Pak vs Eng: Pakistan sets target of 167 against England in last test of the series

• England need 167 runs to win third and final Test in Karachi.
• Pakistan need at least double that to avoid worst-ever 3-0 series whitewash.
• Rehan Ahmed takes five wickets as Pakistan lose last seven wickets for 52 runs.

England needs 167 runs to win the match, after dismissing Pakistan for 216 in their second innings on the third day of the third Test in Karachi on Monday.

Rehan Ahmed, a young leg-spinner, finished with 5-48, while Jack Leach had 3-72 as Pakistan lost their final seven wickets for 52 at the National Stadium on a spin-assisted ground.

Babar Azam, the captain of Pakistan, scored 54, and Saud Shakeel, 53. If England prevails, Pakistan will lose 3-0 on home soil for the first time in their history.

In Rawalpindi, England won the first Test by 74 runs, and in Multan, it won by 26 runs.

Rehan Ahmed, a 16-year-old leg-spinner for England, destroyed Pakistan’s defences in the last Test on Monday in Karachi, leaving the hosts facing their worst-ever series loss at home. Late in the second session on day three, Ahmed claimed three wickets in four overs, beginning with the crucial dismissal of skipper Babar Azam, who mishit a pull ball straight into the hands of Ollie Pope at short midwicket.

After fellow spinner Jack Leach had dismissed the top order in the span of six balls just before lunch, his spell completely destroyed Pakistan’s fight. Pakistan was in trouble at tea at 177-6 with Agha Salman still unbeaten on one and Faheem Ashraf still without a run. Pakistan leads by 127 and will aim to increase that margin at least twice in order to prevent a first-ever 3-0 home defeat. In Rawalpindi, England won the first Test by 74 runs, and in Multan, it won by 26 runs.

Ahmed, who turned 18 years and 126 days old on Saturday and became the youngest England Test player, shockingly did not bowl in the first session, which saw Pakistan reach 99-3. After Babar and Saud Shakeel had made a heroic effort to rebuild, he entered the game. Soon after reaching 1,000 runs in tests for the year, the partnership led Pakistan to 164 when the captain made an unusual error in judgement.

Stumps on Day 3 🏏#PAKvENG | #UKSePK pic.twitter.com/SrSOj0IzVl

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 19, 2022

With only one run contributed, Leach bowled out Pakistan’s openers Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafique, and veteran Azhar Ali, who was playing in his final game. Babar (54), Mohammad Rizwan (7), and Saud Shakeel (53) were all out in the space of six overs under Ahmed’s direction for the meagre gain of 13 runs.

Abdullah Shafique and Shan Masood looked poised to start Pakistan’s fourth day on a virtually equal footing, erasing England’s 50-run advantage without losing a wicket. But England’s meticulous spinners ripped away any hope. The first run of wickets was taken by Leach, who bowled Shan for 24 while he attempted an idiotic reverse sweep.

The foreign team overcame a sluggish first innings to post 354 in response to Pakistan’s opening 304. Thanks to Harry Brook’s third hundred in as many games, England came back from being down 145-5 to win by a slim margin.

A fairytale finale to his illustrious career, which has spanned 97 Tests and 7,142 runs, was denied to top-order veteran Azhar Ali earlier in the day. When Azhar played a forward push on the final delivery of Leach’s momentum-shifting double-wicket maiden, Azhar was outplayed by spin. After 12 years as a first-team regular, Azhar left the field for the final time with his stumps broken.

The Pakistani players lifted their bats at the boundary for a formal guard of honour as Azhar went back to the changing rooms, and the England players applauded. Azhar’s wife and two sons were among the few onlookers.

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