Fiery Brook leads England charge in first Test against Pakistan

December 4, 2022 06:58 PM

England grabbed a couple of quick wickets Sunday after setting Pakistan a daunting target of 343 for victory with one day to play in a high-scoring first Test at Rawalpindi.

Pakistan lost Abdullah Shafique (six) and skipper Babar Azam (four) in their second innings before Imam-ul-Haq (43) and Saud Shakeel (24) ended day four at the crease on 80-2.

Earlier, Harry Brook struck a fiery 87 as England batted aggressively in their second innings before declaring at 264-7 -- a lead of 78.

Debutant spinner Will Jacks took a career-best 6-161 as England finally dismissed Pakistan for 579 in response to their mammoth first innings score of 657.

Seeking ten Pakistan wickets in a maximum 130 overs, England showed their intent early and Ollie Robinson soon bounced out opener Shafique -- who scored a century in the first innings.

In the same over he struck Azhar Ali with a sharp, rising delivery, forcing him to retire with an injured finger.

Then Stokes got the prized wicket of Pakistan skipper Azam by forcing an edge off a rising delivery that landed safely in keeper Ollie Pope's hands -- shocking the holiday crowd of 14,200.

But Haq -- who also scored a century in the first innings -- steadied the ship with Shakeel with a 55-run third-wicket stand.

The second session belonged to England, who added 218 runs before declaring when Brook was bowled in Naseem Shah's last over before tea.

Brook smashed 11 boundaries and three sixes in a swashbuckling knock, coming after his 153 in England's first innings.

Root also played a part in a 96-run partnership with Brook, scoring his 55th Test half-century.

Leg-spinner Zahid Mahmood dismissed Root and Stokes (nought) in the same over to finish with figures of 2-84, while Naseem took 2-66 and Mohammad Ali 2-64.

In the morning session, debutant Jacks took all three wickets to fall after Pakistan resumed at 499-7 -- but not before the host's tail-enders scored freely on a much-maligned flat Rawalpindi Stadium pitch.

Agha Salman (53) and Mahmood (17) frustrated England for 50 minutes during their stubborn eighth-wicket stand of 57.

Pakistan vs England 1st Test scoreboard

Scoreboard at close of play Sunday on the fourth day of the first Test between Pakistan and England at Rawalpindi Stadium:

England 1st innings 657 (H. Brook 153, Z. Crawley 122, O. Pope 108, B. Duckett 107; Zahid Mahmood 4-235, Naseem Shah 3-140)

Pakistan 1st innings (overnight 499-7)

Abdullah Shafique c Pope b Jacks 114

Imam-ul-Haq c Robinson b Leach 121

Azhar Ali lbw b Leach 27

Babar Azam c Leach b Jacks 136

Saud Shakeel c Pope b Robinson 37

Mohammad Rizwan c Stokes b Anderson 29

Agha Salman c Crawley b Jacks 53

Naseem Shah c Leach b Jacks 15

Zahid Mahmood st Pope b Jacks 17

Haris Rauf c Root b Jacks 12

Mohammad Ali not out 0

Extras (b15, nb3) 18

Total (all out, 155.3 overs) 579

Fall of wickets: 1-225 (Shafique), 2-245 (Haq), 3-290 (Azhar), 4-413 (Shakeel), 5-473 (Azam), 6-475 (Rizwan), 7-497 (Naseem), 8-554 (Salman), 9-576 (Mahmood)

Bowling: Anderson 22-4-52-1, Robinson 21-2-72-1 (nb3), Leach 49-7-190-2, Jacks 40.3-5-161-6, Root 16-3-54-0, Stokes 7-0-35-0

England 2nd innings

Z. Crawley c Rizwan b Ali 50

B. Duckett c Salman b Naseem 0

O. Pope c Naseem b Ali 15

J. Root c Haq b Mahmood 73

H. Brook b Naseem 87

B. Stokes c Shakeel b Mahmood 0

W. Jacks c Haq b Salman 24

L. Livingstone not out 7

Extras (lb3, nb5) 8

Total (for seven wkts dec, 35.5 overs) 264