Newly minted England bowler Saqib Mahmood was given a harsh lesson about life as a Test match paceman on a day sent to try his patience.
Searching for a first Test wicket, and straining every sinew to get it, Mahmood joined a surprisingly large club of recent England bowlers to have theirs chalked off by a no-ball. It was a beauty too as he yorked Jermaine Blackwood with an 85 mph thunderbolt that took the pitch out of the equation and crashed into the stumps.
But just as they did for Mark Wood, Ben Stokes, Mason Crane and Tom Curran, the umpire held out his right arm and the ball had to be bowled again. “It wasn’t a great event for him, but I’m sure he’ll learn his lesson,” said assistant coach Jeetan Patel.
