Jack Leach delivers some strong hits as England get hold on game

• Azhar Ali’s final Test innings was cut short by England’s fielders.
• Abdullah Shafique hit two boundaries off Mark Wood’s short ball to put Pakistan ahead.
• Azhar received a plaque and an autographed shirt from his teammates before the game.

Three top-order batsmen fell to Jack Leach’s six-ball spell on the third morning of the third and final Test in Karachi, giving England the upper hand. Pakistan’s top three fell to Leach in a chaotic 10-minute span after they took the lead on a ground that was deteriorating.

Saud Shakeel and Babar Azam contributed 45 runs for the fourth wicket before lunch, but England led at the break. Pakistan added 78 runs for the loss of three wickets.

Masood batted through to stumps on the second evening and struck the first two balls of the third day for four, swiping Joe Root past gully and driving him through cover. Leach replaced Root after only two overs after he chipped his sixth ball for four and lofted a six.

Abdullah Shafique hit two boundaries off Mark Wood’s short ball to put Pakistan ahead, but Leach struck in his second over. Masood, still playing nicely, got low to reverse-sweep, but Leach found some turn outside his off stump and Masood bottom-edged onto leg.

Azhar Ali’s final international innings was cut short by England’s fielders. His fourth ball pitched full on leg stump but turned away from the bat as he whipped through midwicket. Azhar walked off through a guard of honour from his teammates.

Azhar received a plaque and an autographed shirt from his teammates before the game, while his family watched from the stands. 7142 runs at 42.26 and 19 hundreds are his Test totals.

Leach struck again in his next over. Shafique didn’t review, although ball-tracking technology indicated the ball would have hit leg stump halfway up. Pakistan were 4 for 3 after Shakeel’s dismissal.

Shakeel and Babar scored below 45% before lunch. They were careful against Leach and Robinson, who turned the ball sometimes and hit Shakeel in the helmet with a bouncer.

Babar avoided a tight lbw shout after shimmying down and pushing Leach off-side. Babar was rescued by the fact that the hit occurred more than 3m from his stumps.

English legspinner Rehan Ahmed didn’t contribute in the morning but might be pivotal in the afternoon.

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