Pakistan vs England 3rd Test Live Score: Pakistan to look for better batting performance

Jack Leach to Shan Masood, Length dragged back around the pads, Shan Masood goes for the nudge through fine leg but misses. There were runs on offer had he clipped it. 

Jack Leach to Shan Masood, Flatter and fuller, on middle and leg, Shan Masood tucks this away on leg for no run. 

Jack Leach to Shan Masood, Quicker and flatter on the pads, Shan Masood flicks this but straight to square leg. 

Jack Leach to Saud Shakeel, Tossed up around middle and off, Saud Shakeel rolls this through mid on and takes one. 

Jack Leach to Saud Shakeel, Fuller, around off, Saud Shakeel pushes this away for no run. 

Jack Leach to Saud Shakeel, Short of a length around off, turning in on the batter. Saud Shakeel blocks it out. 

Shoaib Bashir to Shan Masood, Tossed up on off, Shan Masood defends this one as well. 

Shoaib Bashir to Shan Masood, Touch short around off, Shan Masood punches this off his back foot but straight to short cover. 

Shoaib Bashir to Shan Masood, Fuller, on off, Shan Masood jams this down with soft hands. Gets an edge but this lands in front of the fielder at first slip. 

Shoaib Bashir to Shan Masood, Short of a length on off, Shan Masood punches this towards short cover for no run. 

Shoaib Bashir to Saud Shakeel, Fuller on off, Saud Shakeel pushes this away in the gap for one. 

Shoaib Bashir to Saud Shakeel, FOUR! Brilliantly cut away for four runs. Short and wide outside off, Saud Shakeel uses the depth of the crease and rocks back as he cuts this through the gap at point for a boundary. Jack Leach gives it a good chase but the ball flies on this fast outfield. 

Jack Leach to Saud Shakeel, Tossed up on the pads, Saud Shakeel flicks this in the gap towards mid-wicket and takes single. 

Jack Leach to Saud Shakeel, Touch fuller this time, in the line of stumps, Saud Shakeel tucks this away on leg for no run. 

Jack Leach to Saud Shakeel, Short of a length outside off, Saud Shakeel rocks back and defends this solidly. 

Jack Leach to Shan Masood, Length dragged back a bit, around the pads this time. Shan lets it come to him and tucks it off the back foot towards square leg for a single. 

Jack Leach to Shan Masood, Full and on off, Shan Masood defends this off his front foot. 

Jack Leach to Shan Masood, Fuller, on off, Shan Masood moves in and tucks this towards short mid on for no run. 

Jack Leach to start from the other end!

Shoaib Bashir to Saud Shakeel, Flatter in trajectory, around off. Saud Shakeel pushes this away on off with a defensive stroke. 

Shoaib Bashir to Shan Masood, Fuller, around middle and off, Shan Masood takes a good stride in front and tucks this towards leg for one. 

Shoaib Bashir to Shan Masood, Quicker and fuller this time on off, Shan Masood defends this one. 

Shoaib Bashir to Shan Masood, Tossed up on off, Shan Masood defends this around off for another dot. 

Shoaib Bashir to Shan Masood, Tossed up on off, Shan Masood prods forward and defends this. 

Shoaib Bashir to Shan Masood, Turn straightaway for Bashir. Short of a length on off, Shan Masood jams this just short of a very short gully fielder for no run. 

In all readiness for action to start on Day 2!  The umpires stride to the centre, followed by the England players, who fan out across the field. Shan Masood and Saud Shakeel calm and focused, make their way to the crease, ready to continue their innings. England waste no time and decide to start with spin straightaway. Shoaib Bashir to start the proceedings for them with the ball. Away we go!

PITCH REPORT - Ramiz Raja is down in the middle for the pitch analysis. He says that the past numbers suggest that Day 2 has generally been good for batting but mentions this is a different surface. Adds that it could get dry and crumbly with not much grass and moisture but it still doesn't look that bad. States that the batters with have to get on the front foot and stay strong in their defence while bowlers just need to keep it tight and the pitch will take care of the rest with a bit more turn and low bounce expected today.

Despite the early blows, Pakistan will now shift their focus to steadying the ship through crucial partnerships. Once again, the responsibility falls heavily on the middle order to anchor the innings and do the bulk of the scoring, guiding Pakistan into safer waters. Having lost the toss, they would understand just how vital this innings is for the outcome of the match and the series. Shan Masood and Saud Shakeel showed some resilience late on Day 1, but the real test begins now, seeing off the initial burst of England’s bowlers and settling into a rhythm. If they can lay a solid foundation, they’ll hope to pile on a big score and put pressure back on England. With so much riding on today’s play, expect nothing short of a thrilling red-ball battle. The action is just moments away, so stay tuned for what promises to be a captivating Day 2!

England’s first-inning score of 267 was a commendable effort, especially after that dramatic middle-order collapse. The visitors will now aim to replicate their disciplined bowling efforts and tighten the screws further. Shoaib Bashir and Jack Leach will shoulder most of the bowling workload, while Rehan Ahmed and Joe Root could play key roles too. With spin starting to bite from the surface, the challenge for batters will only grow as the game progresses, making it crucial for England to limit Pakistan's total as much as possible.

Hello and a warm welcome to Day 2 of this pivotal third Test between Pakistan and England, from the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium! After an intriguing opening day, the match hangs in perfect balance, with both teams eyeing the opportunity to shift momentum in their favour. Pakistan, trailing by 194 runs, will look to bat sensibly, build a couple of solid partnerships, and eat away at the deficit. Meanwhile, England will come out fired up, hoping to strike early and make the most of the morning session.

... DAY 2, SESSION 1 ...

It feels like a par score on this pitch. Pakistan bowled well early on. Sajid Khan ended with six wickets but England replied well by taking three wickets in a small passage of play. England will hope their spinners get back in action right away on Day 2. Join us for all the action at 5 am GMT and early on for the build up. Till then, goodbye and cheers! 

Sajid Khan, the main man with the ball for Pakistan is down for a chat. He starts by saying that he has been playing first-class cricket for the past 8-9 years and has seen all different types of wickets and is happy to see such a wicket here in Pindi. On Joe Root's wicket, he says that when you play cricket regularly, you get to learn the positives and negatives and tried to get rid of Root early and planned for it as well.

England opted to bat first and the openers laid the foundation at the top. They negotiated the spinners well but it was a matter of time before Pakistan get their lines and lengths right. Once Noman Ali got Zak Crawley, England lost wickets in heaps and got in a spot of trouble at 118/6. However, a solid partnership between Gus Atkinson and Jamie Smith saw them get things back on track and steady the ship. Jamie Smith was the hero for them with the bat as he scored a valuable 89 on a tricky wicket. 

A fantastic day of cricket comes to an end. 13 wickets fall overall and it's hard to say who is on top right now. Pakistan had to bat during a tricky period, they lost three wickets in the process but Shan Masood and Saud Shakeel did well to see out the rest of the overs. England on the other hand will be happy with how they have bowled. They used Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir for the majority of the innings but a superb effort from Gus Atkinson saw him get a wicket as well.

Rehan Ahmed to Saud Shakeel, Safely negotiated by Saud Shakeel and that will be STUMPS ON DAY 1! Ahmed finishes with a googly, a tad full and targeting the stumps, Shan Masood watchfully defends it off.

Rehan Ahmed to Shan Masood, Pushed through onto the legs, Masood stays back and steers it on the leg side for a single.

Rehan Ahmed to Shan Masood, Stump-to-stump bowling, Masood stays watchful and just blocks it from the crease.

Rehan Ahmed to Shan Masood,Drifting into the legs this time, clipped away well behind square on the leg side.

Rehan Ahmed to Shan Masood, Similar line and length again, angling back in, steady bounce this time and Masood manages to push it away in front of mid-wicket.

Rehan Ahmed to Shan Masood, Oh, that kept really low! Comes from around the stumps and bowled it flat and into the pitch, angling it in from around off. Shan Masood gets across a bit and manages to jam his bat down in time.

Rehan Ahmed to bowl the final over of the day.

Shoaib Bashir to Saud Shakeel, Fuller in length on the stumps and blocked off by Shakeel.

Shoaib Bashir to Saud Shakeel, Oh, that nearly scraped through! Quicker and flatter, sliding onto the off pole, Saud Shakeel gets rushed as he looks to play off the back foot but manages to keep it out.

Shoaib Bashir to Shan Masood, Just drifting into the pads once again, Masood dabs it around the corner and picks up a single.

Shoaib Bashir to Shan Masood, Flighted up on the stumps, Masood is happy to defend it out.

Shoaib Bashir to Saud Shakeel, A bit of a freebie that as Bashir bowls a full toss on off and middle, Saud Shakeel comes forward and whips it through the mid-wicket region. Harry Brook chases it down and saves a run for his side.

Shoaib Bashir to Saud Shakeel, Quicker through the air, a bit full around middle and turning away, Saud Shakeel lunges and solidly blocks it off.

Joe Root to Shan Masood, Good length, angled onto the pads, Shan Masood tucks it away neatly in front of square leg.

Joe Root to Saud Shakeel, Nicely tossed up around off, not all that full, Saud Shakeel leans on to drive and gets it in the gap around extra cover for a single.