PAK vs ENG 3rd Test Day 1 Highlights: Sajid Khan, Noman Ali Rattle England Before Late Pakistan Collapse
Noman Ali and Sajid Khan skittled England on Day 1 of the third Test [Source: @TheRealPCB/x]
Pakistan spinners bossed over the visiting Englishmen on the opening day of the series-deciding third Test at the Rawalpindi Stadium. Earlier in the day, captain Ben Stokes had won the toss and opted to bat first.
Here’s the timeline of how PAK vs ENG panned out in Rawalpindi:
PAK vs ENG Highlights: Sajid Khan Dismantles English Top-Order
Winning the toss and opting to bat first, English openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett raced to 56 runs in 14 overs before Noman Ali delivered the first breakthrough for Pakistan. Snapping Crawley’s innings for 29, Ali also trapped Ben Duckett in front of stumps after the attacking left-hander had smeared four boundaries and a six in his swift 52-run knock.
Noman Ali’s spin partner Sajid Khan dismissed Ollie Pope and Joe Root in quick succession before making his return to add England’s milestone man Harry Brook and captain Ben Stokes to his tally.
Within the first 33 overs of the day, the visitors ended up losing each of their top six batters to Pakistan spinners at an expense of just 118 runs.
PAK vs ENG Highlights: Jamie Smith Fights Back With 89 But ENG Skittle Out For 267
Batting at number seven, English wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith carved 89 runs from just 119 balls with five boundaries and six scorching maximums. The 24-year-old shared over 100 runs with all-round apparent Gus Atkinson to take England past the 200-run mark before Tea break.
Their 107-run partnership was eventually curtailed by Noman Ali with the wicket of Atkinson (39 off 71) at 223-7. Jamie Smith, marching towards his second Test century, soon followed suite back to the pavilion by mistiming one off Zahid Mahmood.
Sajid Khan seized the final two English wickets on offer to snare astonishing figures of 6-128. Noman Ali himself claimed three wickets at an expense of just 88 runs to envelop England’s entire first innings for 267 in 68.2 overs.
PAK vs ENG Highlights: Pakistan Lose Both Openers, Kamran Ghulam Before Stumps
Up against England’s 267, Pakistan lost openers Abdullah Shafique (14) and Saim Ayub (19) to English spinners Shoaib Bashir and Jack Leach respectively, within just the opening hour of the innings. Babar Azam’s replacement Kamran Ghulam, who plundered a match-winning century in Multan last week, also succumbed early, albeit to visiting paceman Gus Atkinson as Pakistan slipped to 46-3 in 13.4 overs.
Captain Shan Masood (16*) and number five Saud Shakeel (16*) negotiated the remaining 23 overs of the day to take Pakistan to 73-3 in 23 overs, as the hosts find themselves another 194 runs away from England.
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