Rehan Ahmed’s fifer in the third Test powered England to a series white-wash against Pakistan

Shan Masood had hit the first two balls of the day for four as Pakistan hoped to develop their lead but England was set 167 to win and with nominal 22 overs left on the third evening, they set about attempting to chase the runs before the close.

Earlier, Shan Masood had hit the first two balls of the day for four as Pakistan hoped to develop their lead, but after a positive start, lost his leg stump while bottom-edging an endeavored reverse-sweep off Leach.

Azhar Ali was welcomed with handshakes by England’s fielders but his last innings before his retirement from international cricket were very much short. 

His fourth ball was full, pitching on the leg stump, however, dismissed sharply away from the bat as he hoped to whip wristily through midwicket. It collided with the highest point of off stump. Azhar walked off through a guard of honor from his teammates.

Toward the beginning of his next over, Leach struck again, catching Shafique lbw with a ball that slid off the pitch. Shakeel endure the hat-trick ball, but Pakistan was effectively 4 for 3.

Rehan Ahmed, who was held back until the fourth hour of the third day by Ben Stokes, named the game back in England’s favor when he broke a determined fourth-wicket stand between Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel.

Jack Leach had taken three wickets in about six balls in the morning session to remove Pakistan’s top order and after a long wait before returning to the attack, Rehan made a similar impact on the game in a five-over burst before the tea interval.

His first wicket was a reward, Babar pulling a drag-down straight to Ollie Pope at short midwicket in the wake of raising his second half-century of the match. 

However, his next two came from great balls: the second, a leg break that held and found Mohammad Rizwan’s outside edge; the third, a hard-spun googly that Shakeel top-edged straight to square leg on the sweep.

Rehan returned in the evening session to finish the lower order: Mohammad Wasim hacked him to mid-off, and Salman Ali Agha miscued a sweep to backward square leg. He sank to his knees to perform a sajdah and then beamed from ear to ear as he led the team off.

England was set 167 to win and with nominal 22 overs left on the third evening, they set about attempting to chase the runs before the close. 

Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett whipped 87 runs in 11.3 overs, Rehan was promoted to No. 3 as a “night-hawk” and Stokes threw his bat towards the square leg umpire attempting to hurl Nauman Ali for six, but bad light mediated with 55 more runs required.

England needs 55 runs to win the third Test in Karachi and force Pakistan’s first-ever men’s Test series whitewash on home soil.