England reeling after Shakeel century puts Pakistan ahead in 3rd test

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Pakistan’s Saud Shakeel celebrates after scoring century during the day two of third test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

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Pakistan’s Noman Ali plays a shot during the day two of third test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

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Pakistan’s Sajid Khan, right, and teammates celebrate after the dismissal of England’s Ben Duckett during the day two of third test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

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Pakistan’s Sajid Khan, center, and teammates appeal successful LBW out of England’s Ben Duckett during the day two of third test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

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Umpire Sharfuddoula, right, helps to Pakistan’s Sajid Khan, who injured when the ball hitting on his face during the day two of third test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

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Pakistan’s Saud Shakeel plays a shot during the day two of third test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

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England’s Shoaib Bashir, right, celebrates with teammate after taking the wicket of Pakistan’s Noman Ali during the day two of third test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

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England’s Joe Root, second left, Shoaib Bashir and Matthew Potts appeal unsuccessful LBW out of Pakistan’s Noman Ali during the day two of third test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

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England’s Ben Stokes, left, Jamie Smith, center, and Ollie Pope, second right, jubilate after the dismissal of Pakistan’s Shan Masood, right, during the day two of third test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

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England’s Ben Stokes, left, and Jamie Smith, center, celebrate the dismissal of Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan, right, during the day two of third test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

By RIZWAN ALI

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (AP) — England crumbled to 24-3 after Saud Shakeel’s century gave Pakistan the lead on day two of the series-deciding third cricket test on Friday.

Spinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali took out England openers Ben Duckett and Zac Crawley plus Ollie Pope, as they did in the first innings.

England was still 53 runs behind Pakistan on a turning pitch.

Left-hander Shakeel exhibited immense patience for more than five hours to make 134 off 223 balls and shepherd the tailenders to craft a meaningful 77-run first-innings lead for Pakistan, which was all out for 344.

“When you play on such wickets, you have to back yourself and bat with clarity,” Shakeel said. “Playing against spinners always gives me tension, but I avoided playing sweep shots and relied on rotating the strike with singles.”

Recalled leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed led England with 4-66 in his first international since February, off-spinner Shoaib Bashir took 3-129, and fast bowler Gus Atkinson 2-22.

“We did try different things with him, but he stood to his method and he batted very well,” Ahmed said of Shakeel. “We’re still quite positive ... there’s no sense of negativity or head down with anyone. Everyone still knows he has a job to do.”

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Ahmed claimed three of the four wickets in a first session extended for Friday prayers as Pakistan slipped from 73-3 at the start of the day to 177-7, still behind by 90 runs.

Captain Shan Masood was caught in the slips, Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha went lbw and Aamer Jamal chopped Ahmed’s googly onto his stumps.

Then Shakeel thwarted England’s rising hopes in half-century stands with No. 9 batter Ali (45) and No. 10 Khan (48 not out).

“They (Ali and Khan) really batted well and because of them we are in such a position,” Shakeel said.

Shakeel rotated the strike with deft pushes for singles on both sides of the wicket as he completed his fourth century off 181 balls in the second session with a single off Ahmed to mid-wicket. His four boundaries, in his first test hundred against England, all came when he completed his half-century before lunch.

Captain Ben Stokes’ ploy to open the field in the second session backfired as Ali and Khan batted confidently.

Ali, who successfully overturned an lbw decision against him on 10, fell at the stroke of tea when he was trapped by Bashir with the second new ball.

But Khan counterpunched the England spinners for four sixes and two boundaries before Atkinson’s short-pitch ploy finally worked when Shakeel spooned a catch to mid-wicket after tea.

When England batted again, Duckett was trapped on 12, Crawley also in the next over, and Pope gave a big outside edge to the slips in the eighth over to extend a sub-par series. He’s scored 55 runs in five innings.

Joe Root (5) and Harry Brook (3) were at the crease.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket