Key events
63rd over: Pakistan 214-0 (Imam 103, Shafique 109) Shafique starts with another boundary before seeing off five dots.
Imam-ul-Haq likes Rawalpindi. Three Test innings there, all this year: 157, 111*, and now 103* (with plenty to add)
— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) December 3, 2022
Table of Contents
Century for Imam-ul-Haq!
62nd over: Pakistan 210-0 (Shafique 105, Imam 103) Imam goes down the pitch to try and go over extra cover – he gets a thickish edge but moves to 99. A leg-side clip then brings up the hundred, his third in Test cricket – all three of them have come in Rawalpindi.
61st over: Pakistan 204-0 (Imam 97, Shafique 105) Shafique’s forward defence is one to marvel at, and he shows it off for another over.
60th over: Pakistan 204-0 (Shafique 105, Imam 97) Imam is looking slightly nervy as he gets closer to three figures – it feels like it’s been a while since he got the middle on it. England keep tweaking the field as they try and force something out of nowhere.
59th over: Pakistan 204-0 (Imam 97, Shafique 105) Imam finally moves off 94, cutting away for a couple. There’s the second mix-up of the day between Shafique and Imam while running, but they’re safe once again.
58th over: Pakistan 201-0 (Imam 94, Shafique 105) Shafique continues his fun against Root, sweeping behind square for a boundary that moves Pakistan past 200.
57th over: Pakistan 197-0 (Shafique 101, Imam 94) Imam continues to play the waiting game against Leach. Shafique, by the way, is playing just his 20th first-class match – and he’s got eight hundreds. Decent.
Century for Abdullah Shafique!
56th over: Pakistan 196-0 (Shafique 100, Imam 94) A third Test hundred comes up for the very, very talented Abdullah Shafique. He advances down the track to smash Root for six before dabbing a single into the off-side to get to the landmark.
55th over: Pakistan 189-0 (Shafique 93, Imam 94) Leach twirls them, and Imam remains patient, seeing out four dots. He’ll wait a bit longer for that ton.
54th over: Pakistan 188-0 (Shafique 92, Imam 94) Root gets his first look at Imam today, and fires in one of those round-arm sliders, the bowling arm dropping low. Imam ends the over with a delicate dab behind point for a couple.
53rd over: Pakistan 184-0 (Imam 90, Shafique 92) A little mix-up between the two batters after a Shafique punch down the ground, but no dramas in the end as he picks up two. Jack Leach is up and running for the day.
52nd over: Pakistan 182-0 (Shafique 90, Imam 90) Root starts… with a bouncer! Good morning to Abdullah Shafique who ducks to avoid any damage. Shafique gets out the forward defence before clipping for a single to end the over. He’s into the nineties.
Right then, let’s go! Joe Root has the ball.
“It looks exactly the same.” Athers is on Sky to give us a morning update on the pitch – it ain’t breakin’ up.
Elsewhere, in Australia: good to see Ricky Ponting looking well after a health scare.
“I mentioned to JL who was commentating with me that I’d had these pains in my chest … 10 or 15 minutes later I was in the hospital getting the best treatment I possibly could.”
– @RickyPonting talks about his last 24 hours pic.twitter.com/GnW8OADghg
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 3, 2022
Preamble
Morning, folks! After England finished their innings yesterday on a gargantuan total of 657, Pakistan hit back – in their own, more measured manner. Going at 3.54rpo (this is apparently rather slow now), Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq put on 181 before stumps, with the visitors still searching for that first breakthrough. Yep, it’s really, really flat.
The good news for England? They’re still a silly amount ahead, and they’ve got ample time to force a few mistakes and inject some panic into this game.
Shafique and Imam, by the way, are currently averaging 538 as a Test opening partnership on this ground. 538.