Teenager Rehan Ahmed puts England on brink of memorable 3-0 Test series win in Pakistan
The Hindu
18-year-old Ahmed took 5 wickets for 48 runs and became the youngest player to claim a five-wicket haul on Test debut
Legspinner Rehan Ahmed became the youngest men's Test cricketer to claim a five-wicket haul on his debut and put England on the brink of a historic 3-0 sweep in its first test tour to Pakistan in 17 years.
Pakistan's batters crumbled for 216 in the second innings of the third and final test as the 18-year-old Ahmed grabbed 5-48 and Jack Leach (3-72) claimed all three of his wickets in the space of six deliveries on Day 3 to leave England a modest target of 167 runs.
Ben Duckett (50 not out) and Zak Crawley (41) motored England to 112-2 by stumps with their aggressive “Bazball” brand of batting — named after their coach Brendon McCullum.
England needs a further 55 runs to register its second successive win inside four days following its thrilling 26-run victory at Multan last week. England won the first Test by 74 runs in dimming light on the last day on a flat wicket in Rawalpindi.
Crawley and Duckett plundered 87 runs off 69 balls before mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed grabbed two late wickets. Crawley was adjudged leg before wicket while attempting a sweep and Rehan Ahmed (10), promoted up the order, smacked two boundaries before he swiped and got clean bowled.
Harry Brook's third successive century had given England a 50-run first innings lead when it replied with 354 after dismissing Pakistan for 304, with Ahmed and Leach sharing six wickets between them.
Pakistan, staring at its first ever 3-0 whitewash at home, lost the last seven wickets for 52 runs in the second innings as Ahmed stifled the middle-order with his sharp googlies and legspin.
Asian Games champion Avinash Sable opened his season in the 3000m steeple chase with a silver in the Portland Track Festival, a World Athletics Continental Tour bronze event, in Oregon on Saturday. He clocked 8:21.85s. Asian champion Parul Chaudhary took the bronze in the women’s 3000m steeple chase in a season-best 9:31.38s. Former Asian bronze medallist Sanjivani Jadhav struck gold in the women’s 10,000m in 32:22.77s, a time which was a second off her personal best, while Seema was sixth in 32:55.91s.