Both teams have to depart from Multan to Rawalpindi tonight
LAHORE: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-Oct 19th, 2024) The third and final Test match between Pakistan and England is set to begin on October 24 in Rawalpindi.
Both teams will be departing from Multan for Rawalpindi tonight.
This time, efforts are underway to prepare a pitch that could counter England’s strengths.
According to sources, the players are expected to leave at 8 PM on a chartered flight. Upon arrival in Rawalpindi, both teams will rest on Sunday, with training sessions scheduled to start on Monday.
A spin-friendly pitch, similar to the one used in Multan, is being prepared for the match at Rawalpindi. The visitors hold an advantage at this venue, as they last played a Test match here from December 1 to 5, 2022, securing a 74-run win under the captaincy of Ben Stokes.
In that encounter, Pakistan fielded pacers Naseem Shah, Mohammad Ali, and Haris Rauf, along with spinners Zahid Mahmood, Salman Agha, and Saud Shakeel. England, after winning the toss, posted a formidable first-innings score of 657, including four centuries.
England’s openers, Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, put up a 223-run partnership, with Duckett scoring 107 and Crawley adding 122. Ollie Pope contributed 108, and Harry Brook bolstered England’s lead with 153 runs. For Pakistan, Zahid Mahmood took four wickets, Naseem Shah three, Mohammad Ali two, and Haris Rauf claimed one.
Pakistan’s response totaled 589, with Abdullah Shafique (114), Imam-ul-Haq (121), and Babar Azam (136) being the main scorers. England’s Will Jacks took six wickets in Pakistan’s innings.
In the second innings, England declared at 264/7, setting a 343-run target for Pakistan. However, Pakistan fell short, managing 268, with Saud Shakeel scoring 76, Imam-ul-Haq 48, and Mohammad Rizwan 46.
