Hafeez leads Pakistan's fightback

Sport360 staff 18:33 03/11/2015
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  • Invincible: Pakistan's Mohammad Hafeez.

    Mohammad Hafeez’s stunning unbeaten 97 handed Pakistan a lead of 74 on a dramatic day three – in keeping with the up and down nature of this Test series.

    Pakistan took 6-84 and scored 146 runs for the loss of three wickets in garnering their lead, which effectively leaves them 74-3 with two days to go.

    Largely outplayed for the first two days by England, the hosts were first to show how quickly the momentum can shift in Test match cricket.

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    England did the same in the final hour, with three crucial inroads, only for Hafeez to deny them with an innings that made a mockery of both sides’ batsmen’s sluggishness and, largely, their struggles.

    It was the manner of Hafeez’s knock that was most impressive, his runs coming at a strike-rate of 62.58 and featuring shots all around the wicket.

    Hafeez will be joined by Rahat Ali (0*) as the other not out batsman when they resume on day four.

    After bowling England out for 306, Pakistan openers Hafeez and Azhar Ali made light work of the touring side’s 72-run lead, putting their team in front with 28.3 overs of their second innings bowled.

    Azhar was run out for 34 by Ian Bell with the score 101-1 and Pakistan put their noses in front thanks to their openers, before Shoaib Malik was lbw to a superb in swinger from James Anderson for a golden duck.

    At the close of play, Malik went on to announce his retirement from Test cricket just three matches after his return to the team following a five-year absence.

    Momentum swung briefly before Hafeez and Younis came together for the third wicket in a 41-run partnership. 

    Stuart Broad removed the latter for 14 with three overs to go, a potentially vital breakthrough. 

    England will be hoping history doesn’t repeat itself in the UAE, having led Pakistan by 70 after the first innings back in 2012 before falling to defeat in Abu Dhabi.

    Earlier, England’s day two hero James Taylor quickly came and went first thing, unable to convert his maiden Test fifty into a first century.

    Taylor wafted outside off stump to edge Rahat to Sarfraz Ahmed after adding just two runs to his overnight score, departing for 76 just fourteen balls into day three.

    Samit Patel was the next man in, taking England into the lead in the seventh over of the day with a push through cover off Ali for two.

    Jonny Bairstow fell 17 runs later for 43, giving Pakistan a sight at the opposition tail.

    Patel and fellow spinner Adil Rashid took England to a lead of 51 before Malik’s off-spin ended their 40-run partnership thanks to a superb catch by Azhar at short-leg to remove England’s leg-spinner.

    Prodding forward, Rashid inside edged the ball to Ali’s right, where the Pakistan fielder dove to his left and plucked the ball inches above the ground.

    It was the type of close fielding that the hosts missed in Ali’s absence, Shan Masood the main culprit while Azhar was out of the side.

    In his first Test for three years, Patel looked comfortable, following the departed Rashid off the pitch at lunch unbeaten on 42 after an innings that showed off every bit of his ability against spin bowling.

    The England all-rounder was unable to continue his early good work after lunch, however, though it took a stunning delivery to remove him.

    Five balls into the afternoon session, Yasir Shah ripped one that spun from leg stump to take the top of off – rekindling memories of Shane Warne’s ‘ball of the century’. 

    It seems time with the Australian legend last week was inspiring Shah as he led Pakistan’s spinners on day three in ominous fashion. 

    Anderson soon came and went, bowled by Malik, which brought the injured Ben Stokes to the wicket as he aimed to support Broad in England’s push for a bigger lead.

    Stokes, who the ECB announced earlier in the day will not bowl again in this Test but will bat depending on circumstance, was diagnosed with a collar bone joint injury.

    It did not stop the England all-rounder from helping his team out as he went to the wicket with strapping on his right arm.

    Wahab Riaz was soon brought on to bowl in a bid to make life even more uncomfortable for Stokes and three balls into Riaz’s return he was wearing a bouncer on his left pec.

    Despite Stokes seeing out that over, he fell in the next as Malik picked up a fourth wicket of the innings to finish with a career best 4-33 in Tests.

    Having been firmly on top for the morning session, Pakistan’s openers carried the momentum forward, hauling their team back into contention of a Test win which looked largely unlikely over the first two days.

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