KARACHI: Pakistan’s batters crumbled for 216 as 18-year-old legspinner Rehan Ahmed became the youngest men’s Test cricketer to claim a five-wicket haul on his debut to leave England in sight of a 3-0 sweep on Monday.
Ahmed grabbed 5-48 and Jack Leach (3-72) claimed all three of his wickets in the space of six deliveries on Day 3 of the third and final Test to leave England needing 167 runs with plenty of time in hand.
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.
England won the first two Tests by 74 and 26 runs, respectively, on flat and slow-turning pitches with its aggressive brand of Test cricket in its first tour to Pakistan in 17 years.
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.
Captain Babar Azam (54) hit his third half-century in the last four innings and Saud Shakeel (53) made his fourth fifty in his debut series before Ahmed left the lower order clueless on a wicket which has a variable bounce and slow turn from Day 1.
Babar and Shakeel had rebuilt Pakistan’s hopes with a 110-run stand before both fell late in the second session to Ahmed.
Babar became the fourth Test player to complete 1,000 runs this year, but played an overambitious pull against Ahmed’s short ball soon after completing his half-century and Ollie Pope held a sharp catch at short mid-wicket.
Ahmed, who also became the youngest England Test debutant at the age of 18 years, 126 days, then picked up the wickets of Mohammad Rizwan (7) and Shakeel in successive overs to seize complete control as Pakistan reached 177-6 at tea.
Shakeel followed up his three previous half-centuries in his maiden Test series with another defiant fifty before he top-edged a sweep against Ahmed and was caught by Leach at square leg.
Babar and Shakeel had defied spin and pace for 2 hours, 45 minutes after Leach’s triple strike had reduced Pakistan to 54-3.
Pakistan was ahead by just three runs when the top order crashed against Leach on a wicket where spinners have dominated.
Former captain Azhar Ali had a disappointing end to his 97-Test career as the 37-year-old fell without scoring in his last innings when Leach knocked back his off stump with a sharp turning delivery.
England players applauded and shook hands with Azhar before he took the final guard with his wife and two sons among a sparse crowd at the National Stadium.
But Azhar lasted for only four balls against his former Somerset teammate Leach before the England players again shook hands with him for one last time.
Azhar was accorded a guard of honour by his teammates on the edge of the boundary line as he slowly walked back into the dressing room.
Resuming on 21-0, Shan Masood (24) started promisingly, smashing Joe Root for three boundaries and a six before the offspinner was taken out of the attack after two overs.
Abdullah Shafique wiped off the 50-run deficit with a pulled boundary against Mark Wood’s 140 kph bouncer before Leach struck thrice without conceding a run.
The left-handed Masood was bowled playing an extravagant reverse sweep as the ball clipped the bottom edge of his bat before hitting the leg stump.
Four balls later, Leach sent Azhar packing and then pinned Shafique (26) plumb lbw on the front foot to leave Pakistan on the mat.
