Match report
Is there time for a result?
At a pinch, yes. In a perfect world England would have taken all ten wickets today, but then in a perfect world the groundsman in Rawalpindi would have offered a proper balance between bat and ball. Given the conditions, taking seven wickets in the day is a good effort – especially as Pakistan were 225-0, so from that moment on it was 274-7. “It was a brilliant day,” says Joe Root. “We had to be very creative, searching for wickets, and we got our rewards at the back end.”
England lead by 158, so they should go in to bat again with say 130 in the bank, and about 150 overs left. They could bat for a third of that, rattle up 270-6, set Pakistan 400 and leave themselves about 98 overs to get ten wickets. They will need some help from the pitch – more deliveries keeping low, more of the turn that did for Babar – but it’s just about possible. Especially with Ben Stokes at the helm, Captain Boombastic.
Thanks for your company, your emails and above all your pedantry on the subject of engraving. A sleepy game has sprung to life. It may even be worth setting your alarm for.
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