Key events
WICKET! Shakeel c Smith b Leach 29 (Pakistan 82-6)
Leach turns his arm over and Shakeel immediately meets him with a skip down the pitch: it’s a fine shot over mid-off for four. But Leach has him the very next ball! It’s zipped through, flatter, with Shakeel rocking back for the punch … but he edges behind to Smith, who collects well.
24th over: Pakistan 78-5 (Shakeel 25, Salman 2) Atkinson tries out the bumper against Salman Agha as Jack Leach warms up for a twirl.
23rd over: Pakistan 76-5 (Shakeel 25, Salman 0) Steve Hoare writes in:
“Re: your comment on Bryson Carse looking every inch the test cricketer. Most of England’s picks nowadays seem to fit that description. From Tom Hartley to Matthew Potts to Gus Atkinson to Jamie Smith to Rehan Ahmed to Shoaib… they all seem to debut (at the very least) excellently. There’s not enough places in the team.”
It reflects well on the team environment, I guess. It looks a fun, relaxed side to be a part of which must make life easier as a newcomer.
22nd over: Pakistan 72-5 (Shakeel 21, Salman 0) Shakeel continues to bat on a different surface to the rest, driving Atkinson for four.
21st over: Pakistan 67-5 (Shakeel 16, Salman 0) Carse closes his over with a pearler, moving the ball away from Salman.
A correction from my previous entry is required as Stephen Brown sends me this very handy list. It’s Pakistan who have the record for the biggest difference between first and second innings totals, with 551 against West Indies in 1958.
Iain Chambers has asked: “Given the start to this Pakistan innings I’m wondering what is the biggest difference between the first and second innings of a Test team?”
I put Rob Smyth on the case, and here’s what he has to offer: the 435 runs between Bangladesh’s two innings in this seven-wicket loss to New Zealand.
20th over: Pakistan 64-5 (Shakeel 13, Salman 0) Woakes and co appeal after Salman Agha is hit on the pad, but there’s a massive inside-edge before contact.
England have conceded 550, put on the fourth highest total in Test history, and still might get an extra day on the golf course
— Ben Gardner (@Ben_Wisden) October 10, 2024
19th over: Pakistan 59-5 (Shakeel 8, Salman 0) A replay shows that Carse’s delivery did keep low but it was a buildup of stump-to-stump pressure from the debutant. He looks a Test bowler.
WICKET! Rizwan b Carse 10 (Pakistan 59-5)
Oh dear. Brydon Carse cleans up Mohammad Rizwan, thundering a ball through with his natural angle, towards the right-hander’s stumps, and the Pakistan keeper can’t handle the pace. Did it stay a bit low? Whatever the case, Pakistan’s misery continues.
18th over: Pakistan 59-4 (Shakeel 8, Rizwan 10) Pope has a field set from the Stokes playbook, with close catchers in front of square on both sides of the wicket for the quicks. Shakeel doesn’t let it get to him, slicing Woakes behind point for four.
17th over: Pakistan 55-4 (Shakeel 4, Rizwan 10) Things are quietening down now, with these two looking more comfortable than the men who came before. The pair exchange singles off Carse.
16th over: Pakistan 52-4 (Shakeel 2, Rizwan 9) The game that’s haunting Pakistan at the moment? The first Test against Bangladesh in August. They made 448-6d in the first innings and lost … by 10 wickets. Shakeel and Rizwan made hundreds in that one. Back to the here and now: Woakes produces a maiden.
15th over: Pakistan 52-4 (Shakeel 2, Rizwan 9) Rizwan drives Carse through the covers for three to close the over, taking Pakistan past 50. They still trail by a whopping 215 runs.
14th over: Pakistan 49-4 (Shakeel 2, Rizwan 6) Shakeel, like Rizwan, has a fine record, his average in the fifties after 13 Tests. He laces a drive to end Atkinson’s over but a fine stop at cover limits the damage.
13th over: Pakistan 47-4 (Shakeel 0, Rizwan 6) Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel, both on nought, have to be the saviours. The former gets off a pair with a swivelling pull to the ropes. Just watching a replay of the Babar wicket: Atkinson got the ball to move away a fraction, squaring up one of the best in the world.
WICKET! Ayub c Duckett b Carse 25 (Pakistan 41-4)
Pakistan are imploding. Brydon Carse is into the attack, dropping slightly short with his first ball, and Ayub plays an awkward, thoroughly unconvincing horizontal-bat shot. The ball flies high into the air, with Ben Duckett, running back, holding on in the mid-off region.
WICKET! Babar c Smith b Atkinson 5 (Pakistan 41-3)
Zak Crawley is in at silly mid-on as Atkinson bowls to Babar, who drives behind point for his first boundary. The seamer remains immaculate with his line, though, and he finds the outside edge! Babar pokes outside off and Atkinson gains further reward for a wonderful display with the new ball, Jamie Smith holding on behind the stumps. Pakistan are in all sorts.
12th over: Pakistan 41-3 (Ayub 25)
11th over: Pakistan 37-2 (Babar 1, Ayub 25) Woakes tries to catch Babar out with a yorker, but the batter digs it out comfortably. A fine delivery on fifth stump follows, Babar deciding to let it go late in the day. He finally gets off the mark with the final ball of the over, whipping off his pads for one.
10th over: Pakistan 36-2 (Babar 0, Ayub 25) Atkinson produces some lavish movement off the surface, getting the ball to jag away from Saim Ayub, the ball presumably hitting a crack. One then keeps very low to flummox Ayub – the pitch is beginning to play its tricks.
9th over: Pakistan 36-2 (Babar 0, Ayub 25) Ayub slashes a cut to produce another boundary off Woakes. An lbw appeal follows moments later, but I think the left-hander’s got some bat on it. Babar Azam takes strike, his side needing a big knock from their best player.
WICKET! Masood c Crawley b Atkinson 11 (Pakistan 29-2)
That was coming. It’s really soft from Shan Masood, who’d already been dropped twice. His attempted leg-side clip goes horribly wrong, the ball lobbing up to Zak Crawley at short midwicket for the simplest of grabs.
8th over: Pakistan 29-2 (Ayub 18)
7th over: Pakistan 27-1 (Masood 10, Ayub 17) And we’re back, with Woakes to skip in. He drops short and Ayub pulls him behind square for four. The seamer rediscovers his line and length to produce four dots on the bounce.
The list Pakistan are trying to avoid:
Highest first innings totals to lose are: 595-8 Bang v NZ (2016-17)
586 Aus v Eng (1894/95)
556 Aus v Ind (2003/04)— George Dobell (@GeorgeDobell1) October 10, 2024
“Pakistan is the cricket’s equivalent of Everton or Spurs should they lose this test after scoring 550+ in their first innings,” writes krishnamoorthy v. Is McCullum in the dressing room saying: “Lads, it’s Pakistan”?
Tea
6th over: Pakistan 23-1 (Masood 10, Ayub 13) Atkinson appeals for lbw against Masood, but it looks high and leg-sideish. The seamer then gets his wobbling ball to sneak past Masood’s outside edge – that’s a gorgeous delivery. The end of the over brings the session to a close. Pakistan are still 244 behind; England should be very pleased with themselves.
5th over: Pakistan 23-1 (Masood 10, Ayub 13) Shoaib Bashir is introduced early – he’s got two lefties to turn the ball away from. Masood flicks to the leg-side for three before Ayub shows intent with a thump down the ground for four.
4th over: Pakistan 16-1 (Masood 7, Ayub 9) Saim Ayub’s a 22-year-old still making his way, this just his fourth Test match. He’s facing the heat, too, having gone cheaply in the first innings. Atkinson goes around the wicket to the left-hander, who cuts a short ball behind point for four. It’s slightly edgy but has conviction, unlike Masood’s drives in the last couple of overs.
3rd over: Pakistan 10-1 (Masood 7, Ayub 3) Masood is dropped again! Again he’s half-hearted with the drive, hitting Woakes to cover. Atkinson leaps with one hand up, just like Woakes did the previous over, but fails to hold on.
2nd over: Pakistan 7-1 (Masood 7, Ayub 0) Dropped! Masood pushes at an Atkinson delivery and Woakes, leaping at mid-off, gets one hand to it but can’t hold on. Man are Pakistan a bag of nerves at the moment.
1st over: Pakistan 5-1 (Masood 5, Ayub 0) Masood – under the pump – plays and misses outside off stump from his first ball to get England even more excited. But the captain clips through square leg to get up and running with a boundary.
WICKET! Shafique b Woakes (Pakistan 0-1)
Oh my days. It’s shaping up as an outswinger from Woakes, pitched full, but jags back in to the right-hander to bowl the first-innings centurion. Shafique is gone first ball. It’s an incredible start.
Abdullah Shafique and Saim Ayub walk to the middle, having spent a couple of days in the field. Chris Woakes will open up for England.
I do worry for Pakistan’s captain, Shan Masood. He’s lost five from five since getting the job and would’ve safely assumed the end of that streak after the first innings, having top-scored with a 151. Now he’s got some work to do to save this match.
“England have now batted the same number of overs as Pakistan, and have scored 259 more runs,” wrote Simon McMahon an over ago. “120 or so overs to take ten wickets…” It’s a day for mad stats.
England declare on 823-7
Saim Ayub turns it enough to beat the batter and keeper, the ball running away for four byes. As Nasser Hussain points out on comms, that level of spin will please the English. And out comes Ollie Pope to call his boys in – England declare with a lead of 267.
149th over: England 815-7 (Carse 8, Woakes 14) “Might as well keep going to be the first team to reach 1000 in a Test,” writes Adrian Riley. Woakes pummels Naseem for four to keep that dream alive.
148th over: England 805-7 (Carse 6, Woakes 6) Brydon Carse shows off his batting chops by driving over extra cover for six from his second ball in Test cricket. England move past 800!
WICKET! Atkinson c Babar b Ayub 2 (England 799-7)
England are collapsing! Gus Atkinson arrives for a thrash and tries to drive over short extra cover, where Babar Azam clings on.
WICKET! Brook c Masood b Ayub 317 (England 797-6)
It’s finally over. An exhausted Harry Brook makes his way off after top-edging a sweep to short fine leg, his teammates rising once again to applaud a historic innings. It’s the fifth-highest score for England in Test cricket.
147th over: England 795-5 (Brook 315, Woakes 6) Poor ol’ Naseem Shah continues to thunder in. The promising young quick deserves a better surface.
146th over: England 791-5 (Brook 314, Woakes 3) Brook continues to feed on some poor bowling, pulling Saim Ayub’s drag-down for four. He’s running past the best efforts of the greats with every run – Younis Khan (313) and Hashim Amla (311*) are just a couple he’s gone past in that over.
Taha Hashim
145th over: England 781-5 (Brook 306, Woakes 1) Hello, people. This really is nuts, isn’t it? Harry Brook’s gone past Brendon McCullum’s Test-best of 302 so he can lord that over his coach. Chris Woakes is in for a hit, though I’m still trying to figure out what England are looking to do here. Are they just waiting for Brook to get out before declaring? They lead by 225, and they’re going to need plenty of time to take 10 wickets.
WICKET! England 779-5 (Smith c Jamal b Naseem 31)
Smith holes out to long on to end a punishing cameo of 31 from 24 balls. That’s drinks, and time for me to hand over to Taha for the rest of this record-breaking day. Bye!
Harry Brook hits 300 in a Test!
144th over: England 777-4 (Brook 305, Smith 29) He’s done it! Harry Brook clubs Saim back over his head for four to make the first triple-century by an England batsman since Graham Gooch on 27 July 1990. Sky should really have cut to the horse racing when he was on 298.
Brook is completely spent now, though he pointedly looks up in tribute to his late grandmother Pauline. That look to the sky has become a cliche to the point where we forget how poignant it must be, especially as the death of Brook’s grandmother was this year. My goodness, what are we watching here. Harry Brook is 302 not out from 310 balls with 28 fours and three sixes. It’s the second fastest of all time, I think behind Virender Sehwag.
He’s England’s sixth triple-centurion in Tests, joining this particularly short list.
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364 Len Hutton v Australia, The Oval 1938
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336* Wally Hammond v New Zealand, Auckland 1932-33
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333 Graham Gooch v India, Lord’s 1990
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325 Andy Sandham v West Indies, Jamaica 1929-30
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310* John Edrich v New Zealand, Headingley 1965
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305* Harry Brook v Pakistan, Multan 2024-25
143rd over: England 768-4 (Brook 298, Smith 27) Another dropped catch, though this was a spectacular effort by the sub fielder Mohammad Huraira. Smith pulled Naseem towards deep backward square, where Huraira took a tough catch on the run, threw the ball up before he jumped over the boundarysponge but then stumbled as he tried to turn and come back onto the field of play. Without the slip he would taken a brilliant catch.
Smith slugs another boundary through the covers. England’s score is the highest in a Test in Pakistan and the fifth highest anywhere. We’ve come a long way from Durban in 1999, when England closed day one on 135 for 2 from 85.1 overs.
142nd over: England 759-4 (Brook 296, Smith 20) No boundaries and England still take eight from the over. Harry Brook is four away from 300. “Brave captain to declare on somebody so close to a milestone, Michael,” deadpans Ian Ward.
“Have England ever had this many ‘genuine’ batters with averages over 50?” asks Chris Drew.
It’s not easily searchable but I think there are at least two teams: one in the late 1920s/early 1930s and another after the second world war.
141st over: England 751-4 (Brook 291, Smith 17) Brook moves into the 290s with an amazing shot, charging the first ball of a new spell from Naseem Shah and smoking it almost nonchalantly over mid-off for six. A pull for two from Smith takes England past 750. Thank goodness Taha takes over in 15 minutes time; I’m all milestoned out.
Thanks to Tom Paternoster-Howe for pointing out that Athers’ line about Jamie Smith was a nod to cricket’s rich history.
“I hope that Jamie Smith reprised fellow wickie Arthur Wood’s famous line from the 1938 Ashes Test at the Oval,” writes Tom, “where he said to the gatekeeper ‘Just the man for a crisis’ as he walked out to bat at 770 for 6.”
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