Pakistan leave door ajar after late wickets cap gripping day

Pakistan let England back into the Test they have controlled for its first two-and-a-half days after a late collapse on day three saw the home side thunder back into contention in the series opener.

A wonderful spell from Yasir Shah (4-66) ensured the visitors seized a 107-run first-innings advantage as only the promising Ollie Pope (62) offered sustained defiance with the bat on a turning Old Trafford surface.

But Pakistan let their hosts back into the match in the final session as they lost eight wickets before stumps and only increased their lead to a not-insurmountable tally of 244.

Yasir (12 not out) and Mohammad Abbas (yet to score) were unbeaten at the close of play after Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes and Ben Stokes, back bowling for the first time since suffering a quad injury last month, took two second-innings wickets apiece.

"There's always belief," said Woakes. "You have to believe, it'd be stupid to rock up tomorrow and think three quick wickets and we're done. You can't think like that.

"We'll certainly give it a good go."

Resuming on 4-92, Pope brought up a crucial 81-ball half-century amid some frugal Mohammad Abbas bowling, who conceded only a solitary run from his first seven overs of the day.

But it was the hostile Naseem Shah who got the intial breakthrough of the third day when Pope parried a lifter to gully, before the teen quick then clattered one into Chris Woakes' helmet.

Jos Buttler reached 38 before his rough Test continued when he was beaten on the inside edge to be bowled by Yasir, who delivered an inspired post-lunch spell as Dom Bess and Woakes joined Joe Root (who edged behind late on day two) among his victims.

"He thinks of wickets, which is the beauty for Pakistan," Woakes said of Yasir. "He's an attacking legspinner, and he's always bringing in the stumps.

"He's got a googly that he hasn't been bowling that often, but when it's on the stumps, and he's spinning it like that, you're worried about both edges a little bit."

After bashing an entertaining 29 before England folded for 219, Broad grabbed the new ball and had first-innings century maker Shan Masood strangled down the leg-side for a duck.

Abid Ali should have joined him in the sheds before tea but for a Stokes dropped catch at second slip, the latest in a series of fielding blunders that have hamstrung the hosts.

Yet England came storming back into the Test all the same.

Stokes made up for his error to hang onto a Babar Azam edge off Woakes after tea as Pakistan slipped to 4-64.

And when Dom Sibley ran out Asad Shafiq with a direct hit from point, England could sense they were not out of the running.

Pakistan were sweating at the close of play after a pair of wickets to Stokes, the architect of England's miracle final-innings Ashes win at Headingley last year.

"I had no idea if he was ready to bowl, but I'm not surprised that he can do what he does," Woakes said of the allrounder. "He's Ben Stokes, he's capable of miracles."

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