Saud Shakeel
The last match of the 3-match Test series between Pakistan and England is being played in Rawalpindi. England won the first match in spectacular fashion. After this, Pakistan made a brilliant comeback by winning the second match and leveled the series. Now in the third match there is a tough competition between the two teams. The first day of the third Test was in the name of Pakistani spinners who bowled out the England team for 267 runs. The Pakistan team, which came to chase England’s score, had a very bad start. By the end of the first day’s play, the team scored 73 runs on the scoreboard after losing 3 wickets. Shan Masood and Saud Shakeel returned unbeaten after scoring 16 runs each.
On the second day also, the process of falling of wickets continued at regular intervals but middle order batsman Saud Shakeel kept one end in check. Saud Shakeel batted brilliantly and completed his century after lunch. He scored the fourth century of his Test career in 180 balls in the 79th over. He scored a century in the Test after 7 innings. In August 2024, he scored his third Test century against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi itself.
Saud Shakeel achieved a special position
By scoring a century against England, Shakeel became the third batsman to score the highest Test score of fifty or more in the last two years. He left compatriot Aga Salman behind. In the last 2 years, Shakeel has scored more than 12 fifty runs with his bat. Within the last two years, only Joe Root and Harry Brook have been able to score more 50+ scores than Shakeel. Root has done this big feat 16 times while Brook has done it 15 times. Now the Pakistani batsman has a great opportunity to get closer to both the England batsmen. If we look at Shakeel’s career, he has scored 1377 runs in 28 innings of 15 Test matches at an average of 57.37. This includes 4 centuries and 7 half-centuries.
Pakistan equaled England’s score
With the help of Saud Shakeel’s century, Pakistan team managed to reach the score of 250. Till the tea break, Pakistan had put 267 runs on the scoreboard after losing 8 wickets. Shakeel returned unbeaten after scoring 107 runs and Sajid Khan returned unbeaten after scoring 1 run. From here, Pakistan team would like to gain lead over England.