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Shouldn’t you be at work in bed?
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Hello and welcome to Rawalpindi, by way of a sofa in south London, for the deciding Test match between Pakistan and England. It’s one Test apiece and all to play for as both sides look to secure a series victory that would mean an awful lot.
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Shan Masood’s Pakistan side are riding their own brand of chaos but have managed to square the series with a rousing win in the second Test at Multan. The victory put an end to a six Test string of defeats and gave them a glimmer of a way forward, if not a sustainable blueprint for success. They’ve named an unchanged side and ordered up a rotor fan assisted deck that they hope will ultimately crumble the way the of their spinners for the second match in a row.
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For Ben Stokes’ England side it is a chance to double down on the series win in Pakistan two years ago and leave the sub-continent (where they aren’t set to return until 2027) with a 6-5 win ratio overall. They have happy memories of Rawalpindi, particularly the first day, last time they visited they racked up 506 for 4 in 75 overs and four of the men playing today – Crawley, Duckett, Pope and Brook notched up centuries before the bowlers set about prising out twenty wickets on a pitch with less life than Mars.
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You want subplots? This match has them by the bucketload. We’ll get into all that and more over the coming hours. Play is due to begin at 6am BST and I’ll bring news of the all important toss shortly. If you are tuning in then why not drop us a line in the usual way? This one promises to be a corker.
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main events
England win the toss and will bat first!
Let's go! Buckle up the knucklehead – Ben Stokes calls the coin correctly and chooses to use the wicket first. Well of course. Expect to see it at the box office over the next few hours. You can also wrap Paul Mescal in your loincloth and shove Joaquin Phoenix chewing up the scenery. Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley will be cleaning up like loons from now on. I'm running a food stall. Pass the popcorn.
Stokes famous quote:
The toss is approaching. Ben Stokes keeps his poker face no matter how the coins fall.
“Toss-outs play a bigger role in the subcontinent than anywhere else in the world. I don't think we'll see a situation this extreme as the game progresses. When the game starts, it's not the sixth day, it's the first day. It’s going to be an eye wicket.”
England have teenage leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed in their XI as part of a three-pronged spin attack that also features Joe Root. Here's what the England captain said about the youngster yesterday:
“The addition of Rehan's free spirit and desperation to change the game every time he gets the ball is a big bonus for us this week,” Stokes said after a quiet season at Leicestershire. He spoke while ignoring his sexuality. “Leg-spinners have an incredible ability to take the lead in games…It's better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them.”
got it? By the way, the pitch is full of known unknowns and unknown knowns. Namely, the object had two industrial fans installed last week and was reportedly vandalized.
“I wasn't involved in the decision-making, I was just there.”
Jason Gillespie radiates strength I dragged my husband to IKEA on a wet bank holiday. Energy goes into this.
There's nothing to see here… Except for a lot of nosebleed-inducing running:
preamble
james wallace
Shouldn't you do that? at work In bed?
Hello and welcome to Rawalpindi. Watch the decisive Test match between Pakistan and England from your sofa in south London. Each match will be a test and everything will be on the line, as both teams aim for a series victory that means a lot to them.
Shan Masood's Pakistan team has been in a turmoil of its own but managed to bounce back from the series with an enthusiastic win in the second Test in Multan. The victory ended a six-Test losing streak and offered a glimmer of a path forward, if not a blueprint for sustainable success. They named an unchanged squad and ordered a rotor fan support deck in the hopes that the spinners would finally collapse for the second game in a row.
For Ben Stokes' England side, this is a chance to double their series win in Pakistan two years ago and leave the subcontinent (not expected to return until 2027) with an overall record of 6-5. They have fond memories of Rawalpindi, especially on the first day, where they had scored 506 for 4 in 75 overs the last time they visited, and the four who played today (Crawley, Duckett, Pope, Brooke), the bowlers won the prize. Records were being broken centuries before they started. 20 wickets on a pitch with less life than Mars.
Need a subplot? This match has them by the bucket load. We'll tell you all about that and more in the coming hours. The match is scheduled to start at 6am (BST) And we'll bring you some very important toss news soon. If you're tuning in, why not contact us in the usual ways, this one promises to be a corker.
