PAK vs ENG 2024/25, PAK vs ENG 3rd Test Match Report, October 24 – 28, 2024

Pakistan 187 for 7 (Shakeel 74*, Noman 6*) route In England 267 (Smith 89, Duckett 52, Sajid 6-128) by 80 runs

The legspinner, in his first appearance of the series, and first international since India’s Test tour in early 2024, trapped Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha leg before in the space of nine matches. The 20-year-old then bowled Aamer Jamal with a googly which the all-rounder failed to read, and smashed into his stumps.

But Shakeel was to be run out on 26 when Bashir edged past Jamie Smith, who failed to catch the short. The ball ended up going out to the wicketkeeper on the left, showing the difficulty of the chance. Still, Smith had to be smart about the lack of bounce following his 119 deliveries in front of 89 stumps on the first day.

Pakistan resumed at 73 for 3, still trailing by 194, and it was clear that Shakeel and Masood were aiming to combine rather than accumulate. It meant that by the time Masood joined Bashir to Ollie Pope at second slip – standing close enough to require a helmet – only 26 runs had been added in the first 40 minutes of play.

That doesn’t mean the stand was hurting the hosts. Combined on the first day’s night at 46 for 3, a stand of 53 from 130 deliveries hampered England’s progress after they were bundled out for 267 in their first innings.

Masood looked unsettled against the two left-handers, at times playing leg with an angled bat, which led to his dismissal on the leading edge. It was just reward for Bashir, who dismissed Jack Leach when the two Somerset spinners shared the bowling in the first hour.

Naturally, the entry of Rizwan brought a bump in the run rate. His opening boundary – smearing Leach over the midwicket fence for six in the 39th over – was his first since the 26th. That was followed by Gus Atkinson’s third-of-four lead at 40.

Shakeel then raced to his sixth half-century against England – from 92 matches – with a brace of sweeps. But with a 50 for the fifth wicket that came just before the team’s 150, Rehan came to the party.

After announcing his international status with a five-wicket haul in the third Test of the 2022 series against Pakistan, Rehan went some way to emulating that performance. Rizwan was dropped by attempting a sweep. Agha was fooled by a similar move in the air, beaten on the outside edge and the umpire’s call was in favor of England on both the impact of the front pad and the predicted path to the stumps.

Agha’s dismissal for just 1 was met with cheers from Ben Stokes and the rest of the England team, a fitting reaction considering the No.7 started the series with an unbeaten 107 followed by two 63s coming into this Test. And the England captain was equally delighted when the usually furious Jamal pressed forward and followed the curve towards him, turning inside and turning as he saw the ball ricochet off his stumps.

Noman Ali’s strike in the last over before the break was the first boundary Rehan has conceded in his nine overs so far. Despite four wickets so far, parity is still possible as Shakeel is still at the crease.