Key events
WICKET! Abdullah lbw Bashir 14 (Pakistan 35-1)
Abdullah reviews, but with a screwed up face. Trapped on the crease by Bashir and struck on the front pad as the ball spins back – and the review confirms the on field decision.
9th over: Pakistan 33-0 (Abdullah 12, Saim 17) A beautiful shot to start the over as Abdullah, with dancers’ feet, lofts Leach inside out and sends the ball arcing for four. Long thin shadows from batsman and fielders stretch and bend.
8th over: Pakistan 27-0 (Abdullah 7, Saim 16) Three from Bashir, careful batting from Abdullah and Saim – nothing too fancy.
7th over: Pakistan 24-0 (Abdullah 6, Saim 14) The umpire raises his finger boldly to a quarter-hearted appeal from England. Saim reviews straight away. The ball spins hugely but there’s a gap between bat and pad, before the ball billows to short leg. Leach continues, extracting some considerable turn.
6th over: Pakistan 23-0 (Abdullah 6, Saim 13) Shoaib Bashir replaces Atkinson, all long limbs and spinning fingers. A nice, neat start.
5th over: Pakistan 20-0 (Abdullah 5, Saim 11) Cat and mouse.
4th over: Pakistan 16-0 (Abdullah 2, Saim 10) Four leg byes as the ball flies off the leg guard brings up the highest opening partnership between Abdullah and Saim.
“It seems like an extended highlight from leg two of Multan,” says Zain Malik. “If heaters, fans and tents were to recreate the wicket from match two, they have been rather successful.
“It might defy science, common sense, and any semblance of reason, but it’s quintessentially Pakistani: ingenuity fueled by audacity, desperation with imagination, genius cloaked in simplicity. Whether it’s genius or madness, we’ll soon find out.
As Schopenhauer said, “No rose without a thorn, but many a thorn without a rose.” Pakistan may just be that thorn, thriving in chaos, defying conventional wisdom with a fearless, often reckless, approach. Whether it’s crafting wickets to your advantage or shuffling the deck mid-series, Pakistan’s cricket, like the thorn, may not always bloom into triumphs, but its potential to disrupt is undeniable. Always ready to prick those who underestimate them. With the series on the line, the batting line up has a chance to send a message to send to England “We play spin better than you” although 267 looks a good first innings total.”
Intriguing, isn’t it?
3rd over: Pakistan 12-0 (Abdullah 2, Saim 5) Saim swats Leach down the ground for four, and Stokes at slips applauds. The crowd is building as people inish work for the day.
2nd over: Pakistan 7-0 (Abdullah 2, Saim 5) Atkinson with the first over of fast bowling of the day. In fact, Andy Zaltzman reports that today is the first time that the opening innings of a Test has ever been bowled by spin. No-one wants a grubber from Atkinson.
Hello Phil Withall. “Way back in the day (20th over), I suggested that I may well be a jinx, causing wickets to fall simply by checking the OBO. It seems I have stronger powers. My dogs must have an evening walk, what with both of them being of a robust stature…, this led to the dismissal of Smith. This may well be the last time I write in, the weight of failure bears heavily on my shoulders. I apologise to all…”
What can you do when your dogs need an evening consitituional?
Pakistan’s first innings
1st over: Pakistan 5-0 (Abdullah 1, Saim 4) No time to marmite my bagel. Leach with the first over, an in out field, one slip. On the money. The hills fading behind the haze.
The light roller is going up and down.
The end of a fascinating innings – England rolled out for 267 – my hunch would say that was a good score but my hunch has been wrong before….only Duckett was done by a complete grubber, everyone else probably helped the bowlers on their way. Fabulous innings by Smith – notwithstanding his exit.
WICKET! Leach st Rizwan b Sajid 16 (England all out 267)
68.2 overs: England 267 all out (Bashir 1 ) Sajid wants another review – this time against Leach – he shows Shan with his fingers – a good inch of bat he says. Not a sausage – but he gets his reward next ball as Leach dances down and is stumped by half the pitch. Sajid puts on his sunglasses, holds up the ball and leads Pakistan off.
68th over: England 267-9 (Leach 16, Bashir 1 ) A good crowd in at Rawalpindi as Noman attempts to mop up the innings quickly. Bashir does very well to keep out a couple of balls that barely bounce above the shoelaces. Exocets at 44mph.
66th over: England 262-9 (Leach 13, Bashir 1 ) Smart comeback by Sajid after Rehan had smacked him over the top for four first ball.
WICKET! Rehan Ahmed b Sajid 9 (England 258-9)
Sajid kneels to the ground as he collects his five fer, Rehan slinks off after advancing down the pitch, getting nowhere near the ball, pirouetting on one leg and watching his stumps splay.
66th over: England 254-8 (Rehan 5, Leach 10 ) Noman, the chartered surveyor to Sajid’s sergeant major, varies his pace nicely.
64th over: England 248-8 (Rehan 4, Leach 5) Sajid reels his arm over, Rehan goes to sweep – Rizwan and Sajid implore Masood to review. He does so, but with a smile of an uncle indulging his nephews. A huge inside edge is revealed. But it doesn’t put off Sajid who continues to bowl with bristle.
Evening session
63rd over: England 245-8 (Rehan 3, Leach 5) Noman with the ball, as the shadows start to creep in from the boundary edge. A nice quiet start to the session.
A breathless start to this Test – fiendishly difficult to judge how good a score England have – though on TMS Steven Finn guessed that anything over 250 would be on point. Smith, together with Atkinson, rescued England from this morning’s doldrums. Time for a quick coffee, back in five.
Tea: England 244-8
63rd over: England 244-8 (Rehan 2, Leach 0) Smith ends up being out to the penultimate ball before tea – a fabulous innings from someone who has arrived into Test cricket almost fully formed. England’s session, though I thought Pakistan kept their nerve admirably in the field.
WICKET! Smith c Rizwan b Zahid 91 (England 243-8)
“Almost the first crossed batted shot he’s played all day” says Athers as from nowhere Smith top-edges a sweep on the brink of tea. Rizwan was never going to drop that.
62nd over: England 242-7 (Smith 91, Rehan 1 ) Just two from Noman’s over as everyone takes a breather.
Hello Zain Malik! “Even England’s number nine, Rehan Ahmed, boasts a century for Leicestershire and performed admirably in the “six-hitting” competition. The emphasis England places on cultivating genuine batsmen throughout the lineup is key to building modern attacking sides. Atkinson’s performance is a testament to that. Carse can bat, Atkinson can bat, Rehan can bat, gone are the days of easy-to-dismiss tailenders.”
60th over: England 240-7 (Smith 90, Rehan 0 )A full toss from Zahid to start the over not what Shan Masood ordered: Smith flays it for six. Does the same to the third (better) ball – one/two kiss. Flaps dangerously at the fourth, but is safe and then an astonishing bit of fielding on the rope by Sajid who makes an excellent attempt to catch a lofted drive, finds himself going over the rope, contorts himself into various positions and ends up saving five runs.
60th over: England 225-7 (Smith 74, Rehan 0 ) Noman is back, with his dancing approach and in his short shirt. A neat catch to send Atkinson home after an imposing partnership. Enter Rehan Ahmed -w inner of the team six hitting competition yesterday.
WICKET! Atkinson c and b Noman 39 (England 225-7)
The change of bowling works! Atkinson, eager for runs but just lofts the ball simply back to Noman who clutches gratefully. A super innings ends with like a slowly deflating balloon.
59th over: England 224-6 (Smith 74, Atkinson 39) Two huge sixes smoked off a furious Sajid by Smith in the over: the hundred partnership! And it has completely changed where the power lies in this game.
58th over: England 211-6 (Smith 61, Atkinson 39) The attack continues, Atkinson flaying Zahid down the ground.
57th over: England 207-6 (Smith 61, Atkinson 35) I don’t know who pressed the accelerator – on the field, or in the dressing room – but Smith pushes down in his big driving shoes. Sajid is slog-swept for four, and then should have been caught on the boundary as he drives uppishly but low and the ball bursts through Shakeel’s hands just in front of the rope.
56th over: England 195-6 (Smith 50, Atkinson 34) Within the space of one over, three members of the household decide to walk in front of the television to collect things – so I can only tell you that Atkinson struck three fours – the last of them down the ground -but not much more. Zahid looks crestfallen.
Fifty for Jamie Smith!
55th over: England 181-6 (Smith 50, Atkinson 22) With a couple nudged off the ankles, a first overseas fifty for Jamie Smith (Test average 45.77). Such a calm presence at the crease – two sixes and three fours. He and Atkinson bump gloves with no fuss.
54th over: England 181-6 (Smith 48, Atkinson 22) Some slow mo footage of dust flying from the pitch as Zahid jogs in, hirsute of chin and delicate of arm. Dare I say England look relatively untroubled at the moment?
53rd over: England 179-6 (Smith 47, Atkinson 21) The accumulation continues, as Sajid widens his eyes and glares at Smith with a theatrical flourish.
52nd over: England 177-6 (Smith 46, Atkinson 20) England plough a couple.
51st over: England 175-6 (Smith 45, Atkinson 19) Sajid, head shaved and shiny. The second fifty partnership of the match comes up as Smith nudges a couple off the pads; he celebrates later in the over, opening up like a front door and flaying six just over the top of the fielder on the deep midwicket boundary.
50th over: England 167-6 (Smith 37, Atkinson 19) Careful accumulation the name of the game here for England, though some sharp fielding at cover stops a gumptious drive by Smith. Zahid is back, another switch of ends.
49th over: England 165-6 (Smith 36, Atkinson 18) The outfield is a pale light green, like a glimpse of the lawn just before dawn. Changes, changes, as Salman Agha gets his first over of the day. Smith takes a big step forward to his final ball, misses and it hits the pad before ballooning to slip.
48th over: England 162-6 (Smith 35, Atkinson 16) Thanks Jim – you’ve been busy! It would have been a disappointment if the dramatic preamble of the giant driers had resulted in a staid day’s cricket though. Smith and Atkinson survive as Sajid switches ends for his (checks notes) 22nd over.
James Wallace
47th over: England 158-6 (Smith 31, Atkinson 16) A maiden from Zahid sees us to drinks and the end of my shift. Tanya Aldred is here to take you through the rest of the day and will handle all enquiries about the action in Rawalpindi, mangoes, rakes and the merits or otherwise of leaf blowers with customary aplomb. Over to you Tanya!
46th over: England 158-6 (Smith 31, Atkinson 16) An Atkinson single keeps England ticking in the afternoon session.
“I can happily get involved in Mango Chat” says Robert Corcoran with juice dripping off his chin. “I was living in Delhi a few years ago and one of the things I miss the most is Mango Season. A great few weeks of being able to head out to one of the street vendors and pick up a few mangoes for a pittance. I’ll add dasheri to the varieties that have already been mentioned.”
45th over: England 157-6 (Smith 31, Atkinson 15) Gus Atkinson looking a bit out of his depth against the leg spin of Zahid Mahmood, an inside edge narrowly misses the stumps and trickles away for a couple. Nevertheless, this partnership is ekeing England onwards.
44th over: England 154-6 (Smith 31, Atkinson 12) Atkinson and Smith rotate the strike off Noman Ali. I miss Sajid Khan. Bereft.
43rd over: England 152-6 (Smith 30, Atkinson 11) Zahid Mahmood is clubbed for 36 off his over! Just kidding, he’s worked for two singles. Noman Ali is set to continue though, he laughs in the face of bowling changes.
“We bowled all day and all night with one of Guy Hornsby’s mangoes… and we were glad of it”