Debutant Razaullah launched a remarkable late salvo as Pakistan finally showed some fight on Friday to keep England waiting for a clean sweep in their three-Test series. The fast bowler came to the crease with the tourists on the brink of defeat in the third Test at Edgbaston but clubbed nine sixes in an astonishing innings of 81 off 63 balls. Fellow paceman Mohammad Abbas also joined the party as the pair took the score from 318-8 to 439-9, with England seemingly powerless to stop the carnage late on the third day. It means the teams will have to come back on Saturday, with the home side needing to score 130 to wrap up a 3-0 win after dominating the series.
Earlier, Shan Masood scored 95 and captain Babar Azam made 76 as much-changed Pakistan passed 200 for the first time in the series at the sixth attempt. Pakistan, facing a first-innings deficit of 320, lost two wickets without scoring a single run on Thursday, but opener Azan Awais and the experienced Masood took the score to 125. Their partnership was broken in Friday’s morning session when Awais was caught down the leg side by stand-in wicketkeeper Jordan Cox off the bowling of spinner Dan Lawrence for 59, bringing Azam to the crease. Masood was in sight of an eighth Test hundred when he fell to a sensational slip catch by Dan Lawrence off the bowling of Gus Atkinson.
Azam, who missed the first Test with an injured hand, batted fluently but got a feather of a touch to a Josh Tongue delivery, with Cox taking the catch. Saud Shakeel (29) was next to go, caught by Emilio Gay at short leg while trying to fend off a Jofra Archer bouncer, while two more Cox catches accounted for Ghazi Ghori and Mohammad Imran. But Pakistan were not finished as Abbas joined Razaullah at the crease for their show of evening fireworks. Debutant paceman Razaullah showed his intent early, clubbing three sixes off Atkinson in four balls and the pair brought up their fifty partnership off just 57 balls.
Inspired, Abbas, with a previous top Test score of 29, smashed Ollie Robinson for six. Razaullah reached an astonishing 50 off 43 balls with a fifth six, this time off Archer, repeating the dose the following ball to leave the England man shaking his head. Abbas was eventually caught by Atkinson off the bowling of Tongue for 42, ending a partnership of 121 for the ninth wicket. Razaullah had by now removed his helmet to face Lawrence, launching him into the stands to move into the 80s in the final over.
He survived an LBW on review but was stumped by Cox off the next ball for 81 as the spectators applauded him off. In total he hit four fours and nine sixes to go with his four wickets in England’s first innings. England bowled Pakistan out for a meagre 133 on the opening day before making 453 at a brisk pace. Joe Root’s side have dominated the series, winning the first game by an innings and 103 runs and the second by 194 runs.
Pakistan released seven players and sacked head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and assistant Umar Gul after their defeat in the second Test, making four changes to their side in Birmingham.
