Three wickets, one each from James Anderson, Ollie Robinson and Mark Wood would change the complexion of the afternoon as Pakistan were reduced from 66 for none to 83 for three with each delivery as magical as the last.
First, James Anderson removed Mohammad Rizwan with a delivery for the ages as the ball shaped in before seaming viciously away to clip the right-handers off-stump. Rizwan looked on in a state of shock that his teammates Babar Azam and Abdullah Shafique were about to experience themselves.
Babar, Pakistan’s key wicket, left a ball from Robinson that, just as it did in the first innings, seamed back in off the pitch wickedly and crashed into the Pakistan captain’s stumps. Babar, who had played no shot at the ball, looked back in bewilderment at what had just happened.
And Wood would make it three clean bowls in a row soon after as his delivery was simply too fast for the obdurate Shafique who had looked set to reach his half-century. It was three moments of magic from England with Anderson, Robinson and Wood performing as if they were England cricket’s Harry, Ron and Hermionie. In the space of an hour, the three of them had put England in the box seat to secure a famous series win, as Pakistan finished the session 136 for three, still needing a further 219 to win.
England’s breakthroughs were relief for a changing room that would have just been starting to itch at the prospect of an unlikely Pakistan comeback. England’s morning session, comfortably their worst of the trip, had seen them lose their final five wickets for only 19 runs and leave the door ajar for Pakistan to mount a pursuit for victory where none should have existed.
That concern only increased as Shafique and Rizwan, the latter opening the batting due to a hamstring complaint for regular opener Imam-ul-Haq, batted with authority to take them to the lunch break at 64 without loss.
England’s burst with the ball came in the first hour after lunch, but the second would see Pakistan stabilise if not advance their case. Saud Shakeel and the declared fit Imam batting with patience to the tea break, reaching the interval on 32 and 25 apiece as the pair added an unbeaten 53 together.
But both batters would offer chances. Shakeel clipping the ball to Harry Brook at short-leg where the ball struck his palm but didn’t stay in. Had the catch been taken it would’ve been a fantastic reaction catch, but such is the harsh standards that cricketers hold themselves to this day that it goes down as a drop.
Imam, on the other hand, would offer up a more simple chance to Will Jacks shortly before the break, who put down a sharp return catch before kicking the ground in frustration.
With Pakistan still requiring over 200 to win, you’d still much rather be England than Pakistan in this match, but there is nevertheless still a fair distance to be travelled before we know for sure.
