Teenager spins England to the brink of another historic victory
Pakistan v England — Karachi, Day 3.
Pakistan v England — Karachi, Day 3.
No major preamble to this, the 3rd day’s play of the third and final Test Match in Karachi. I’m still trying to make sense of the faintly ridiculous FIFA World Cup final in Qatar last evening, I’m also a day behind with my reporting of the cricketing action here and later this evening, I’m treating myself to the ultimate Christmas film, Die Hard. I’ve seen that also faintly ridiculous beauty umpteen times on the small screen and this evening I shall bask in the absurdity on the cinema screen for the first time, and I’m as excited as a Christmas coming unexpectedly early.
So here’s my wicket by wicket run down of the day’s play and a day containing a historic wicket haul for a teenager and a historic passing of a Pakistan legend. There’ll be overthrows, half centuries, stubborn batting partnerships, exhilarating run chasing partnerships, the thrill of a possible win, the denial by mother nature. For fan’s of the cricketing vernacular I think I’ve noted some “buzzers”, “half trackers”, “long hops” and “bouncers” amid the cricketing “filth” of the grand old game, and here they all are wrapped in the summation of another brilliant day’s Test Match cricket.
ACT ONE: Leach strikes early but a Pakistan rescue act steadies the ship
Morning Session: PAKISTAN 99–3 (Lead by 49 runs)
5.30am SHAN MASOOD bowled Leach (24).
Starting the day on 3 not out, Masood immediately took the attack to the England bowlers and specifically the part-time spin of Joe Root whom he clubbed for 3 boundary 4’s in the opening over alone before a towering 6 the following over after that. Inexplicably he played a somewhat ugly reverse sweep to the bowling of Jack Leach and “dragged on” a straight delivery that crashed into his middle and off stump. Both he and opening partner Abdullah Shafique’s attacking run scoring has seen Pakistan usurp England’s 1st innings total and they now have a lead of 3 runs, but crucially, they’ve lost their first wicket of the morning.
4 balls and 4 minutes later, they’d lose their second.
5.34am AZHAR ALI bowled Leach (0).
On the occasion of his 97th and final Test Match, Ali was bowled comprehensively by a beautifully flighted and viciously spinning delivery from Leach once more, this time flighting toward leg stump before spinning into his off stump, and the veteran of over 7,000 Test Match runs left the field of play for the last time with a very unwanted “duck” amid the handshakes of every England player and a guard of honour from his Pakistan teammates.
5.43am ABDULLAH SHAFIQUE lbw bowled Leach (26).
Opening batsman Shafique added a further 12 runs to his overnight total of 14 before he arguably “played all around a straight one” as they say in cricketing circles, trapped himself LBW (Leg Before Wicket) and rather gifted England’s 31 year old cult hero spinner with a third wicket of the morning. But a wicket is a wicket and after just 43 minutes of the day’s play, Pakistan have added 33 runs for the loss of 3 vital top order wickets.
With England firmly in control and at this stage just 4 runs adrift and needing 7 Pakistan wickets to set up a stroll to the Test Match winning line, Pakistan captain Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel yet again set about a batting rescue act, a theme of this brief 3 match series. In the hour and 17 minutes of play leading up to the Lunch Break, Azam (13 not out) and Shakeel (28 not out) steadied the cricketing ship before guiding it to 99–3 at the break, and an overall lead of 49 runs.
In the weird and wonderful world of cricketing mathematics, Pakistan, whilst having a total of 99 runs for 3 wickets are in fact 49 runs for 3 wickets when you deduct the deficit on 1st innings so, at a mathematical 49–3, England are very much in the ascendency at the Lunch Break.
ACT TWO — A teenager breaks the rescue act, and a stubborn Pakistan resistance
Afternoon Session: PAKISTAN 177–6 (Lead by 127 runs)
9.08am BABAR AZAM caught Pope bowled Ahmed (54).
Together with Saud Shakeel, captain Babar Azam batted for well over two hours pre and post Lunch Break as he faced down and won a captain’s battle with Ben Stokes on his way to a 100 ball half century. Perfectly summarising the state of the game at the time, his opposite number hurled a reckless throw at the stumps with Azam on 46 not out but with no-one backing up, the ball trundled its way to the boundary for overthrows or cricketing “buzzers”, and Azam modestly celebrated his 50.
Just minutes and only 4 runs later, he received a delivery from teenage England leg spin bowler Rehan Ahmed that can be variously described in the cricketing vernacular as a “pie”, a “half tracker”, a “long hop” or just a decidedly short filthy ball that 99 times out of a hundred, he would dismiss to the boundary with carefree ease. Today, he smashed a missile straight at Ollie Pope at the short mid-off position, Pope clung on to a sharp catch, and the Pakistan captain had to depart with his team now leading by just 114 runs.
9.28am MOHAMMAD RIZWAN caught Foakes bowled Ahmed (7).
After such a long period of unbroken batting and a partnership of 110 runs, Pakistan captain Babar Azam needed his wicketkeeper to do likewise with Saud Shakeel who registered his own half century from 121 balls received. Rizwan added just 7 before first given a cricketing “life” by a dropped catch at the short cover position by Zak Crawley and the very next ball, edging a catch into the gloves of England wicketkeeper Ben Foakes and giving England’s teenage sensation a second wicket of the innings.
A third and mighty crucial wicket would follow just 7 minutes later.
9.35am SAUD SHAKEEL caught Leach bowled Ahmed (53).
Pakistan were collapsing and losing wickets in clusters once more, with this arguably the game breaker. Attempting to sweep the leg spin bowling of Rehan Ahmed, Shakeel could only get a top edge that looped invitingly and easily to Jack Leach, and the hosts were now 177–6, a lead of just 127 runs, and still collapsing.
ACT THREE — A teenage history maker and a run chase curtailed by life
Stumps Day 3: PAKISTAN 216 all out. England 112–2 (55 runs to win)
10.06am FAHEEM ASHRAF caught Foakes bowled Root (1).
England’s “golden arm” strikes again and with his very first delivery after the Tea Break. Ashraf edged a simple catch again to Foakes behind the stumps and despite the break in play, Pakistan are still collapsing.
10.45am NAUMAN ALI lbw bowled Wood (15).
England needed a wicket to break another stubborn and burgeoning resistance and Ben Stokes threw the ball to his speed merchant Mark Wood. I originally gave this “not out” in real time, as did the on-field umpire, but Wood reviewed and DRS adjudged him correctly. Ali had to go, and England needed two further wickets to wrap up the Pakistan innings.
10.53am MOHAMMAD WASIM caught Robinson bowled Ahmed (2).
Wasim, chasing quick runs, swiped an ugly and simple catch to Ollie Robinson, and 18 year old Rehan Ahmed was on the precipice of a record breaking 5 wicket haul on his record breaking Test Match debut.
The “Michelle” or “Michelle Pfeiffer” or cricketing “Five For” arrived 14 minutes later.
11.07am AGHA SALMAN caught Brook bowled Ahmed (21).
Salman swiped a top edged sweep easily into the grateful hands of Harry Brook, and the 18 year old from Nottingham gave thanks in prayer to the wicket whilst the camera hastily found his jubilant father celebrating wildly in the stands.
Good on yer kid!
By dismissing Pakistan in their 2nd innings for 216, England needed 157 runs for victory and as expected under the attacking regime of Stokes and coach Brendan McCullum, they spectacularly chased for victory against mother nature and the dying of the Karachi light. England opening batsmen Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett smashed 58 from the first 6 overs received from Pakistan spin bowlers Azhar Ahmed and Nauman Ali, scoring 8 runs from a blistering first over before subsequently crashing 13, 13, 7, 7 and 10 runs from the next five overs to reduce the victory target to just 99 runs. The next six overs weren’t as productive against the medium paced bowling of Mohammad Wasim and Faheem Ashraf, but the England batsmen still attacked, scoring a further 6, 3, 3, 10, 7 and 5 in a partnership of 87 before Crawley departed for a run a ball 41 runs. Teenager Rehan Ahmed was promoted up the batting order with a licence to grab quick runs and he scored 10 before being bamboozled by fellow spin bowling newcomer Abrar Ahmed for 10 and whilst captain Ben Stokes too advanced up the batting order in search of quick runs and a victory this evening, mother nature curtailed their exhilarating run chase with 55 runs still needed.
But England have their skipper at the crease tomorrow morning on 10 not out and their opening batsman Ben Duckett on exactly 50 not out (from just 38 balls received), and a meagre run target tomorrow of just 55 runs for yet another historic win in Pakistan, and their third in a row in a whitewash of a victorious series that wholeheartedly exemplifies the attacking nature in which captain Stokes and coach McCullum wish to play.
Pakistan need an improbable 8 wickets for victory.
England need a far more likely and certain 55 runs for a 3–0 series win.
See you tomorrow!
Thanks for reading. Please see the cave of wonders that is my archival lists here. The “Cricket” folder contains England’s recent tours of Australia and the West Indies as well as this tour of Pakistan or alternatively, please see the links below to the opening two days of this third Test Match:
Brook century edges England ahead in another thriller in Pakistan
Pakistan v England — Karachi, Day 2.medium.com
England on top as wickets tumble in Karachi
Pakistan v England — Karachi, Day 1.medium.com