England vs Pakistan 2020, 1st Test, Day 3: Report - Hosts Fight Back But Pakistan Marginally Ahead

England fought back as one would have expected them to on the third day of the first Test against Pakistan in Manchester. However, it is safe to say that Pakistan stood marginally ahead in a Test that is heading for an exciting finish. Pakistan’s chances entirely rest on the bowlers, especially spinners, leading to the fourth day, as they found themselves ahead by 244 runs.

Also Read: PCB Chairman Firm On Playing Against England In Pakistan Or Not Play At All In 2022

Jos Buttler and Ollie Pope strode out at the Old Trafford on the third day, needing a miraculous partnership to pull England out of the hole. Naseem Shah made the first breakthrough of the day by plucking Pope for 62. For all his efforts, vigil, and counterattack, there is not much he could do from a top-notch delivery from Naseem Shah.

Jos Buttler, who was fighting for his spot, could not make a substantial score as Yasir Shah’s delivery went through the gate to rearrange the stumps for 38. The home side added only 79 runs more with Stuart Broad’s pyrotechnics was the big highlight in it. While the three-pronged pace attack kept the English batsmen guessing, Yasir Shah became the pick of the bowlers with 18-2-66-4 to give Pakistan a 107-run lead.

England’s bowlers bring the fight back to the opposition:

As much as the tourists batted cautiously in the first innings, they began poking needlessly in the second. Shan Masood, who scored 156 in the first innings, chased a delivery heading down leg side and edged it to Buttler for a duck. Babar Azam chased a delivery outside the off-stump which Ben Stokes plucked it at the slip after fluffing one earlier. Azhar Ali’s vigil of 53 balls for 18 runs ended as he missed a straight one from Chris Woakes.

The partnership of 38 between Asad Shafiq and Mohammad Rizwan was perhaps the most confident and the highest of Pakistan’s innings. The pair kept getting the odd boundary and ran quick singles but one of those resulted in a run-out from Dom Sibley, who fired a direct hit from covers to remove Shafiq. The tourists lost their next three wickets for 37 runs only with Stokes accounting for two of them. During the closing minutes, Yasir Shah got a few boundaries to lift Pakistan’s lead close to 250, which should give a stiff target to England.

Here’s how Twitter reacted to the third day of play:

The Jos Butler experiment hasn’t work, time for a change at W/K please #ENGvPAK

— Simon Fleet (@simonfleet) August 7, 2020

There he is with absolutely no cricket in this match. Sir Ben Stokes again takes the matter in his own hands. ? #ENGvPAK

— arnav (@square_cut_) August 7, 2020

https://twitter.com/benjonescricket/status/1291789609387601921?s=20

England have thrown the ball to their last resort is it? @benstokes38 is now bowling, does root expect his superman for a miracle ? #ENGvPAK

— Tanmay Srivastava (@srivastavtanmay) August 7, 2020

https://twitter.com/tejas_pujare/status/1291802594591952896?s=20

What a gripping day at @EmiratesOT . Credit to England with the way they have got back in the game. Test Cricket at its absolute best. Can go either way for now on in. So looking forward to day 4. #ENGvPAK #ENGvsPAK

— Faisal Kalim (@fslklm) August 7, 2020

What a gripping day at @EmiratesOT . Credit to England with the way they have got back in the game. Test Cricket at its absolute best. Can go either way for now on in. So looking forward to day 4. #ENGvPAK #ENGvsPAK

— Faisal Kalim (@fslklm) August 7, 2020

Loving watching the legspinners. Can't see England holding out on a 4th day pitch that is taking spin. #ENGvPAK

— Summer's Eve #FBPE (@EveRay1) August 7, 2020

At 220-230 lead, ,its anyone's game. We need to do more. England's batting lineup is quite strong.
#ENGvPAK

— Hooroscope (@HooviK) August 7, 2020