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PAK vs ENG 2024/25, PAK vs ENG 3rd Test Match Report, October 24 – 28, 2024

Tea England 242 for 8 (Rehan 2*, Leach 1*) vs Pakistan

Jamie Smith’s remarkable 89 has given England a firm footing at tea on day one third Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, on 242 for 8.

In tandem with Gus Atkinson (39) for an eighth-wicket stand of 107 that ensured just three wickets fell in the afternoon session, Smith produced a counter-attacking display that had the hosts scrabbling in the field after having things their own way in the morning. His innings featured 11 boundaries, six of them sixes, which is now the joint-most for an English batter in Asia. It was his first half-century away from home having made his debut at the start of the 2024 summer.

England emerged from the lunch break on 110 for 5, thanks largely to Ben Duckett’s 52. While somewhat precarious after Ben Stokes had won the toss, on a scoured surface it was hard toit outright as a problematic position.

The tourists had begun reasonably enough, bringing up an opening stand of 50 in 12 overs, before Zak Crawley – playing in his 50th Test – fell to Noman Ali. A score of 56 for 0 became 98 for 5 in the space of 12.5 overs, as the left-arm spinner and Sajid Khan combined, bowling all 30 overs of the morning session between them.

The duo made smart use of low bounce, with the trio of Duckett (wearing one on the boot), Joe Root (trapped in front) and Harry Brook (bowled leg stump sweeping) succumbing to deliveries that did not get up as expected. And it was only after 42 overs that Shan Masood made his first bowling change, as Sajid was swapped out of the attack having removed Stokes caught at slip 11 balls into the second session for his fourth wicket. Sajid would eventually return to bring Noman’s opening spell to an end after 23 overs.

At 118 for 6, Atkinson joined Smith and set about an all-Surrey stand, acting as the straight man to the latter’s devastation, even if those roles only truly came to the fore at the end of their century stand. After a watchful start from both – Smith’s fifty took all of 94 deliveries – the final 39 runs to take their partnership to three figures took just 21 deliveries.

It was a charge instigated by Atkinson, striking three fours in the last four balls off the 56th over, against legspinner Zahid who was was now in England’s sights as the bowler to target. That being said, Smith followed with successive boundaries off Sajid, albeit the second – his third six – pierced the hands of Saud Shakeel at long on.

Had Shakeel been set back on the fence rather than a few feet in front, he might have ended the keeper-batter’s innings on 54. Alas, Sajid felt the brunt of that miss, taken for another two more boundaries by Smith in his next over – the first smeared over midwicket for six, the second lofted gloriously down the ground for a one-bounce four.

The second took the value of the seventh wicket to 103 from just 159 deliveries. And though it would only reach 107 as Noman returned to take a catch off his own bowling as Atkinson bunted back a delivery that stuck in the pitch, Smith kept going, blasting two sixes down the ground off Zahid as he rounded on his second Test century. A third six at the end of the over was avoided thanks to exemplary work from Sajid, who took a boundary catch twice, but had to hurl the ball back in play for a second time to prevent the boundary.

Alas, Smith would fall nine short, Zahid the beneficiary of a top-edged heave that was taken to end a remarkable knock and polish the legspinner’s figures, which currently read 1 for 44 from 10 overs. It was Pakistan’s first wicket in 28 for a bowler other than Sajid and Noman, who combined for all 20 in second Test in Multan.

Jack Leach and Rehan Ahmed, recalled to the side for his first international appearance since February, will resume after the break.

Vithushan Ehantharajah is an associate editor at ESPNcricinfo

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