New Zealand vs England 1st Test Day 2 Live Updates: England captured the vital wicket of Kane Williamson for 93 in a dramatic five-wicket final session to leave New Zealand 319 for 8 after day one of the first Test in Christchurch on Thursday. The hosts went to Tea at a healthy 193-3 and slumped to 252-7 before Glenn Phillips (41 not out) and Matt Henry (18) halted the collapse with a spirited 46-run stand for the eighth wicket. Shoaib Bashir, the only specialist spinner in the Test, was England’s chief destroyer with 4-69. It left the contest finely balanced. (Live Scorecard)

Pakistan’s experienced off-spinner Sajid Khan found a unique way to play all sorts of tricks on England players during the ongoing third Test in Rawalpindi. From twirling his moustache to thumping his thigh, Sajid found another way to get under the skin of England bowlers by using bilingualism to his advantage. While Sajid’s success with the ball comes down to his angle of spin and the flight of the delivery, his fortune with the bat is a different story.

On the fourth ball of the 86th over, Sajid had a conversation with vice-captain Saud Shakeel. The duo didn’t mind if the stump mic had caught the conversation they had before Sajid went on to take the strike.

Sajid danced around on the crease and went on to launch the ball over midwicket into the Javed Miandad stand. The 31-year-old revealed that the intended audience of their conversation were Pakistan-origin spinners, Rehan Ahmed and Shoaib Bashir.

“We were only doing that [speaking loudly in Urdu] to deceive the bowlers. Rehan and Shoaib understand Urdu, so to fool them, we wanted them to hear we were only looking for the single. When we did that, they brought the field up, and the bowlers flighted it. Saud told me once they do, no half measures: just go for the big shot as hard as you can,” Sajid said as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.

In the next over that Bashir bowled, Sajid hammered two sixes and a four in a similar fashion by targeting the midwicket region. He went unbeaten with a swashbuckling knock of run-a-ball 48, which propelled Pakistan to 344.

Rehan acknowledged the quality of Sajid’s impressive outing with the bat but refuted his comments about misleading him with his conversation in Urdu.

“He didn’t fool me at all. He just said it for the media. I didn’t even hear him. He said something like he’s going to run down this ball, and I knew he was going to try and scoop me, and it didn’t really work. I think he batted well, and he hit some big blows, but he didn’t really fool me or Bash,” Rehan said with a smile.

Pakistan vs England 3rd Test, Live Streaming: Pakistan are all set to take on England in the third Test of the three-match series from Thursday in Rawalpindi. The series is currently levelled at 1-1 and both the teams will now be giving their level best, in order to seal the victory. England piled up 823-7 to thrash Pakistan by an innings on a lifeless Multan pitch in the first Test, before the hosts bounced back with a 152-run win on a recycled and turning Multan track.

For the deciding match, Pakistan have kept the same combination of three frontline spinners in Sajid Khan, Noman Ali and Zahid Mahmood, with just one fast bowler in Aamer Jamal.

When will the Pakistan vs England 3rd Test match take place?

The Pakistan vs England 3rd Test match will take place from Tuesday, October 24 to Monday, October 28 (IST).

Where will the Pakistan vs England 3rd Test match be held?

The Pakistan vs England 3rd Test match will be held at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi.

What time will the Pakistan vs England 3rd Test match start?

The Pakistan vs England 3rd Test match will start at 10:30 AM IST.

Which TV channels will show the live telecast of the Pakistan vs England 3rd Test match?

The Pakistan vs England 3rd Test match will not be live telecast in India.

Where to follow the live streaming of the Pakistan vs England 3rd Test match?

The Pakistan vs England 3rd Test match will be live streamed on the FanCode app and website.

(All details are as per information provided by the broadcaster)

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has labelled the current Pakistan side as the “worst” he has seen in history. Vaughan’s remark came after Pakistan became the first team to lose a Test after scoring 550 or more runs in the first innings. Despite posting 556 runs in the first innings, England outbatted them in Multan to declare on 823/7. The hosts collapsed for a meagre 220 in the second innings, allowing England to seal the match by an innings and 47 runs.

On the contrary, Vaughan was in awe of England’s approach, who score well over five runs per over in the first innings. He also lauded England for its disciplined bowling, underlining the role-clarity.

“This is the worst Pakistan side I can remember. But to make 823 for seven at 5.5 runs an over, while taking few risks and looking in total control, is very special. The most impressive thing for me was the way the bowling attack combined. You could tell what everyone’s role was. And they stuck to their task gallantly and were right up for the challenge, which is exactly what Brendon McCullum wants to see,” Vaugan wrote in his column for The Telegraph.

The only area of concern for England, according to Vaughan, was about Shoaib Bashir being their first choice spinner over Jack Leach, especially after the latter sparked Pakistan’s collapse in the second innings.

“The one selection point I was not sure about at the start of the summer was opting for Shoaib Bashir over Leach as the front-line spinner. I can see Bashir’s potential, but Leach outbowled him in Multan, and had a very good season for Somerset. I am a bit old school with spin bowling. Your finger spinner just needs to bowl, bowl, bowl. That is the way to learn, get used to conditions, make subtle variations to your release point, and angle of attack. Bashir just has not bowled that much this summer,” he added.

Pakistan will now look to bounce in the series with the second Test starting on October 15.

Geoffrey Boycott, the former England opener, has advised young off-spinner Shoaib Bashir to learn from Nathan Lyon’s bowling videos, as he believes the Australia veteran is the most superior off-spinner in the cricketing world. In seven Tests since his debut on this year’s tour of India, Bashir has picked 29 wickets, but went wicketless in second innings of series opener against Sri Lanka at Manchester, as the batters used their feet to unsettle his lines and lengths. “Shoaib Bashir has talent and can get better. He is tall with a fluid high action that will create occasional bounce on hard pitches together with a natural loop. My impression is he is not clear on what line he should be bowling so he tries all sorts of deliveries searching for a wicket.

“At the moment the best off-spinner in world cricket by a long way is Nathan Lyon, with 530 wickets at 30 runs each. My advice would be go and look at film of Lyon bowling. He gets close to the stumps so he can find a touch of drift away from the batsman with his action but he aims to pitch outside off stump to spin back and hit the stumps.

“His straight-on ball brings slip in play and he has a short square leg for the bat/pad nick. That way he can beat right-handers inside and outside of the bat. All great bowlers have to match line with length. Line is good, but if too short or too full then it is hittable. Great length but wrong line, such as being too straight, gives easy runs on the leg side,” wrote Boycott in his column for The Telegraph.

He also thinks Bashir must develop a stock ball to use in Test cricket to keep the batters quiet. “I think Shoaib has to learn that he can’t always go searching for wickets, admirable as that is, because it can become expensive.

“Sometimes when two opposition batsmen get set on a flat batting pitch the seamers are given the best end and the spinner the worst end. They are asked to bowl uphill or against the wind to do a holding job, keeping the batsmen quiet and runs to a minimum. That is why he needs a good stock ball.”

England now have a 1-0 lead in the three-match series against Sri Lanka and will play the second Test at Lord’s on August 29, followed by the series-ending game at The Oval on September 6.

England vs Sri Lanka, 1st Test Day 4 LIVE Updates: Sri Lanka kept themselves alive in the first Test against England at Old Trafford, ending Day 3 with an 82-run lead. After trailing by 122 runs, Sri Lanka rode on half-centuries by veteran Angelo Mathews (65) and Kamindu Mendis (56*). The latter remained unbeaten overnight alongside wicket-keeper batter Dinesh Chandimal. Chandimal had retired injured and had to be taken to hospital after suffering a blow from a Mark Wood bouncer, but returned to take Sri Lanka to 204/6 at stumps. (Live Scorecard)

 

England vs West Indies 2nd Test Day 3 Live Updates: West Indies will resume the proceedings from 351/5 on Day 3 of the ongoing second Test against England in Nottingham. Joshua Da Silva (32*) and Jason Holder (23*) are standing unbeaten at the crease for West Indies, who are trailing by 65 runs. Earlier on Day 2, West Indies batter Kavem Hodge scored his maiden Test hundred. He shared a partnership of 175 with fellow Windward Islands batsman Alick Athanaze (82), who fell in sight of what would have been his first Test century. For England, Shoaib Bashir scalped two wickets. (Live Scorecard)