NEW DELHI: The third Test between Pakistan and England in Rawalpindi made history by rewriting the record books with a statistic that had occurred only once before in the history of the game.
England’s first innings marked only the second instance in Test history where no pace bowling was delivered in the first innings of a match.
The first occurrence dates back to 1882, when Australia’s Joey Palmer and Edwin Evans bowled 115 four-ball overs against England at the SCG.
After England opted to bat first, Pakistan handed the new ball to spinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali, who immediately took advantage of the dry pitch, offering turn and low bounce from the outset.
This marked only the fourth instance in Test cricket history where two spinners opened the bowling with the new ball on the first morning, and the first time it happened in Pakistan.
Sajid and Noman, who shared all 20 England wickets in their series-levelling victory in Multan, bowled a combined 42 consecutive overs together.
Pakistan did not use a third bowler in the morning session and Aamer Jamal, their lone seamer, did not bowl in the England innings in a fair indication of how spin-friendly the wicket is.
Sajid (6-128) and Noman (3-88) tore through England’s batting lineup, while Zahid Mahmood contributed with figures of 1/44. Salman Agha bowled just one over but remained wicketless.
After a rearguard 89 by Jamie Smith enabled England to post 267, having stuttered to 110-5 at lunch. England fought back to reduce Pakistan to 73-3 at close on the opening day of the series-deciding third Test.
On a dry, spin-friendly Rawalpindi pitch, 13 wickets fell on the first day, with all but one claimed by spinners.
Gus Atkinson was the lone fast bowler to take a wicket, dismissing Kamran Ghulam for three.
