Sajid Khan (3-55) and Noman Ali (2-53) picked up where they left off in Multan to give Pakistan a strong start on the first morning of the final Test against England in Rawalpindi. The spin duo bowled from the start and remained unchanged throughout the session with 15-over spells rocking England’s boat.

England opted to bat on a slow-turning surface and staggered at 110/5, with Ben Duckett (52) the only batsman to bat with any degree of comfort.

Just like in the last match, all eyes were on the field for this Test. Although it was an unused surface, the number of tricks used to ensure a dry spinning surface meant that it was difficult to predict the nature of the card game.

That said, it was expected to be a rotating track and the only question was when the ball would tear off the pitch. It didn’t take long for this question to be answered as the very first ball of the game, bowled by Sajid, spun viciously from a middle and leg line to set the tone for what was to come.

The surface clearly lacked pace and the bounce became extremely low throughout the session, with spin playing a key role in the proceedings. Sajid and Noman stuck to their guns to explore new ball spells even as Duckett stitched a steady opening stand of 56 runs along with Zak Crawley (29).

England looked at ease early on, although the difficult nature of the pitch was evident. Noman finally broke through when he caused a halved drive from Crawley to the back point. It was a wicket that opened the floodgates for Pakistan as England collapsed over the next hour.

Sajid used the uneven bounce and attack lines to land the next two blows. Ollie Pope had no idea as he played the wrong line to be LBW and the offspinner then took out Joe Root’s big scalp hanging on the back foot to miss a delivery that barely bounced and was dismissed for a single-digit score for the first time after 17 innings.

The low bounce continued to plague England as the well-placed Duckett was the next to fall, LBW, as he leaned back to tap but missed it completely. Noman ensured Pakistan extended their dominance by castling Harry Brook, who missed a sweep and found the wickets rattling. England lost five wickets in the space of 77 deliveries, giving Pakistan the honors of the morning.

Short scores: England 110/5 (Ben Duckett 52; Sajid Khan 3-55, Noman Ali 2-53) vs Pakistan.