad Rizwan and crashing perfectly into the top of his off stump. Rizwan held his defensive pose in utter astonishment as he failed to believe his own technique and eyes had failed him. Neither had. It was THE perfect delivery from a fast/medium bowler, slight drift inward, sharp jagged movement outward from the ball’s seam.
Sheer poetry in cricketing motion.
8.04am BABAR AZAM bowled Robinson (1).
Just 15 minutes and only 1 solitary run later, Pakistan captain Babar Azam “shouldered arms” or more simply, he just left a sharply cutting inward delivery from Robinson and, like Mohammad Rizwan before him, held his pose in utter astonishment after the ball had jagged back so sharply that it crashed into his off stump. A partisan crowd that had grown louder and more vociferous as the sessions of the day passed, fell silent.
8.54am ABDULLAH SHAFIQUE bowled Wood (45).
Wood’s wicket capped a mighty impressive hour for the tourists and was an almost carbon copy of Anderson’s delivery an hour ago. Despite batting very impressively and forcefully, Shafique was completely defeated here as he played all around a fast and sharp delivery from Wood that swung and seamed inward before taking Shafique’s off stump clean out of the ground.
With the hosts now rocking at 83–3, Saud Shakeel (32 not out) and Imam ul-Haq (26 not out) righted the ship in the hour’s play before the Tea Break with Shakeel in particular bludgeoning England’s Jack Leach for huge straight boundary 4’s on the cusp of the break to ring up a 50 run partnership for Pakistan’s final two premier batsmen. At Tea, Shakeel and ul-Haq had registered a partnership of 53 runs from exactly 100 balls received and whilst an imposing 219 further runs are still needed for victory, Pakistan are still firmly in this Test Match.
STUMPS DAY 3: Pakistan 198–4 (157 further runs for victory)
It’s now 12.58pm as I conclude this wrap up of yet another absorbing and intriguing day’s play and whilst the sun has finally set in faraway Pakistan, it’s snowing heavily outside in sub zero middle England and I love these strange quirky juxtapositions in this strangest of all possible worlds!
In a somewhat role reversal from the previous session, Pakistan, every run now scored is met with the roar of approval from the ever growing crowd, dominated the first half of the final session before a late wicket in the session may have swayed the day and the entire fortunes of the Test Match back in favour of England. After a successful scan showed no damage to his hamstring, locally born Imam ul-Haq took his pre-Tea total of 26 runs to a half century from exactly 80 balls received and just 4 runs later received a cricketing “life”. He tickled the faintest of edges through to wicketkeeper Ollie Pope off the bowling of Mark Wood but was given not out on the field and England captain Ben Stokes couldn’t be convinced by his close in fielders that ul-Haq had actually got the tiniest of edges and hence didn’t review the decision. 6 runs later, and just 1 ball after his partner Saud Shakeel had reached his personal half century and their joint century batting partnership, the local hero was out.
11.34am IMAM-UL-HAQ caught Root bowled Leach (60).
With the light fading and both the sunset and the close of play only minutes away, Ul-Haq edged a sharp catch to Joe Root at slip and the English relief and joy was absolutely palpable. As was the utter annoyance of the batsman who like his teammates before him, took an age to accept what had just happened before trudging back to the Pavilion.
So rather than my prediction of a comprehensive and historic English victory today we have a very real Test Match on our hands.
The equation is simple:
Pakistan need a further 157 runs to win.
England need 6 wickets.
Pleasingly for an old cricket fan such as myself, tomorrow morning’s first session is absolutely vital for victory. Early wickets and the tourists bowling at the Pakistan batting “tail” suggests that predicted English victory. The continued stubborn resistance of Saud Shakeel (54 not out from 123 balls) suggests otherwise.
Thus is the beauty and enduring charm of Test Match cricket. Shakeel has somewhat “dropped anchor” and has been perfectly happy to scrap for runs as there are still two full days left to play. They won’t be required as the game will be over, either way, by the middle of the afternoon session at the latest. But with batting partners, Shakeel can continue to accumulate the required runs in a completely risk free and unhurried way.
Thus is the beauty and enduring charm of Test Match cricket.
See you in the morning!
Thanks for reading. Please feel free to delve into the cave of wonders that is my archives and specifically the “Cricket” archives for all 5 days of the previous Test Match in Rawalpindi on this tour. Alternatively, linked below are my daily wrap ups from the first two days of this 2nd Test Match in Multan:
Debutant puts England in a spin on day 1 in Multan
Pakistan v England — Multan Day 1.medium.com
Brook and Duckett lead England into a strong position in the 2nd Test
Pakistan v England — Multan Day 2.medium.com