How to watch Pakistan vs England – Third Test Match – Day 3
When: Thursday 24th October, 06:00 (UK time)
Where: Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
How:
UK – Sky Sports Cricket
Australia – Fox Sports 5
Preview & Prediction
Day 3
The last three Pakistan wickets put on an extra 167 runs to turn the Test match in the home side’s favour. A brilliant century from Saud Shakeel and solid batting from the spin twins Sajid Khan and Noman Ali helped them to an unlikely first innings lead of 77. A late evening collapse left England 24 for 3, still 53 runs behind and in danger of losing the match and the series. It’s all down to Root, Brook, Smith and Stokes on a spinning track. The way England are batting there might not be a day 4. Pakistan to win and wrap a famous series win.
Day 2
So England won the toss and quite rightly decided to bat, but it didn’t go that well except for Ben Duckett and Jamie Smith. England eventually reached which could be good score on a wicket that’s hardly likely to get better. Pakistan replied with 73 for 3 and the English spinners, Leach, Bashir, Ahmed and Root are in for a long day 2. I expect England will back at the crease before the end of the day with the scores about even. If England can set Pakistan anything over 200 in the fourth innings, then they should win.
The series stand all square after two very different Tests at Multan. The epic first Test broke all sorts of records as England racked up all sorts of records with Joe Root overtaking Alastair Cook as England’s record run scorer, scoring his sixth double century in the process and Harry Brook a triple century. Playing on the same itch in the second Test Pakistan’s spinners took all 20 wickets to level the series 1-1 with only Ben Duckett making a century for England. Kamran Ghulam on his debut was Pakistan’s star scoring a century. England have responded by going into the third Test with three spinners, adding leg spinner Rehan Ahmed to Jack Leach & Shoaib Bashir and only having two fast bowlers, one of whom is captain Ben Stokes who has yet to bowl a full spell. Gus Atkinson is also preferred as the other quickie to Brydon Carse who looked the most threatening fast bowler in the previous two Tests. Pakistan have apparently prepared a spinning wicket so the toss might be the most crucial part of the Test. Win the toss, bat first and win the Test. England under McCullum & Stokes have been rewriting the rules and if they lose the toss, they might have to. Whichever way the coin falls, we’re in for an interesting final and deciding Test.
