Ben Stokes took two late wickets to assist drag England again into the primary Take a look at in opposition to Pakistan at Outdated Trafford on Friday. Pakistan, on prime for many of this match, have been 137-Eight of their second innings at stumps on the third day — a lead of 244 runs. Stokes, who did not bowl within the third Take a look at in opposition to the West Indies at Outdated Trafford final month due to a quad damage, took 2-11 in 20 balls. He struck with simply his eighth supply of the match when he had Mohammad Rizwan lbw for 27 on umpire’s name.
And the paceman struck once more earlier than stumps when he had tailender Shaheen Afridi caught fending at a brief ball.
However leg-spinner Yasir Shah, who had earlier taken 4 wickets, was nonetheless there at stumps on 12 not out.
Pakistan have been nonetheless comparatively well-placed.
Solely twice have a group chased greater than 200 to win within the fourth innings of a Take a look at at Outdated Trafford, with England making 294-Four in opposition to New Zealand in 2008 and 231-Three in opposition to the West Indies on the Manchester floor in 2004.
England have been additionally attempting to finish a run of dropping the primary Take a look at in every of their final 5 sequence, with eight of their previous 10 openers ending in defeat.
There have been, nevertheless, nonetheless two days left within the recreation, albeit on a sporting pitch the place Yasir earlier took Four-66 — together with three for 4 in 27 balls — as England have been dismissed for 219 in reply to Pakistan’s first-innings 326.
However Pakistan’s Shan Masood, who batted nearly eight hours for a Test-best 156 in the first innings, was out for a duck when caught behind down the legside off a poor Stuart Broad supply.
Babar, Azhar fall cheaply
In-form paceman Chris Woakes diminished Pakistan to 63-Four, having Babar Azam effectively caught within the slips by Stokes earlier than Pakistan captain Azhar Ali, out for a duck within the first innings, was lbw for 18.
Wicketkeeper Rizwan, way more spectacular behind the stumps than England counterpart Jos Buttler, batted effectively in a partnership of 38 with Asad Shafiq, till Shafiq was run out by Dom Sibley’s direct hit.
England resumed Friday on 92-Four, which represented an enchancment on their dire place of 12-Three on Thursday.
Ollie Pope was 46 not out and Buttler 15 not out.
Buttler, with only one hundred from his earlier 44 Checks, was beneath strain to attain runs after pricey errors behind the stumps.
He dropped Masood on 45 after which missed an opportunity to stump him on the identical rating — errors that intensified a debate about whether or not the World Cup winner ought to stay England’s red-ball gloveman.
Pope accomplished a composed 81-ball fifty.
Promoted
However there was little he may do when, on 62, a Naseem Shah supply climbed off a very good size to take the shoulder of his bat and went to Shadab Khan at gully.
England suffered a recent collapse after lunch, dropping their final 5 wickets for 60 runs in 18.Three overs — a sequence that began when Yasir bowled Buttler between bat and pad for 38.
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