Saqib Mahmood expressed regret for “taking his eye off the ball” and missing out on a maiden half-century, but was delighted that England had not “fallen to pieces” after their batters misfired.
Last man Mahmood shared 90 for a record 10th wicket with Jack Leach to help England to 204 all out after they were asked to bat first on a spicier pitch than we have seen so far in this series. Mahmood was out in the final over of the day for 49, a career-best score, while Leach advanced his batting credentials by soaking up 141 balls across more than three hours.
