Record-breaker Rehan Ahmed claims first England wicket as Pakistan struggle in third Test

Rehan Ahmed claimed his first Test wicket for England in a lively afternoon session that saw Pakistan reach the interval at 204 for five.

Pakistan captain Babar Azam controlled proceedings in the afternoon at Karachi as his side scored at just under four-an-over throughout.

Babar brought up his third score of 50 or more of the series off 74 balls in a patient innings that saw him score freely whilst not playing any real shots in anger.

Along with Saud Shakeel, the pair added 45 together in 16 overs before Ahmed, brought back on for his second spell of the match, had him caught at short-leg after an inside edge ballooned up off Saud’s pad and was fantastically caught by a sprawling Ollie Pope at short-leg. Pope completed the catch almost exactly in the centre of the wicket.

England could hardly contain their excitement for the 18-year-old debutant. The ball previously, Ahmed had delivered a wicked googly that had ripped past Saud’s outside edge before the wicket-ball shot along and stayed low. It was a two-ball combination that proved the potential that England see in the young all-rounder.

The wicket came against the run of play in what had seemingly been turning into a sedate afternoon session where Pakistan knocked the ball around a little and slowly improved their position in the match.

And if anything, England were in a potentially perilous position with Mohammad Rizwan arriving at the crease alongside the untroubled Babar. Rizwan upped the tempo and raced to 19 off 23 deliveries with the home side looking to press home an advantage.

But he had a moment to forget when he advanced at Joe Root and turned a length delivery into a low full toss, which he somehow managed to scoop to Ben Stokes at cow corner, the England captain lurking three-quarters of the way to the boundary. A wicket out of nothing. And one that, truth be told, was all of the Pakistan batters’ own making.

The day started with Babar winning a toss for the first time in the series and electing to bat. Something that Stokes too would’ve done had he been given the choice. And on a wicket that offered spin from the very beginning, England opened with Ollie Robinson and Jack Leach, making it the first time since 1921 that England have used a spinner to open the bowling in the first innings of a Test match.

The morning session would be an even, if lively, contest, with Pakistan scoring at four-and-a-half an over and in particular targeting the spin of Leach and Ahmed, who between them went at a run-a-ball. But a wicket apiece for Leach, Mark Wood and Robinson would peg back a Pakistan side that had threatened to make the early runnings in the contest.