Shakeel century levels the scores as England’s push is thwarted

Innings Pakistan 344 (Shakeel 134, Sajid 48*, Noman 45, Rehan 4-66) are level with England 267 (Smith 89, Duckett 52, Sajid 6-128) by 77 runs

An undulating third Test in Rawalpindi has shifted back Pakistan’s way thanks to a gutsy century from Saud Shakeel that dragged Pakistan to 344 for a vital 77-run first innings lead over England.

Shakeel’s 134 from 223 deliveries held together the innings, capped off by vital stands of 88 with Noman Ali (45) and 72 with Sajid Khan, whose brutal 48 not out provided the explosives after the lead had been secured.

It spoke of Shakeel’s application that he struck just five boundaries during his vigil – the fourth of those a firm sweep in front of square which took him to 50 from 92 deliveries. His fifth and final one came 108 balls later. And it was appropriate that he had the honour of taking Pakistan to 267, cancelling out England’s opening effort, with a comfortable single driven down the ground off the penultimate ball before tea.

England had gone to the break in the ascendancy, using an extended opening session to reduce Pakistan to 187 for 7, with legspinner Rehan Ahmed taking three of the four wickets to fall after the resumption from 73 for 3. That included trapping Mohammed Rizwan and Salman Agha leg before in the space of nine deliveries, before bowling Aamer Jamal via a drag on off a googly.

Shakeel was able to bat through the morning but could have been removed on 26 when Shoaib Bashir – who had dismissed skipper Shan Masood – found a leading edge through to Jamie Smith, who was unable to claim a low catch. The ball ended up ricocheting off the wicketkeeper’s left shin, reflecting the difficulty of the chance due to a lack of bounce.

Still 80 behind after lunch, Shakeel and the very capable Noman set about drawing level with England’s first innings. The latter was the main aggressor, clouting Rehan for six down the ground as the 20-year-old struggled to find the full length that had come so easily in an excellent eight-over spell before the first break.

Perhaps because there were two left-handers, Ben Stokes decided not to keep the legspinner on for the start of the session. When he did reintroduce Rehan, it was from the Media rather than the Pavilion End, where he had bowled all of his previous nine overs.

The skipper’s frustration was compounded when Joe Root, brought on to bowl the 78th over, got his first delivery to spit out of the rough and take the shoulder of Noman’s bat when the left-hander was on 35. Stokes, fielding close in at first slip, got fingertips on the ball diving to his left. Noman had earlier corrected an LBW dismissal when on 10, with DRS confirming an inside-edge. It was the third decision umpire Sharfuddoula had overturned in this innings.

The following over, Shakeel knocked another comfortable single into leg side to bring up his first hundred against England, and second at this venue. The celebrations from his batting partner and teammates in the home dressing room were far more animated than his, all too aware there was plenty of work to be done.

Having come to the crease at 46 for 3 on the evening of day one, Shakeel glued the innings together through half-century stands with Masood and Rizwan. The third in cahoots with Noman truly flipped the script on England, eventually broken in the final over before tea when Bashir managed to skid the second new ball into the pads of the No.9.

After the break, Sajid stepped on the accelerator, clouting four sixes as part of his four boundaries – with two sixes and a four in a 19-run over against Bashir that was the offspinner’s last.

Vithushan Ehantharajah is an associate editor at ESPNcricinfo