Jamie Smith’s nerveless brutality – and three late wickets – give England hope in series decider against Pakistan as spin rules in Rawalpindi

It has not been an easy first tour for Jamie Smith, but – with a series on the line and his team in trouble – he answered England’s call on a chaotic opening day of this deciding third Test.

When Ben Stokes prodded Sajid Khan to slip soon after lunch, triggering the ‘kabbadi’ celebration that Pakistan hope will define this series, England were 118 for six on a pitch showing alarming levels of uneven bounce and turn so early in a Test.

But Smith and his Surrey team-mate Gus Atkinson spent the next hour and a half giving England a better-than-fighting chance – Smith battering Pakistan’s spinners for six sixes during a pulsating 89, Atkinson peeling off some high-class drives in a mature 39.

In normal circumstances, a total of 267 would be neither here nor there, but the strip has been tailored to help spin – that, at least, is the polite way of putting it – and Pakistan will have to bat last. The 105 added by Smith and Atkinson may well grow in stature as the game unfolds.

Sure enough, by stumps, the hosts had slipped to 73 for three, with England’s spinners making the ball disturb the top of the surface.

Smith’s show of nerveless brutality and his ice-cool temperament England are in with a shout

Pakistan meanwhile will be hoping that Sajid Khan’s ‘kabbadi’ celebration will define the series

Shoaib Bashir was so sure he had pinned Abdullah Shafique in front that he embarked on a Stuart Broad-style ‘celebrappeal’ before umpire Chris Gaffaney raised his finger, and Jack Leach had Saim Ayub chipping tamely to short midwicket – his 15th wicket of a superb comeback series.

When Gus Atkinson was brought back to bowl only the day’s third over of seam, he nipped one through the gate of a surprised Kamran Ghulam – a centurion on debut last week, now castled for three.

But it was thanks mainly to Smith that England are in with a shout, when at one point they were going down with a whimper. Aged just 24 and in only his ninth Test, he has already established a reputation for nerveless brutality. Throw in an ice-cool temperament and a natural ability to read a game and problem-solve, and the ingredients are all there.

Until now, his best Test had come against Sri Lanka in Manchester, where he followed a first-innings hundred with a cameo 39 to break the back of a tricky chase. But this was better, rescuing England from the kind of meltdown which would have wasted the advantage of winning their first toss in eight attempts.

He was cautious initially, a welcome antidote to the sweep-heavy freneticism of the morning, then calculating, launching the off-spin of Sajid for four sixes and Zahid Mahmood’s leg-break for two as the ball grew softer and Pakistan began to doubt themselves.

He thought he had a seventh six, too, only for the ground’s four scorers to insist that a tough chance parried on the boundary by Saud Shakeel had been signalled instead as four. Apparently walking off with 91 to his name after miscuing a slog-sweep off Mahmood, Smith later had to settle for 89.

No matter: this was the performance of a serious talent, and one good enough to bat regularly in the top six should Stokes ever decide his greatest value to the team will come from turning himself into a counter-attacking No 7.

Smith showed his elders and betters the way on a pitch that has been prepared with the help of giant fans, patio heaters and sharp rakes, and may yet persuade ICC match referee Richie Richardson to take action. Even Pakistan’s coach Jason Gillespie has been nonplussed by it all.

The pitch had been prepared with the aid of giant fans, patio heaters and sharp rakes

Jack Leach has bowled brilliantly in his comeback tour and has now taken 15 wickets in Pakistan

Richardson is understood to have been unhappy with the decision to use the same pitch for the two Multan Tests, so goodness knows what he made of the ball from left-arm spinner Noman Ali which barely left the ground before trapping Ben Duckett lbw for 52.

But if Duckett was unlucky to get one of the sporadic peashooters which ought to earn Rawalpindi censure from the game’s governing body, the rest of England’s top order took turns trading errors as the two spinners who claimed all 20 wickets last week bowled unchanged until lunch and beyond.

Zak Crawley threw it away after a promising opening stand of 56, skewing Noman Ali to point for 29, before Ollie Pope – increasingly all at sea on this trip – was plumb leg-before for three trying to sweep Sajid.

Last week, Joe Root fell twice on the sweep, while Harry Brook twice played back fatally. As if to make amends, Root now stayed back to Sajid, and was hit in front by a big off-break, while Brook got well forward, and was bowled behind his legs trying to sweep.

England had barely digested their lunch when the wicket of Stokes took the collapse to six for 62. But Smith heeded the advice of those who had already come and gone, not least Duckett’s suggestion that the pitch was not conducive to sweeps.

‘When Ben Duckett says it’s tough to sweep then it probably is near on impossible,’ said Smith. ‘I took that on board and tried to put it away as much as possible. It was being a little bit more selective. I can only see the pitch getting worse, especially with the low bounce.’ 

Smith refused to panic before putting into practice the six-hitting contest that had enlivened the day before

Above all, Smith refused to panic, before putting into practice the six-hitting contest that had enlivened training the day before, while Akinson vindicated his position in the order above Rehan Ahmed at No 8.

Sajid wrapped up the innings to add six wickets to the nine he took in the second Test at Multan, and later accused England of helping him out with some loose strokes. They will not be the last of a game that has already become a bunfight.