England bowled out Pakistan for 304 runs on the first day of the third and final Test of the series at the National Stadium in Karachi on Saturday, with half-centuries from home side captain Babar Azam and Agha Salman.
Babar scored a brilliant 78 at the top of the order while Salman scored 56 later in the innings to take them to a respectable total as wickets kept falling around them.
England were 7-1 with Ben Duckett (4) and Ollie Pope (3) at stumps after Zac Crowley was caught in front of the wicket for a wicket in Abrar Ahmed’s opening over.
Pakistan, who have already lost the series with defeats in Rawalpindi and Multan, won the toss and elected to bat on another flat track. But hosts England made an early start in their bid for a clean sweep in the first session.
Spinner Jack Leach (4-140) removed and caught Abdullah Shafiq first off the new ball, who sent back Shaun Masood off pacer Mark Wood to leave Pakistan at 46-2 inside 13 overs. Daya, before Azhar Ali steadied the ship.
The top-order batsman, recalled for one final appearance after announcing his retirement from international cricket after the Karachi Test, scored a fluent 45 in Babar’s company before falling on the stroke of Lynch.
England attacked and 18-year-old debutant all-rounder Rehan Ahmed – who became their youngest ever men’s Test cricketer – caught Saud Shakeel for 23 for his first wicket.
“A day ago Ben Stokes called me in his room with Baz (coach Brendon McCullum) and told me that I am making my debut. I can’t sleep, I can’t eat. I didn’t expect to play,” Rihan Jo. finished with figures of 2-89, told Sky Sports.
“I think I was a bit quick in the beginning, although it turned out better than expected. I know I took a few boundaries (hits). Stokes told me, ‘I don’t care about runs, I care about wickets. ‘ And in the second spell I took some wickets.”
Babar, who hit nine fours in his 123-ball innings, soldiered on after part-timer Joe Root removed Mohammad Rizwan.
The skipper completed his half-century but was run out in a single attempt to put Pakistan in more trouble.
Faheem Ashraf and Nouman Ali then fell to Rehan and Leach, but Salman held the fort and avenged his second half-century of the series, before also falling to Leach, who cleaned up at the end of the day. .
England won the first Test by 74 runs before winning the second by 26 runs to win their first series in Pakistan since 2000-01.
Teams:
Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Shan Masood, Saud Shakeel, Muhammad Rizwan, Agha Salman, Faheem Ashraf, Muhammad Wasim Jr., Abrar Ahmed, Nouman Ali.
England: Ben Stokes (captain), Harry Brook, Zac Crowley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Mark Wood, Rehan Ahmed
Umpires: Joel Wilson (WIS) and Ahsan Raza (PAK)
TV Umpire: Maurice Erasmus (RSA)
Match Referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)
England will complete their first Test tour of Pakistan since 2005.
