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Smith 89 repels Sajid six-for, as England edge 13-wicket day
The patio heaters, industrial-sized fans and rakes have worked their magic. But as Rawalpindi’s famed batting track produced 13 wickets on the opening day of this third and decisive Test, it was England who benefited, first scrapping to 267 and then making that a workable total by reducing Pakistan to 73 for 3 by the close.
On a pitch that had everyone guessing, Ben Stokes winning England’s first toss in eight attempts felt heaven-sent, especially as his opposite number Shan Masood admitted to trepidation as to how matters would play out underfoot. But it would have been a wasted miracle were it not been for a remarkable 89 from Jamie Smith, bagging a first half-century way from home, and driving a vital 107-run stand with Gus Atkinson (39) for the seventh wicket.
Sajid Khan flourished once more, finishing with 6 for 128 from 29.2 overs for the third five-wicket haul of his career, and second in as many first-innings in this series. His early incisions and quick dismantling of the tail kept England in check as they dreamed of 300 following Smith and Atkinson’s rebuilding effort from 118 for 6.
The initial foundations set by Ben Duckett’s accomplished 52 had collapsed on an uncertain surface displaying irregular bounce rather than excessive turn. A score of 56 for 0 became 98 for 5 in the space of 12.5 overs as the pitch started to play tricks, exacerbated once more by Sajid and left-arm spinner Norman Ali, who finished with 3 for 88.
As expected after sharing all 20 English wickets in the second Test in Multan to square the series, the spin duo did the lion’s share of the bowling, sending down all but 11 of the 68.2 overs, including the first 42 unchanged. For only the second time in Test history – and first since 1882 – no pace bowler was used in the first innings of the match.
England began reasonably enough, with a relatively untroubled 50 up in 12 overs. After a watchful start before Zak Crawley – playing in his 50th Test – he fell to Noman with a scuffed drive to backward point. Ollie Pope unfurled another skittish effort of 3 off 14 – trapped in front playing a desperate sweep – before Duckett (wearing one on his toes), Joe Root (trapped in front) and Harry Brook (bowled leg stump attempting to sweep) succumbed to deliveries that did not get up as expected.
That England had something to work with, lunching on 110 for 5, was thanks largely to Duckett. While somewhat precarious, it was hard to label it outright as a problematic position, and in propelling that total to 242 for 8 by tea, Smith and Atkinson ensured England had a firm footing.
By the time Sajid was eventually relieved of his mammoth first spell of 21 overs, he had removed Stokes, caught at slip, 11 balls into the second session, for his fourth wicket. He eventually returned to bring Noman’s opening salvo to an end after 23 overs.
Atkinson joined Smith and set about an all-Surrey stand, acting as the straight man to the latter’s devastation, even if those roles only truly came to the fore at the end of their century stand. After a watchful start from both – Smith’s fifty took all of 94 deliveries – the final 39 runs to take their partnership to three figures took just 21 deliveries.
It was a charge instigated by Atkinson, striking three fours in the last four balls off the 56th over, against the legspinner Zahid Mahmood who was was now in England’s sights as the bowler to target. That being said, Smith followed with successive boundaries off Sajid, albeit the second – his third six – pierced the hands of Saud Shakeel at long on.
Had Shakeel been set back on the fence rather than a few feet in front, he might have ended the keeper-batter’s innings on 54. Alas, Sajid felt the brunt of that miss, taken for another two more boundaries by Smith in his next over – the first smeared over midwicket for six, the second lofted gloriously down the ground for a one-bounce four.
The second took the value of the seventh wicket to 103 from just 159 deliveries. And though it would only reach 107 as Noman returned to take a catch off his own bowling as Atkinson bunted back a delivery that stuck in the pitch, Smith kept going, blasting two sixes down the ground off Zahid as he rounded on his second Test century. A third six at the end of the over was avoided thanks to exemplary work from Sajid, who took a boundary catch twice, but had to hurl the ball back in play for a second time to prevent the boundary.
Alas, Smith would fall nine short, Zahid the beneficiary of a top-edged heave that was taken to end a remarkable knock and polish the legspinner’s figures, which would read 1 for 44 from 10 overs. It was Pakistan’s first wicket in 28 for a bowler other than Sajid and Noman, who combined for all 20 in second Test in Multan.
Leach and Rehan Ahmed, recalled to the side for his first international appearance since February, resumed after the break but lasted just 32 deliveries, with Sajid dragging both out of the crease to claim his fifth and sixth wickets of the match, and his 15th in three innings since his recall in Multan.
Naturally, Stokes opened with Leach, though he handed Atkinson the new ball at the other end for the first sight of pace, albeit for just a two-over spell. A leg bye in the second of that burst took Abdullah Shafique and Saim Ayub past their previous highest opening stand of 15. But having made it to 35, Bashir spun one into Shafique’s front pad for the first of three Pakistan wickets to fall for just 11 runs.
An attempt to batten down the hatches through to stumps allowed England to squeeze. Leach pocketed Ayub, prodding to Root at midwicket – the middle of three catchers on the leg side – before Atkinson returned for a solitary over and profited from the low bounce to knock back the off stump of Kamran Ghulan, gone for three having marked his debut in Multan last week with a century.
Masood will resume on day two with Shakeel, who was incorrectly given out on one when adjudged to have been caught by Stokes after Smith deflected the ball to his skipper at first slip when attempting a take down the leg side. It was the second of two clear errors from umpire Sharfuddoula overturned by DRS, having earlier raised the finger to Ayub at the start of the seventh over for a similarly mistaken call for a catch in the cordon.
Brief scores:
Pakistan 73 for 3 in 23 overs (Shan Masood 16*, Saud Shakeel 16*; Gus Atkinson 1-02) trail England 267 in 68.2 overs (Jamie Smith 89, Ben Duckett 5; Sajid Khan 6-128, Noman Ali 3-88)by 194 runs
[Cricinfo]
European leaders, including in France and Germany, have announced they are working on a plan in the event the United States follows through on its threat to take over Greenland as tensions soar.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told France Inter radio on Wednesday that while nations want to act if the US moves to seize Greenland from an ally, Denmark, they want to do so “together with our European partners”.
“I myself was on the phone with the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio yesterday. He discarded the idea that what just happened in Venezuela could happen in Greenland,” Barrot said.
On Saturday, the United States – using fighter jets, attack helicopters, and special forces – abducted Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, bringing him to New York City to be tried for alleged drug trafficking.
US President Donald Trump’s decision to greenlight the abduction of Maduro led to widespread condemnation and fear that Greenland, which the president has previously said should be part of Washington’s security apparatus, could be forcibly taken.
But since then, European allies have rallied behind Greenland’s sovereignty, saying the country belongs to its people.
Johannes Koskinen, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Finland’s parliament, called for the issue to be raised within NATO.
“[Allies should] address whether something needs to be done and whether the United States should be brought into line in the sense that it cannot disregard jointly agreed plans in order to pursue its own power ambitions,” he said.
Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and his Greenlandic counterpart, Vivian Motzfeldt, requested an urgent meeting with Rubio to discuss the situation.
“We would like to add some nuance to the conversation,” Rasmussen wrote in a social media post. “The shouting match must be replaced by a more sensible dialogue. Now.”
Denmark has warned that any move to take Greenland by force would mean “everything would stop”, including NATO and 80 years of close security links.
Greenland’s government will join a meeting between Rubio and Danish officials next week following renewed US claims on the Arctic island, its foreign minister said on Wednesday.
The European Union will support Greenland and Denmark when needed and will not accept violations of international law no matter where they occur, European Council President Antonio Costa said.
“On Greenland, allow me to be clear: Greenland belongs to its people. Nothing can be decided about Denmark and about Greenland without Denmark or without Greenland,” Costa said in a speech.
“The European Union cannot accept violations of international law – whether in Cyprus, Latin America, Greenland, Ukraine, or Gaza. Europe will remain a firm and unwavering champion of international law and multilateralism.”
Greenland – the world’s largest island, with a population of 57,000 people – is located between Europe and North America. Since 2019, during Trump’s first term, the president has raised the idea of controlling Greenland, saying it would benifit US security.
So far, Trump has not ruled out using force to take the island.
Rubio told reporters on Wednesday that Trump’s intention is to buy Greenland. “That’s always been the president’s intent from the very beginning.”
House US House Speaker Mike Johnson said he hasn’t heard talk of sending the military into Greenland and the US is “looking at diplomatic channels”.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump and his national security team have “actively discussed” the option of buying Greenland.
“He views it in the best interest of the United States to deter Russian and Chinese aggression in the Arctic region. And so that’s why his team is currently talking about what a potential purchase would look like,” Leavitt told reporters.
Neither Leavitt nor Rubio ruled out the use of force. But Leavitt said, “The president’s first option, always, has been diplomacy.”
[Aljazeera]
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Landslide early warnings issued to the Districts of Badulla, Kandy, Matale and Nuwara Eliya
The Landslide Early Warning Center of the National Building Research Organisation [NBRO] has issued landslide early warnings to the districts of Badulla, Kandy, Matale and Nuwara Eliya for the next 24 hours commencing at 1200hrs today [08]
Accordingly
LEVEL II AMBER landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Ududumbara in the Kandy District, Wilgamuwa in the Matale District, and Nildandahinna and Walapane in the Nuwara Eliya District.
LEVEL I YELLOW landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Meegahakiwula, Welimada, Kandaketiya, Lunugala, Badulla, Passara, Uva Paranagama and Hali_Ela in the Badulla District, Ambanganga Korale in the Matale District, and Mathurata and Hanguranketha in the Nuwara Eliya District.
Greenland allies vow action if Trump moves to seize world’s largest island
Landslide early warnings issued to the Districts of Badulla, Kandy, Matale and Nuwara Eliya
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