Smith and late wickets boost England against Pakistan

Jamie Smith’s fabulous 89 and a trio of late wickets gave England the upper hand on a breathless first day of the third and deciding Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi.

Smith dragged England to 267 all out, then the Pakistan top order stumbled to 73-3 to put the tourists in a favourable position to claim a second successive series win in this country.

On a pitch Pakistan had dried with giant fans and patio heaters, the hosts’ plan was being vindicated thanks in part to some careless England batting after the visitors won a crucial toss.

Only Ben Duckett, with 52, was blameless for his dismissal as England slumped from 56-0 to 118-6 before Smith’s impressive rescue act.

The wicketkeeper added 107 with Gus Atkinson, who made 39, with Smith accelerating on passing 50. He crashed six sixes and was too cavalier in looking for a seventh to be out in the over before tea.

England were dismissed early into the evening, off-spinner Sajid Khan claiming 6-128 to go with his nine wickets in Pakistan’s win in the second Test.

Pakistan employed spin exclusively across the 68.2 overs, the longest first innings in Test history without any seam bowling.

The England total felt no more than par before Shoaib Bashir, Jack Leach and Atkinson claimed a wicket apiece to leave Pakistan 194 adrift.

England 267: Smith 89, Duckett 52; Sajid 6-128

Pakistan 73-3: Atkinson 1-2

Pakistan trail England by 194 runs

Scorecard

It is hard to remember a series when conditions have created so much intrigue. First Pakistan employed a recycled pitch to level the series in Multan, now they have used unorthodox methods to hasten the deterioration of the surface in Rawalpindi.

It was a triumph for England to halt a run of seven toss losses, but this was never going to be a repeat of the astonishing 506-4 they plundered on the opening day on the same ground two years ago.

Both sides expected spin to dominate and each picked three frontline slow bowlers – this was the first time since 1964 England batted first in a Test and were faced with two spinners opening the bowling.

It was true that the ball spun more and bounced more unpredictably as the morning session progressed, yet England were fixated on aggression and played into Pakistan’s hands. As the ball got softer, batting got easier and Smith set an example to his team-mates.

Pakistan’s innings was needed to provide context to England’s effort. Their start was ominous for the tourists, only for England to grab control with three wickets for nine runs in little more than four overs.

England ended the day strongly and know they have the considerable advantage of bowling last on a pitch that will continue to be the centre of attention.

Smith endured the most difficult match of his short England career in the defeat in the second Test, managing scores of 21 and six, and crucially dropping a simple catch in the Pakistan second innings.

But even with just nine caps to his name, the 24-year-old has developed a habit of scoring runs when England are under pressure and this was perhaps his most vital knock to date.

He eschewed the frantic approach of the top order, watchfully rebuilding with his equally unflappable Surrey team-mate Atkinson.

Smith pounced on any invitation to muscle the ball through the leg side, taking 94 balls to reach 50 – his first half-century overseas. Then he flicked the switch, taking 39 runs from the next 24 balls he faced with some breathtaking hitting.

As Smith targeted the straight boundary, he was warned. He could have been caught at long-on and long-off, while Atkinson miscued a catch back to left-armer Noman Ali.

Still Smith attacked and eventually skewed leg-spinner Zahid Mahmood straight up and into the gloves of wicketkeeper Muhammad Rizwan.

Without Smith, England may be out of this match. Once again Pakistan were led by Sajid and Noman, who bowled 42 overs together at the start of the innings, taking their total in tandem to 89.5 going back to England’s first innings in the second Test.

England started well. Duckett was strong down the ground, adding 56 with Zak Crawley until Crawley miscued a drive at a wide one off Noman to start England’s blur of poor strokes.

The struggling Ollie Pope was lbw sweeping, Joe Root was bowled on the back foot and Harry Brook missed a sweep, all off Sajid. Duckett was helpless to one Noman got to shoot, then captain Ben Stokes needlessly followed a wide turner from Sajid.

Amid Smith’s onslaught, Pakistan were at least forced to employ Mahmood and Salman Agha, yet it was the skiddy Sajid that mopped up the tail, once again celebrating with his trademark one-legged Kabbadi pose.

Atkinson shared the new ball with Jack Leach to become the first seamer on show, though it needed Atkinson’s replacement Bashir to pin Shafique in front.

Leach got Saim Ayub to pat to mid-wicket and Atkinson castled Khuram Ghulam with one that kept low. England thought they had a fourth, only for Saud Shakeel to overturn being given caught down the leg side off Leach.