Rawalpindi, Oct 24 (IANS): The opening day of the third and decisive Test between England and Pakistan was a gripping affair, with the famed batting track yielding an unexpected 13 wickets. However, England emerged with the upper hand, finishing the day at 267 runs while reducing Pakistan to 73 for 3 at stumps at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

England captain Ben Stokes won the toss for the first time in eight attempts, opting to bat first. This decision was significant, particularly as Pakistan's Shan Masood expressed concerns about the pitch conditions.

The day began brightly for England, who raced to 56 without loss. However, the match turned dramatically as the pitch started to show its unpredictable nature. Zak Crawley (29), playing in his 50th Test, fell victim to a scuffed drive off Noman Ali, sparking a swift collapse. Ollie Pope followed suit, out for just three after being trapped lbw, and soon after, Duckett (52), Joe Root (5), and Harry Brook (5) fell to a barrage of low-bouncing deliveries.

What initially seemed a solid position quickly deteriorated as England slumped from 56 for no loss to 98/5 in just 12.5 overs. This collapse highlighted the pitch's erratic behaviour, which posed challenges for the batters. Amid the chaos, Jamie Smith rose to the occasion, scoring a remarkable 89 runs. His innings included a pivotal partnership of 107 runs with Gus Atkinson, who contributed 39 runs. Together, they steadied the ship after England was reeling at 118/6.

As lunch approached, England managed to stabilise their innings, ending the first session at 110 for 5. By tea, they had advanced to 242 for 8, courtesy of Smith's resilience and Atkinson's support.

Sajid Khan was the standout bowler for Pakistan, finishing with impressive figures of 6 for 128 from 29.2 overs, marking the third five-wicket haul of his career. Left-arm spinner Noman Ali also made vital contributions, taking 3 for 88.

As anticipated, following their combined effort in taking all 20 English wickets during the second Test in Multan to level the series, the spin duo dominated the bowling once again. They bowled nearly all of the 68.2 overs, with only 11 overs bowled by other bowlers, including an uninterrupted stretch of 42 overs.

Remarkably, this marked only the second instance in Test history — and the first since 1882 — where no pace bowler was utilised in the first innings of a match.

Chasing 268 runs, Pakistan’s innings began cautiously. Openers Abdullah Shafique (14) and Saim Ayub (19) attempted to settle into their chase, but the pressure from England’s bowlers proved relentless. Shafique was the first to fall, trapped lbw by Jack Leach, igniting further instability in the Pakistani batting lineup.

Within a brief span, Pakistan’s situation worsened as they slumped from 35 to 73 for 3. Saim Ayub was dismissed by Leach, caught at mid-wicket, while debutant Kamran Ghulan (3) fell victim to Atkinson’s pace bowling.

The day was punctuated by two notable umpiring decisions that sparked controversy. Masood was given out after an apparent catch off Stokes, only for the DRS to overturn the decision. This was the second mistake by umpire Sharfuddoula, who earlier dismissed Ayub for a catch that was also deemed incorrect upon review.

Brief scores:

England 267 all out in 68.2 overs (Jamie Smith 89, Ben Duckett 52, Sajid Khan 6-128, Noman Ali 3-88) lead Pakistan 73/3 in 23 overs (Shan Masood 16 not out, Saud Shakeel 16 not out; Shoaib Bashir 1-29, Jack Leach 1-33) by 194 runs