England were made to roll up their sleeves and find any glory the hard way as Pakistan refused to buckle on day three.
Despite England’s three frontline seam bowlers sending down three of the finest deliveries of the game that all captured Pakistani wickets, the collapse that they hoped for didn’t materialise. At 198-4 with a target of 355 to aim for, Pakistan will have walked off the field fancying their chances of pulling off a stunning win of their own, but as Jack Leach proved with the late wicket of Imam-ul-Haq, England can strike at any time.
Unsurprisingly James Anderson led the way with a beauty that left Mohammad Rizwan utterly bemused after the ball pitched, nipped away and beat the outside edge of his bat to clip the off stump. Rizwan shouldn’t have looked so shocked though, it is the sort of the thing that Anderson has been doing to the world’s best batsmen for 20 years.
It is a rather newer sensation for Ollie Robinson, but he is proving remarkably good at it as Babar Azam found out for the second time in the match as he shouldered arms to one that swung and seamed back into him to clatter into his stumps.
It might be a little presumptuous to refer to Babar as his bunny just yet, but seven balls, two bowled dismissals and no runs in the match suggests a real challenge for the Pakistan skipper. Mark Wood was the next to strike as he found a way through Shafique’s defences, but from that point on life was tough for England as Imam and Saud Shakeel added 108 until Leach’s strike.
“It is hard to take wickets on that pitch,” said assistant coach Marcus Trescothick. “Batting has become easier and it is really in the morning sessions when the wickets have fallen. We still back ourselves to take the wickets we need, but it is hard work and the lads know that. Jimmy and Robbo were outstanding and have formed a nice partnership together.”
With Harry Brook grabbing England’s record 21st hundred of the year earlier in the day, they may have hoped to set Pakistan a few more than they did, but they lost five wickets for 19 runs after Ben Stokes departed.
Just before he did though Stokes equalled the record for the most sixes in Test cricket with his 107th. And as if to make a delicious point about just how connected he and his coach are, he now shares the title with none other than Brendon McCullum.
Neither man will worry too much about that sort of crown, instead winning a second Test in Pakistan for the first time is all that matters, and Stokes will hope he and his team haven’t missed their chance. Deep into the third session of the day, with Pakistan still needing 176 to win, Wood appealed exuberantly for a catch down the legside off Imam.
No-one agreed with the bowler and the review wasn’t used, even though the replay showed a rueful Stokes that there was indeed a touch. It was the fourth chance of the day that England missed of varying difficulty and a reminder that fortune won’t always favour the brave.
