Pakistan vs England day three: Jimmy Anderson swings into action as spinners lose grip

Pakistan 234 & 146-3 England 306

Mohammad Hafeez hits a six (Getty Images)

In Asia, if not everywhere else on the planet and probably galaxies far away, Test cricket is often deemed tedious. Incomprehensible though this lazy judgement is, it has led to essential amendments and possible rescue operations, such as the first day-night match to be played in Australia later this month.

But the greatest game still has it. You only have to give it a chance. Take the third day of the third Test. There was a little more breeze to relieve the effects of another sweltering afternoon. Unfortunately for England, it was carrying with it a distinct shift in fortunes.

After being evenly balanced for most of the way, perhaps more often tilted towards the tourists, the third Test came under Pakistan’s control on Tuesday. The tourists’ lead of 72, which had seemed precious, was disdainfully overhauled and by the evening had been turned into a deficit.

Worse, Pakistan had not lost a wicket in their second innings. Their openers, Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik, were cruising. Adeptly as Pakistan coped with England’s attack, a man short because of the shoulder injury to Ben Stokes, they were allowed too much latitude. It was imperative that England protect every hard-earned run of their advantage.

Instead the three spin bowlers, introduced early to try to induce mistakes and prise out wickets, were all short of length and ideas. England were heading to their doom and a 2-0 defeat in the series.

Suddenly, a comedy of errors, which was followed almost immediately by a brilliant piece of bowling from the expected quarter, altered perceptions again. Always, but always, add two wickets to the score to judge the true state of any match.

Towards the end, deservedly, England extracted a third wicket and Pakistan, with nightwatchman Rahat Ali having joined Hafeez, were grateful to reach the close without more damage. They were 74 ahead.

In those overs when the match changed – again – it was, almost inevitably, Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad who ensured it. Each bowled nine overs in his second spell, each asked questions and Anderson’s were on such a scale that those with professorships in batting would have had trouble answering.

They strained every sinew searching for movement, used the crease to obtain different angles, forced the batsmen to play. In response, Younis Khan guarded his territory by prowling around, forsaking sound technique but substituting the grit and gumption which 9,000-odd Test runs have brought. Hafeez was not as sleek as he had been earlier but he took on Anderson by swiping a six from outside off and following it up with a clipped four.

For all this, the breakthrough, long enough in coming, needed a huge dose of the unpredictable – another of this game’s virtues. Azhar Ali, who had not put a foot wrong or played many shots in anger (he didn’t need to), pushed a ball from Adil Rashid into the covers. He called for a run and then stopped but Hafeez kept running. Meanwhile Joe Root threw at the unguarded non-striker’s end and missed, whereupon Ian Bell gathered the ball at mid-wicket and calmly returned the ball to Rashid, who was by now at the stumps. Azhar was still stranded.

With the first ball of the next over, Anderson produced a ripsnorter, a full reverse-swinging ball which Shoaib Malik would have done well to lay bat on had he faced 100 balls. Since this was his first, he had barely moved when it struck him on the pad, bang in front. At the end of the day’s play Shoaib, who had waited five years for his recall in Dubai, announced his retirement from Test cricket.

By now, Anderson was making the ball deviate at his command. Perhaps it was the six struck off him by Hafeez which stoked his dander, or perhaps it was then – as it hit the concrete – that it was lent a rough enough edge to bend to Anderson’s will.

How Anderson merited another wicket. It would not come. Broad was barely less deserving and finally, two overs from the end, he dismissed Younis. The ball broke back sharply as the batsman shouldered arms and he was struck on the pads outside off stump.

Umpire Bruce Oxenford pondered long enough for cabinet papers to be revealed but at last gave Broad the verdict he demanded. Younis had no choice but to review but the replay showed the ball hitting off stump. There were no more scares but there was a game on.

The pitch has behaved peculiarly. Sometimes, as on the first day and this morning, it has appeared to take considerable turn, at others it has granted fewer favours. But it has never been entirely discouraging and has generally supported England’s decision to select three slow bowlers. This sound theory has been gradually weakened in its detail: it depends on the bowlers being able to do the job asked of them.

When it mattered, England could not quite put their opponents in enough doubt. They were allowed the freedom too often to stay on the back foot and play both sides of the wicket. Anderson and Broad came to the rescue.

If England’s lead proves insufficient, they would have settled for having one at all. The overnight pair of James Taylor and Jonny Bairstow were both gone in the first hour, Taylor sparring outside off, Bairstow bowled trying to cut an arm ball.

But a measured innings from Samit Patel ensured England went in front. Patel was looking dominant until he was undone by a hugely turning leg-break from Yasir Shah, which evoked comparisons with Shane Warne.

Ben Stokes came out to bat at No 11 and England added 10 runs, which may yet be crucial. Stokes has damage to his collarbone and while the injury, sustained on Sunday when attempting a flying catch, is not as bad as feared, it will be 10 days until a decision is taken on his immediate future. If Stokes has to bat again, England are in trouble.

Highlights of the day

Shot of the day

For its sheer unexpectedness, Mohammad Hafeez’s smeared six off Jimmy Anderson from outside the off-stump takes the third-day prize. It was unlike anything any batsman had done to Anderson in the match.

Ball of the day

Yasir Shah bowled Samit Patel with a perfectly pitched leg-break which went past the half-forward prop. Immediately Yasir was mentioned in the same breath as Shane Warne. But ball of the century? It might not have been ball of the day, as Anderson came up with a smashing reverse-swinger to dumbfound Shoaib Malik, who immediately retired from Test cricket.

Moment of the day

As England awaited the results of a review of a decision against Hafeez there was a drinks break. On came the Pakistan 12th man Mohammad Rizwan who, upon seeing the verdict, mimicked the umpire’s cross-armed signal which overturns a decision. England, it is fair to say, were not amused as Rizwan toddled off grinning.

Stephen Brenkley