Pakistan 358 for 8 (Jamal 37*, Noman 29*) vs England
Worryingly for Pakistan, however, Aamer – whose key role could yet be to come as Pakistan’s lone seamer – was seen stretching his hip on several occasions in the course of his innings, eventually requiring treatment from the physio as he battled his way through to 37 not out. At the other end, Noman unfurled a range of deft sweeps to get his innings going, before signing off for the session with an emphatic pull for four through midwicket off Brydon Carse.
In the cooler conditions, the pitch had seemed to acquire an extra yard of pace for the day’s opening exchanges, which Carse utilised to superb effect for England’s crucial early breakthrough. Having added just four runs to his overnight 37, Mohammad Rizwan was beaten by Carse’s extra lift, angled into his splice, and Jamie Smith behind the stumps reacted superbly to cling onto a fast-travelling chance.
It was due reward for an exemplary display from Carse, whose key wicket of Saud Shakeel on the first evening had also required him to extract some unlikely life from the surface. But, having conceded 19 runs in his first 15 overs, Carse then encountered his nemesis in Agha Salman, who picked off two coolly deflected boundaries through deep third in a 16-run over that gave Pakistan their first real impetus for the morning.
Matthew Potts replaced Carse, but Salman kept picking off his dabs, with two more fours in consecutive deliveries through deep third. However, Ben Stokes, to his credit, refused to plug the gap in conventional style, instead choosing to add a gully to ramp up the risk-reward element to the stroke. Four balls later, Potts this time extracted the extra bounce, and Smith – for the third time in the innings – make a very sharp chance look simple.
Jack Leach, England’s stand-out spinner in the series so far, then added his third of the innings, moments after the drinks break, stopping one in the pitch as Sajid Khan punched a drive on the up to short cover. At 309 for 8, Pakistan were in danger of another damaging subsidence. Jamal and Noman, however, had other ideas.
Andrew Miller is UK editor of ESPNcricinfo. @miller_cricket
Source: ESPN Crickinfo