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]

Three days ago, Washington Sundar was not even part of this Test squad, instead scoring a hundred and taking a couple of three-fors against Delhi in the Ranji Trophy. Brought in the XI ahead of the incumbent spinner (Kuldeep Yadav) and the back-up (Axar Patel) in the squad, he took seven wickets on the first day of a Test to bowl New Zealand out for 259. Five of his victims were bowled, one lbw and one caught as he took out the last seven wickets following three taken by Tamil Nadu team-mate Ravichandran Ashwin.

While this was Washington’s maiden Test five-for and his best figures in first-class cricket, the three wickets took Ashwin past Nathan Lyon’s 530 in 25 fewer Tests. The two could be involved in a showdown later in the year in Australia, but right now India were in a fight to defend their 18-series winning streak at home. Washington proved to be just the ally he needed.

India called up a second offspinner from outside the squad ostensibly to lengthen their batting without compromising on taking the ball away from left-hand batters, but two left-hand batters in the top order – Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra – still scored fifties and threatened to take New Zealand to a big total after winning the toss on a track on which batting last won’t be fun. New Zealand were 138 for 2 when Ashwin got Conway, and 197 for 3 when Washington accounted for Ravindra.

As the series moved from Bengaluru to Pune, the clouds, seam and extra bounce all disappeared. There was no concept of good-toss-to-lose here. Nothing is ever easy in Test cricket, but this was one of the easier starts to an innings with the openers racing to 30 in seven overs without any trouble. But Ashwin was introduced early, and it took him just five balls to drift one in and then turn it past the outside edge to trap Tom Latham lbw.

There was turn from the good part of the pitch, but not consistent. The partnership between Conway and Will Young looked threatening, but a sharp review demanded by short leg Sarfaraz Khan returned a faint touch of the glove to send Young back. Now Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja kept troubling the batters: in the 11 overs they bowled in tandem, they drew 24 false shots and conceded just 30 runs.

Post-lunch, when India started with Jasprit Bumrah and Washington, runs came freely: 35 off the eight overs. Ashwin brought control first and then the wicket of Conway. Again the ball turned, but this time it was the drift and dip that put Conway out of position, and the turn made him look like pushing at a ball he didn’t need to play.

Ravindra, Player of the Match in Bengaluru, brought New Zealand much-needed solidity because Daryl Mitchell was extremely uncertain at the start of his innings. He survived an lbw on umpire’s call, played risky sweeps of both kinds, and only looked comfortable after 20 balls or so. Ravindra, though, gave the bowlers nothing. Akash Deep got close to getting him with at short midwicket but the hit was too ferocious to catch for a fielder so close. An outside edge after two bouncers managed to beat slip and brought up his fifty.

Ten minutes before tea, now in his third spell, Washington began to get it right. The first ball of this spell turned from middle and off to go past Ravindra’s bat and hit the top of off. Things began to happen now as balls went straight on or turned from the same spot. The penultimate ball before tea beat Tom Blundell’s outside edge, and the last one, slower and wider, turned back in through the gate to take top of middle.

Post-tea, Washington bowled in all his glory: at the stumps, but getting variable turn from the pitch. An inspired review accounted for Mitchell in a rare dismissal: offspinner getting an lbw from over the wicket when the batter is forward. As it turned out, this had turned just the right amount to both be hitting him in line and taking the leg stump.

Tied down, frequently going back to full balls, Glenn Phillips ended his struggle of 9 off 31 with a chip straight to deep mid-off. Had you seen just the shot and not the field, you wouldn’t have been wrong to assume the mid-off was up tight and he was just looking to clear him.

Mitchell Santner hit two sixes in his fighting 33, but Washington kept hitting the stumps at the other end. To Tim Southee he went wide on the crease from around the wicket. The angle beat the outside edge and hit top of off. Ajaz Patel was caught back to a full ball, and played on. To bookend his work, Washington produced another beauty to account for the set batter, Santner: one that pitched on middle and off and took the top of off.

The accuracy and variations of pace and seam position, with a little help from the pitch, proved to be too good for New Zealand.

With just 10-odd overs to bat to stumps, India shelved some of their ultra-aggressive approach from their last two Tests. Still, Southee swung and seamed one past Rohit Sharma’s watchful bat to take top of off. A small bit of joy for New Zealand at the end of a tough session.

Brief scores:
India 16 for 1 in 11 overs (Tim Southee 1-4) trail New Zealand 259 in 79.1 overs (Devon Conway 76, Rachin Ravindra 65, Washington Sundar  7-59, Ravichandran Ashwin 3-64) by 243 runs

[Cricbuzz]