WEB DESK
England needed only 55 more runs at the end of Day 3 on Monday, as the visitors were chasing a modest target of 167 runs in the Karachi test against the hosts Pakistan. Like they have batted throughout this series, England started aggressively and scored 58 runs in just 6 overs. The openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley added 87 runs in just 11.2 overs before Abrar Ahmed got the latter LBW for 41 runs.
Debutant Rehan Ahmed was sent as a night watchman but he also looked aggressive and got out for 10 runs, after hitting two boundaries, giving Abrar Ahmed his 17th test wicket just in the second test of his career. Ben Duckett completed his half-century off just 38 deliveries whereas skipper Ben Stokes was not out on 10 when the umpire stopped the play due to bad light.
Pakistan innings
England’s youngest ever cricketer, 18-year-old Rehan Ahmed picked up five wickets on his debut, against the country of his father’s birth. Pakistan started the last session of the day for a loss of six wickets and a lead of 127 runs. Faheem Ashraf edged a delivery of part-timer Joe Root after scoring just one run. For the eighth wicket, Nauman Ali and Agha Salman added 30 runs but then Mark Wood trapped Nauman Ali LBW. Rehan Ahmed took the last two wickets to dismiss Pakistan for 216 and complete his first fifer. England, needing 167 to win, began aggressively and scored 58 in just 6 overs.
First session
Pakistan’s most reliable batters from this series, Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel once again stepped up on Monday, after Pakistan lost three quick wickets against England in the second innings of the Karachi test. Pakistan started the third day of the Karachi Test by resuming from the overnight score of 21 for no loss. At that point, they were still trailing by 29 runs to England’s first innings lead. Shan Masood and Abdullah Shafique labored for a half-century partnership, before Jack Leach snuck through Shan Masood’s defenses and bowled him for 24 runs.
It meant that the opener could score a cumulative of 54 runs in the match, and could not even assail his first innings score of 30. Azhar Ali’s last ever innings for Pakistan lasted a disappointing four balls as Leach bowled him in the same over for a duck. It meant Azhar bowed out of his cricketing career with a whimper. In his next over, Leach trapped Abdullah Shafique LBW, as Pakistan lost three quick wickets for just one run, leaving it reeling at 54 runs at the loss of three wickets. Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel, both new on the crease, then made sure Pakistan recovered some of its pride and did not lose another wicket before lunch. instead, they helped Pakistan gain a 49 run lead at the break. Pakistan team has already lost the test series and looking to avoid the first whitewash at home.
Collapse after lunch
As the Pakistani team returned after lunch, it seemed to have had a negative impact on the team as Pakistan alarmingly lost skipper Babar Azam for 54 to Rehan Ahmed. The Pakistan-origin spinner then tore into the Pakistan side and picked up two quick scalps for just two runs. He first picked up the wicket of Mohammad Rizwan – for whom captain Babar Azam and team management had withstood intense pressure to rest. Rizwan departed after having scored just seven runs. It added to his first innings dismal score of one run for a match total of just eight runs. Saud Shakeel followed soon after having scored just 53. With the tail exposed, Root then came in and picked up the wicket of Faheem Ashraf who scored just one run, leaving Pakistan struggling at 181 for the loss of seven wickets.
