Pakistan all out with a second innings lead of ۱۳۰ at the close on day three of the third Test at Edgbaston.
Published On ۱۱ Sep ۲۰۲۶
Debutant Razaullah launched a remarkable late salvo as Pakistan finally showed some fight on Friday to keep England waiting for a clean sweep in their three-Test series.
The fast bowler came to the crease with the tourists on the brink of defeat in the third Test at Edgbaston but clubbed nine sixes in an astonishing innings of ۸۱ off ۶۳ balls.
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Fellow paceman Mohammad Abbas also joined the party as the pair took the score from ۳۱۸-۸ to ۴۳۹-۹, with England seemingly powerless to stop the carnage late on the third day.
It means the teams will have to come back on Saturday, with the home side needing to score ۱۳۰ to wrap up a ۳-۰ win after dominating the series.
Earlier, Shan Masood scored ۹۵ and captain Babar Azam made ۷۶ as much-changed Pakistan passed ۲۰۰ for the first time in the series at the sixth attempt.
Pakistan, facing a first-innings deficit of ۳۲۰, lost two wickets without scoring a single run on Thursday, but opener Azan Awais and the experienced Masood took the score to ۱۲۵.
Their partnership was broken in Friday’s morning session when Awais was caught down the leg side by stand-in wicketkeeper Jordan Cox off the bowling of spinner Dan Lawrence for ۵۹, bringing Azam to the crease.
Masood was in sight of an eighth Test hundred when he fell to a sensational slip catch by Dan Lawrence off the bowling of Gus Atkinson.
Azam, who missed the first Test with an injured hand, batted fluently but got a feather of a touch to a Josh Tongue delivery, with Cox taking the catch.
Saud Shakeel (۲۹) was next to go, caught by Emilio Gay at short leg while trying to fend off a Jofra Archer bouncer, while two more Cox catches accounted for Ghazi Ghori and Mohammad Imran.
But Pakistan were not finished as Abbas joined Razaullah at the crease for their show of evening fireworks.
Debutant paceman Razaullah showed his intent early, clubbing three sixes off Atkinson in four balls and the pair brought up their fifty partnership off just ۵۷ balls.
Inspired, Abbas, with a previous top Test score of ۲۹, smashed Ollie Robinson for six.
Razaullah reached an astonishing ۵۰ off ۴۳ balls with a fifth six, this time off Archer, repeating the dose the following ball to leave the England man shaking his head.
Abbas was eventually caught by Atkinson off the bowling of Tongue for ۴۲, ending a partnership of ۱۲۱ for the ninth wicket.
Razaullah had by now removed his helmet to face Lawrence, launching him into the stands to move into the ۸۰s in the final over.
He survived an LBW on review but was stumped by Cox off the next ball for ۸۱ as the spectators applauded him off.
In total he hit four fours and nine sixes to go with his four wickets in England’s first innings.
England bowled Pakistan out for a meagre ۱۳۳ on the opening day before making ۴۵۳ at a brisk pace.
Joe Root’s side have dominated the series, winning the first game by an innings and ۱۰۳ runs and the second by ۱۹۴ runs.
Pakistan released seven players and sacked head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and assistant Umar Gul after their defeat in the second Test, making four changes to their side in Birmingham.
