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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Andy Bull

England need to reset after Pakistan’s dynamic spin duo offer reality check

Ben Stokes sits on the ground after missing a catch opportunity during day two of the third Test match between Pakistan and England
Against Pakistan, Ben Stokes’s England showed they may be thinking too far ahead of themselves. Photograph: Anjum Naveed/AP

The sun was only just coming up in England when the last wicket went down in Pakistan. Jack Leach was deftly stumped by Mohammad Rizwan as he came galumphing down the pitch to swing and miss at a wide, of all things. Noman Ali had bowled the ball out there deliberately, fast and flat after he saw Leach coming.

It was a simple trick, like an uncle bewitching his nephew by pretending to tug off his thumb. England had a pyrrhic lead of 35 at the time, and on television Ramiz Raja lost the run of himself and prematurely called a famous victory for Pakistan.

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