Key events
57th over: England 248-6 (Smith 18, Carse 4) Still no big turn, no big shots either. Smith and Carse are proceeding with caution, which is understandable after the mayhem they experienced last night.
“Sajid is great isn’t he?” says Gary Naylor. “Exactly the attitude Pakistan needs. Rizwan also looks like he’s enjoying himself. I know it’s only vibes, but vibes matter.”
They sure do. Totally agree about Sajid’s personality; he has such expressive eyes too. I’m surprised his record is so modest as he looks a pretty good bowler who puts a lot on the ball.
56th over: England 246-6 (Smith 17, Carse 3)
Carse is not out As you were, outside the line. Not even umpire’s call.
Hang on, this is closer than I realised. I think it hit him on the backside, rather than the front pad, so this could well be out.
Pakistan review for LBW against Carse
Smith misses a sweep off Sajid, who goes up for LBW. Outside the line. Carse does likewise later in the over and again the umpire says not out. Pakistan are reviewing it but, although it was closer than the Smith appeal, it looked outside the line.
55th over: England 244-6 (Smith 16, Carse 3) Noman Ali starts with a maiden to Jamie Smith. England will be encouraged that there has been no extravagant turn in the first couple of overs.
54th over: England 244-6 (Smith 16, Carse 3) Brydon Carse is dropped! It was an extremely tough chance to the bowler Sajid, who threw his hands up in self-preservation when Carse smashed the ball back at him. All he could do was push it over his shoulder.
Smith works the ball around more serenely to score four of England’s five runs in the over.
Sajid Khan is going to open the bowling. England will hope the heavy roller dulls the pitch for an hour or two, which would allow them to get somewhere near Pakistan’s first-innings score.
The players are ready to go. Big first hour coming up!
The state of play
England will resume on 239 for 6, still 127 runs behind, after losing four wickets in an exhilarating final hour that changed the mood of the whole series.
That’s a big deficit on an crumbling pitch, especially as England have to bat last, so the morning session could be pivotal. It feels like England need to get to within 50 of Pakistan to have a realistic chance of victory.
Pakistan Men’s National Selection Committee: An Apology
Between 13 and 16 October 2024, The Guardian published a series of articles which made erroneous observations about the group selecting the Pakistan men’s cricket team:
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That in the last four years the selection committee has had more members than The Fall.
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That their pivot from a pace-dominated bowling attack to picking seven spinners was less a volte face, more a volte farce.
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That replacing Pakistan’s best player with an uncapped 29-year-old was the essence of madness.
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That you could leave them alone in a brewery for 48 hours and they would emerge sober, whistling Happy Go Lucky Me.
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That they are unable to distinguish between their elbow and their hindquarters.
This was a collective failure of process and we apologise for any offence caused.