Rawalpindi [Pakistan], October 25 (ANI): Pakistan tightened its grip on the series win after their exploits left England in turmoil on Day 2 of the third Test against England in Rawalpindi on Friday.
At the end of Day 2, England found itself in a peculiar situation after posting 24/3, trailing by 53 runs, with Harry Brook and Joe Root unbeaten with scores of 3(5) and 5(7), respectively.
Throughout the day, momentum shifted back and forth in the favour of both teams, creating a rare sight to behold for the spectators.
Day 2 started with England spinners dictating the terms of play, toying with Pakistan batters and making them dance to their tunes.
Skipper Shan Masood (26) was the first to fall, and Mohammad Rizwan (25) followed in his footsteps after the next 14 overs. Pakistan’s woes increased after losing Agha Salman (1) and Aamer Jamal (14) in a cluster.
Vice-Captain Saud Shakeel joined hands with veteran spinner Noman Ali and reignited the lost fighting spirit within the camp. Hopes that were buried down in the ground soared high to the mountains of Rawalpindi as Pakistan stepped closer to their first Test series win on home soil since 2021.
Shakeel proved his mettle, pulled Pakistan out of their misery and gave the hosts a cushion to fight alongside Noaman.
On a surface that played all sorts of tricks, Shakeel produced a tutorial on how to deal with spinners. His splendid 134 off 223 deliveries, consisting of just five boundaries, took the sharpness out of England’s bowling attack.
After Shakeel nudged the ball to enough distance to complete a single, Noman and his teammates in the dressing room were more animated while celebrating the southpaw’s first century against England.
Noman soon departed after Shakeel’s century with a valiant 45. It took a moment of hesitation from Shakeel, which proved to be enough for Gus Atkinson to dismiss the century scorer. But England’s woes didn’t end after Shakeel’s dismissal.
Sajid Khan handed another blow to England with his unbeaten run-a-ball 48 to propel Pakistan to 344 and a significant 77-run lead.
In reply, England lost three wickets for a mere score of 24, with the deadly spin duo Sajid striking twice and Noman once.
Ben Duckett, who has been the most proactive among all England batters while playing against spin, was trapped in front of the stumps by Sajid. An arm ball from Noman was enough to pin Zak Crawley in front of the stumps. While Ollie Pope ended his horror series by giving Agha Salma a low-catching practice. (ANI)
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