Pakistan finished Day 1 of the third Test against England at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium trailing by 194 runs after England was dismissed for 267. Despite Sajid Khan’s six-wicket haul, Pakistan’s batting line-up faltered in reply, ending the day at 73-3. Sajid Khan was the star of the day, leading Pakistan’s bowling effort with a brilliant 6-128, his third five-wicket haul in Test cricket. England’s early momentum, marked by Jamie Smith’s impressive 89 and Ben Duckett’s solid 52, was curtailed as Sajid’s spin tore through the English middle order. At one stage, England collapsed from a promising 56-0 to 118-6, as the spinners tightened their grip on the game.
Sajid’s remarkable accuracy and ability to extract sharp turn from the Rawalpindi surface kept Pakistan in the game despite England’s seventh-wicket stand between Jamie Smith and Gus Atkinson, which added 105 runs and threatened to take the game away from the hosts. Sajid’s perseverance, however, paid off, and he dismissed England’s lower order to limit their total to 267.
Although England’s innings looked in jeopardy after the collapse, Jamie Smith and Gus Atkinson played pivotal roles in ensuring England posted a respectable score. Smith’s composed knock of 89 off 119 balls, including five boundaries and six towering sixes, was the backbone of the English innings.
Atkinson, in his all-round performance, contributed 39 crucial runs. His aggressive partnership with Smith gave England breathing room before Noman Ali broke through, dismissing Atkinson and ending the dangerous stand. Zahid Mehmood then struck a decisive blow by removing Smith, who was just 11 runs shy of his maiden century, with Mohammad Rizwan taking a sharp catch behind the stumps.
Noman Ali, who bowled tirelessly in tandem with Sajid, ended the day with 3-88, while Zahid Mehmood took 1-44.
Pakistan’s response with the bat got off to a rocky start, losing three quick wickets and putting the team on the back foot. Abdullah Shafique (13), Saim Ayub (19), and Kamran Ghulam (3) were all dismissed within 14 overs, leaving the hosts reeling at 46-3.
Shafique was the first to fall, caught by Shoaib Bashir’s delivery in the 10th over after a 35-run opening stand. England’s Jack Leach soon claimed Saim Ayub’s wicket, while Atkinson, continuing his all-round contribution, trapped Kamran Ghulam lbw.
Shan Masood (16 not out) and Saud Shakeel (16 not out) held on to see out the day without further damage, but Pakistan will need a strong batting performance on Day 2 to claw their way back into the contest.
England’s bowlers, led by Atkinson (1-2), Jack Leach (1-33), and Shoaib Bashir (1-29), exploited the sluggish pitch conditions effectively. Their control and disciplined bowling kept Pakistan’s batters under constant pressure. With Masood and Shakeel needing to rebuild the innings, England will be aiming for early wickets to press home their advantage.
Pakistan’s batting line-up has a tough task ahead of them on Day 2, with Masood and Shakeel needing to form a significant partnership. Pakistan’s middle and lower order will have to show resilience to avoid falling too far behind England’s first-innings score. England, with momentum in their favor, will be targeting quick wickets to bowl out Pakistan cheaply and seize control of the match.
The pitch in Rawalpindi has already shown signs of turn, which means spin will play a crucial role as the game progresses. With both teams having skilled spinners in their ranks, the next few days could see a gripping battle between bat and ball.
Scores in Brief:
- England: 267 all out in 68.2 overs (Jamie Smith 89, Ben Duckett 52, Gus Atkinson 39, Zak Crawley 29; Sajid Khan 6-128, Noman Ali 3-88, Zahid Mehmood 1-44)
- Pakistan: 73-3 in 23 overs (Shan Masood 16*, Saud Shakeel 16*; Gus Atkinson 1-2, Shoaib Bashir 1-29, Jack Leach 1-33)