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56th over: Pakistan 179-8 (Ashraf 6, Mahmood 0) Pakistan finally find the bounce back as Ashraf clears the boundary off Leach.
55th over: Pakistan 175-8 (Ashraf 2, Mahmood 0) Pakistan gratefully accept four byes after Pope’s gloves.
Updated at 06.58 GMT
54th over: Pakistan 171-8 (Ashraf 2, Mahmood 0) Ashraf squeezes a couple of runs off Leach but the good ship Pakistan is tilting dangerously.
“Good morning, Tanya!” Nice to hear from you Jana Jeruma-Grinberga!
“Tracking a fascinating OBO in a snowy landscape in Latvia, 1000 miles and degrees from Pakistan. The plan for today – some IKEA flatpackery, followed by a trip to the Christmas market in the Old Town and a hot black balm (it’s -8 outside). As a long-time, old follower of English cricket, I love this – the most riveting ENG team since maybe 1981.”
Googled black balsamic, does it have a hint of mulled wine?
Updated at 06.58 GMT
53rd over: Pakistan 169-8 (Ashraf 0, Mahmood 0) Just the double-wicket maiden for Root!
VARITKA! Ali b Crowley b Root 0 (Pakistan 169-8, 112 overs)
At slip, Crowley leaps out of his long long legs, stretches out his long, long arms and plucks the ball out of the air after Alli lunges forward and gets an advantage on his pad. Pakistan have now lost four wickets in 19 balls for four runs.
VARITKA! Salman c Stokes b Root 4 (Pakistan 169-7, 112 overs)
Root’s looser is served in a sauce jug and delivered straight to Ben Stokes, who doesn’t have to lift a finger in the middle.
52nd over: Pakistan 169-6 (Salman 4, Ashraf 0) Pakistan crumble against a powerful combination of guile and pace from Leach and reverse swing from the big men.
VARITKA! Nawaz c Robinson b Nawaz 1 (Pakistan 169-6, 112 overs)
Nawaz dances wildly down the pitch to hit the ball straight into the middle of the attack.
51st over: Pakistan 169-5 (Salman 4, Nawaz 1) Pakistan pick up a relatively lovely four from Wood – who has gutted today for no reward.
This is mind blowing – Wasim Akram and Jack Leach
Jack Leach reaches 100 wickets in 50 bowling inns, same number of inns needed by W Akram, C Vaas, S Akhtar, R Herath, M Starc, K Maharaj to reach 100
— Mark Puttick (@GryllidaeC) December 10, 2022
50th over: Pakistan 161-5 (Salman 1, Nawaz 0) So cleverly done by Leach. Rizwan had just reached the boundary with a characteristic curved lift, but just as Shaquille did, the next ball falls.
Updated at 06.36 GMT
VARITKA! Rizwan b Leach 10 (Pakistan (165 -5, trail by 116 runs)
Beauty! Rizwan faces the turn, confused, and the ball ricochets into the middle stump. The end of a particularly unusual innings
49th over: Pakistan 161-4 (Rizwan 6, Agha Salman 1) Sweet fortune, two runs by Wood. Hit down the ground by Rizwan brings one and Salman is off target after nine balls. Wood sprints, full body, and Salman just brings his bat down in time for a yorker.
48th over: Pakistan 159-4 (Rizwan 4, Agha Salman 0) Another Leach lass who has put on her slippers and snuffed out the tobacco. Brooke takes one on the ass in a silly moment.
Let me know your Saturday brunch plans, oh OBO-ers. Or lunch/dinner plans if you’re at a different longitude.
47th over: Pakistan 159-4 (Rizwan 4, Agha Salman 0) Super from Wood, largely on a good length to the final ball. Salman is tempted to have a flash but survives his instinctive flash.
46th over: Pakistan 158-4 (Rizwan 4, Agha Salman 0) What a waste to bat so carefully all morning only to lose your head over a fleeting fancy.
VARITKA! Shakeel c Anderson b Leach 63 (Pakistan 158-4, 123 overs)
Hundred Test wicket for Leach as Saud Shakeel loses his head, the ball after doing a great dance and hits for four. He goes again, but makes the wrong signals and the ball flies between Anderson and Jax. Anderson hustles like a teenager late for the bus and scoops up the rink ball with both hands while avoiding Jax.
45th over: Pakistan 154-3 (Shakeel 59, Rizwan 4) This anti-Bazball proves the value of Bazball. Had Rizwan made a mistake and departed now, he would have batted decisively for close to an hour but not a single run scored on the scorecard. Changing ends for Wood and Rizwan finally breaks the shackles! Magnificent cover that skips with delight to the boundary. Rizvan smiles.
44th over: Pakistan 149-3 (Shaquil 58, Rizwan 0) Stokes turns to Leach, long-sleeved in the morning chill. Rizwan drives with a wrist but only to mid on. He pushes forward again. Pope has a little word in his ear behind the chopsticks and a silly dot examines Rizwan’s white lipstick. Another girl.
43rd over: Pakistan 149-3 (Shakeel 58, Rizwan 0) And another maiden like Robinson runs again and again and again and again. Ben Stokes time?
42nd over: Pakistan 149-3 (Shaqil 58, Rizwan 0) Tick, tick, the overs are going by and Pakistan are playing them passively. Long ball from Wood – England hesitant on review – Pope not keen, Wood is – they try and it’s close – umpire’s decision – but no cigar. Rizwan was still calm.
41 overs: Pakistan 148-3 (Shakeel 58, Rizwan 0) It’s all lined up on the eyes and refreshments front and Robinson ends his over with two more scores.
40.4 overs: Pakistan 147-3 (Shakeel 57, Rizwan 0) Rizwan almost cut in half by the Robinson seamer and we have DRINKS as Rizwan tries to get something out of his eye with a water bottle.
“Morning from mild Istanbul Tanya. Today is truly a test of Bazball: with a slightly unbalanced attack for the circumstances, we could find ourselves 100 behind by the end. Then what? Do it? If we lose this one, we’ll be accused of being, what’s the term? Flat track hooligans?” Oh Robert Lewis, that is a little provocative for this time of the morning.
40th over: Pakistan 147-3 (Shakeel 57, Rizwan 0) A change to the bowling and we get Mark Wood for the first time this morning, reaching over 90 mph (145 kmph) by mid-on. Rizwan remains determined with his 15 ball 0, he won’t be able to resist the dart for much longer.
“Good morning Tanya.” Hi Finbar Anslow! “I just ‘tuned up’ in time for Babar’s death. Thank you for getting up so early for us and please consider our concert in Milan today – it starts at 17:00 and I just found out that they let us set up at… 17:00. sigh”
Milan. I went for the first time this summer. So lovely – still fantasizing about those delicious little pastries, the name of which escapes me at the moment, served with your espresso. And good luck with the concert!
Updated at 05.39 GMT
39th over: Pakistan 146-3 (Shakeel 56, Rizwan 0) More stats, Robinson has the lowest Test bowling average in the last five years apart from Kyle Jamieson. Pat Cummins is third. Robinson makes the ball catch both ways. Another flawless finish with just the single for Pakistan settling down after Babar’s wicket.
38th over: Pakistan 145-3 (Shakeel 55, Rizwan 0) Second maiden in a row, this time from Leach as Rizwan bowls less than confident.
37th over: Pakistan 145-3 (Shakeel 55, Rizwan 0) I’m kicking ass some stats which I think show Robinson has the lowest bowling average since Frank Tyson. He’s an impressive man – he’s managed to dig himself out of the mud after that early heavy run-in with the offensive historical tweets on social media. He listened and learned. There is a simplicity to what it does and it has traveled well from Sussex to Multan. a girl.
Updated at 05.28 GMT
36th over: Pakistan 145-3 (Shakeel 55, Rizwan 0) Leach takes off his cap and puts it back on, flicking six balls so quickly between them that one blurs into another. Five points as Shakeel cuts the sixth, clipped off the boundary by the chasing Mark Wood.
Good morning Kamilia Shamsi, who has news of the empty stands: “Pakistan is not a nation for early starts in the best circles. And if anyone watched Argentina vs Holland last night, they won’t be asleep until 3am. The life of a sports fan can be so exhausting. (Still sipping my first cup of tea here at 10.06am in Karachi)””
Love the spot updates, thanks!
Updated at 05.28 GMT
35th over: Pakistan 142-3 (Shaquil 52, Rizwan 0) Reverse swing straight away for Robinson and Rizwan almost perishes in the same over driving to a similar ball. An unblemished maiden wicket and Pakistan lose their main batter still 132 runs behind.
Updated at 05.27 GMT
VARITKA! Babar Azam b Robinson 75 (Pakistan 142-3 – 139 runs back)
He walks towards the car, misses and hears the fatal crash. A thrilling beauty from Robinson on a perfect length with his second ball of the match.
Fifty for Shaquille!
34th over: Pakistan 142-2 (Shakeel 52, Babar 75) Nine from Leach’s over as Shakeel reaches his second Test fifty with a smartly executed shot.
Updated at 05.27 GMT
33rd over: Pakistan 133-2 (Shakeel 47, Babar 71) Anderson’s over starts with a mix-up between Shakeel and Babar, Babar sends Shakeel back and if Crowley had hit the stumps from square leg, Shakeel would have been on his way But he didn’t he did, slipped while throwing, and Shaquille was left to run Anderson through extra coverage in the most beautiful way.
Updated at 05.27 GMT
32nd over: Pakistan 129-2 (Shaquil 43, Babar 71) Leach misses a couple of fours, a shot from Shakeel and a superb delivery from Babar, but finishes the over by going past Babar’s bat and fooling as he heads forward.
Updated at 05.27 GMT
31st over: Pakistan 118-2 (Shakeel 38, Babar 65) A la mode leg kick brings four from Shakeel.
30th over: Pakistan 112-2 (Shakeel 33, Babar 64) The stands are not full, in fact they are bordering on lonely. Perhaps the punters were as surprised as everyone else by the early start. Leach wheels through a race with a slight turn, but no real noise. I’ll have to run to the kitchen for a cup of tea. Bowl slowly…
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