Eng reeling at 24-3 after Shakeel ton

RAWALPINDI:

Spinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali left England reeling at 24-3 after Saud Shakeel's fighting hundred put Pakistan ahead in the series-deciding third Test in Rawalpindi on Friday.

England came in looking to erase a deficit of 77 but had no answers for the Pakistan spinners on a turning pitch.

Sajid dismissed Ben Duckett for 12 and Noman Ali removed Zak Crawley (two) and Ollie Pope (one) in the space of five runs.

When bad light ended the second day's play with five overs remaining, Joe Root and Harry Brook were at the crease on five and three respectively.

England still need 53 runs to avoid an innings defeat with seven wickets in hand and three days left to play.

The series is tied at 1-1 after England won the first Test by an innings and 47 runs while Pakistan took the second by 152 runs, both in Multan.

On another day dominated by spin, Shakeel's brilliant 134 was the highlight, pulling Pakistan withing touching distance of a first home Test series win since they defeated South Africa in February 2021.

Shakeel anchored Pakistan's innings, lifting them from a precarious 177-7 to 344 all out.

The left-hander held Pakistan's innings together with a gritty knock spread over 322 minutes and 223 balls, hitting just five boundaries.

Leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed was the pick of the England bowlers with 4-66 while Shoaib Bashir finished with 3-129. The 29-year-old Shakeel defied England with an eighth wicket stand of 88 alongside Noman who made 45 before falling in the final over ahead of the tea break to spinner Bashir.

Shakeel added another 72 for the ninth wicket with Sajid who scored an unbeaten career-best 48.

Shakeel was finally caught off a miscued pull off pacer Gus Atkinson while Ahmed dismissed the last man Zahid Mahmood for nought.

The visitors looked to be in control when young spinner Ahmed bagged three quick wickets to leave Pakistan teetering at the end of the first session.

England were eyeing a lead after Ahmed's burst left Pakistan on 187-7 at lunch but the Shakeel-Noman stand turned those expectations into frustration.

Shakeel batted with composure and reached his fourth Test hundred with a single off Rehan in a resistance-packed innings.

Noman -- surviving a leg-before decision on review and a dropped catch off Root -- assisted Shakeel admirably, hitting a six and two fours as the duo helped Pakistan add 80 in the second session.

Rehan sent Mohammad Rizwan (25), Salman Agha (one) and Aamer Jamal (14) back to the pavilion and threatened to derail Pakistan. England's frontline spinners Jack Leach and Bashir could not extract the same sharp turn from the pitch as rival Sajid Khan, who took 6-128 on Thursday.

Pakistan resumed the day at 73-3 in search of a lead to press for a series win.

But Shakeel was the only batter able to continue after reaching double figures.

Hasnain, Jahandad likely to make Pak squad for Aus series

Young Pakistan pacers Mohammad Hasnain and Jahandad Khan are likely to be called up for the upcoming white-ball series against Australia, set to take place in November.

According to sources, the two bowlers, who impressed during the recently concluded Champions One-Day Cup, are in strong contention to join Pakistan's lineup for a challenging three-match ODI and T20I series down under.

Hasnain, a fast bowler who has been steadily knocking on the selectors' door, delivered a stellar performance in domestic cricket when he topped the wicket-takers' chart in the Champions One-Day Cup, capturing 17 wickets. His counterpart Jahandad Khan finished as the second-leading wicket-taker.

Hasnain's skill set is well-suited to Australia's pace-friendly conditions, making him a likely candidate to support Pakistan's pace attack alongside Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf.

Meanwhile, Jahandad Khan, who has been making waves in the domestic circuit, could add depth and variety to the pace attack.

With Aaqib Javed taking the reins of the newly appointed selection committee, a fresh approach to team composition is anticipated for Pakistan's tour of Australia. Pakistan's tour is slated to begin on November 4th, with three ODIs and three T20Is, promising a thrilling showdown as both teams gear up for high-stakes international cricket on Australian soil.