On the subcontinent, necessity is the mother of invention, and nothing exemplified this more than Joe Root’s use of Jack Leach’s sweaty head to polish the ball on a potentially decisive third day, during which Babar Azam scored a magnificent century and England responded impressively late.
It was the type of inventiveness necessary on such a placid pitch, and after three hours of hard work, Ben Stokes and his teammates were rewarded with an encouraging wickets tally. Pakistan achieved 499 for seven, 158 runs behind following England’s record-setting start of 657.
Will Jacks is another necessity-driven creation. Ben Foakes’ inability to recover from the infection that threatened to postpone this series opener led to the all-call-up rounders for this trip and his Test debut here only occurred at the eleventh hour after Ben Foakes failed to recuperate.
The 24-year-old does not look to be the sort to want harm on anyone, let alone a Surrey colleague, yet he will never forget that day.
Three wickets for 132 runs off 33 overs may not jump off the page, but his wickets were brilliant in the context of this run-heavy match. First, Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique’s opening stand of 225 runs was broken when Abdullah Shafique was dismissed for 114 off Ollie Pope’s fourth delivery of the morning.
The euphoria of taking a first Test wicket, however, was overshadowed by the departure of Babar during a four-wicket evening session that returned the advantage to England.
Babar became the eighth player to score a century in the match, but his perfectly tranquil 136 was stopped when he attempted to cut Jack square but blasted the ball straight to Leach at a backward point.
When asked about his reaction, Jack responded, “A bit of amazement, frankly.” “It was the initial delivery of my spell, a loosener outside off. If we go on to win this Test, then that wicket, Mohammad Rizwan in the very next over, and one more in the penultimate hour could be viewed as significant.
Jimmy Anderson, at the opposite end of his career but similarly inexperienced in Test cricket in Pakistan, dismissed Rizwan for 29 and thereby opened the door for the lower order.
As has been the case throughout the match, it was mostly due to an error in judgment, with the No. 7 chipping gently to Stokes at short midwicket.
However, the captain’s presence in this position was not a mere coincidence. The entire day, Stokes’s catchers were always in position in front of the batter’s bat. Pakistan may feel they lost control of the situation due to lapses in attention, but they were not solely responsible for the outcome.
Stokes also judiciously managed his team’s resources, despite Liam Livingstone being sidelined all day with a knee injury and his offense lacking the speed to overcome the surface without Mark Wood.
Even throughout a grueling afternoon session, Babar dominated like the modern master that he is. However, the Pakistan captain was kept on his toes by some expertly crafted variety.
It was a typical century from Babar, his seventh in Test cricket and the 14th innings in which he surpassed 1,000 runs on home soil. Alongside Saud Shakeel, a No. 5 debutant who held a stand of 123, Babar exuded class, and on the stroke of tea, he dispatched Stokes past cover to reach the landmark.
A massive crowd, less partisan than many may believe, delivered a thunderous yet joyful shout to emphasize the significance of the return of international cricket.
Babar’s team was 411 for three at tea, and thoughts of parity or even a first-innings lead were beginning to form. Saud’s decision to feather Ollie Robinson’s fourth delivery after the resumption began a session in which Pakistan lost four wickets for 88 runs.
Naseem Shah, the No. 8 batsman, was the final batsman to go before nightfall, holing out to a sliding catch in the deep by Leach that exemplified England’s sticky hands.
Leach was never out of the spotlight. In addition to two catches and assisting Root in polishing the ball with his scalp, the left-arm spinner took two wickets in the morning and accumulated 42 overs at the end of the play.
After Jacks had removed Shafique for the initial incision, Leach had Imam caught at long-on for an outstanding 121, and the veteran Azhar Ali trapped lbw for 27.
The dismissal of Azhar was the result of another unexpected action by Stokes. Before lunch, Anderson had just gotten the old ball to offer a hint of reverse, so brief hitting required vigilance. Leach then slid the harsher replacement into Azhar’s pads as the right-handed batsman attempted to move it to the leg side after Stokes had abandoned it after 80 overs.
This much-criticized field may result in a loss for both teams. However, by following their aggressive batting with a combination of perspiration and creativity, England entered the fourth day attempting to overcome this obstacle.
