Third Rothesay Test, Edgbaston (day three of five)

Pakistan 133 (Tongue 4-42) & 449 (Masood 95, Razaullah 81, Babar 76, Awais 59)

England 453 (Brook 75, Smith 69, Lawrence 65, Gay 60, Robinson 50; Razaullah 4-148)

England need 130 runs to win

Scorecard

England face a chase of 130 to win the third Test after Pakistan debutant Razaullah produced some thrilling resistance on day three at Edgbaston.

Pakistan had battled to 318-8, still two runs behind, with potentially more than two hours of play remaining when Razaullah, the tourists’ number nine, launched a sensational assault.

The 21-year-old’s audacious 81 from 63 balls frazzled England and propelled Pakistan to 449. His nine sixes tied Ben Stokes’ record for the number of maximums in a Test innings in England.

Razaullah shared an ninth-wicket stand of 121 with Muhammad Abbas, who whacked two sixes of his own in his 42. Finally, Razaullah was stumped off Lawrence to end the day and signal the beginning of England’s chase on Saturday.

Pakistan deserved to drag the match into a weekend, restoring a modicum of pride to what has been a shambolic tour.

England might have won inside two days had it not been for bad weather on Thursday. From 55-2 overnight, 268 behind, Pakistan did not capitulate on Friday.

Shan Masood and Azan Awais extended their third-wicket stand to 125 until Awais tickled the off-spin of Dan Lawrence down the leg side for 59.

Masood added another 89 with captain Babar Azam. The left-hander was denied a century on 95 when Lawrence took a spectacular one-handed catch at gully off Gus Atkinson.

Babar was classy for his 76, yet was discomforted when England went to a short-ball plan either side of tea. His dismissal to a Josh Tongue bouncer seemed to confirm a three-day finish, but Razaullah had other ideas.

On what could have been the final day of a disappointing series, a Test match broke out. The contest between bat and ball was even and compelling, and the Hollies Stand filled Edgbaston with an atmosphere missing from the first two days.

In their last act of a miserable tour, Pakistan showed what they are made of. Until Razaullah flayed them, England did not bowl badly – the hosts were simply met with patience, bravery and sound judgement from the touring top order.

Despite being bowled out for 133 on day one and reduced to 0-2 in their second innings, Pakistan are alive. England should win, though the tourists will have a target to defend. The run chase could be ticklish.

Razaullah was one of the seven players Pakistan drafted into the squad for this Test. He first impressed with his pace bowling in England’s first innings, then provided grandstand entertainment late on Friday evening.

After a first full day in the field this series, England faded. As Razaullah and Abbas swung and swiped, England’s bowlers simply could not hit the stumps. Joe Root’s decision to employ Lawrence with the second new-ball was curious.

England were left frustrated and devoid of ideas. For everyone else, it was tremendous fun. Saturday might yet be something special.

Pakistan could have been humiliated in Birmingham, so the performance they produced on Friday was a staggering turnaround. This was the first time they have made more than 200 or batted more than 51 overs in the series.

At 21, Awais looks a prospect and played nicely through the off side. Masood was composed and unfortunate to miss out on a century in what is likely his final Test in the country where he went to school.

Babar showed glimpses of his class, only to lose concentration when England went to bouncers – the captain’s dismissal was the first of four wickets to fall for 40 runs.

What came next was remarkable. Razaullah struck the ball clean and long. It started as freewheeling hitting and turned into a match-changing innings. He equalled the record held by New Zealand’s Tim Southee for the most sixes in an innings by a Test debutant.

Atkinson was belted into the Edgbaston building site as part of three maximums in the same over, while Jofra Archer was hit back over his head for successive sixes.

Even Abbas got in on the fun. He played reverse-sweeps off Lawrence and clobbered Ollie Robinson over cow corner for two sixes.

As the light faded, it seemed as though the ninth-wicket pair might reach the close, only for Abbas to poke Tongue to point.

In a frantic finish, Razaullah cracked Lawrence for the record-equalling ninth six, drew huge cheers when he overturned being given lbw, then was stumped. He left to a rapturous ovation, a new star of Pakistan cricket.

England’s attack have had it all their own way this series. Root’s tactics, often criticised in his first spell as captain, have rarely been tested. Friday’s chaos will bring plenty of questions for this new regime.

The hosts’ efforts for the majority of the day were adequate – they were simply repelled by some quality Pakistan batting. When the ball moved, England held their length, then went to a short-ball plan at the right time and took some sharp catches.

But when Razaullah and Abbas came together, England lost the plot. The field was scattered for bouncers and, when the bowlers tried to target the stumps, they either missed the target or were met by stout Pakistan defence.

Robinson has been in the form of his life, yet was somehow ignored for the second new-ball in favour of Lawrence. Archer could not hide his frustration at the treatment he received from Razaullah, while Root briefly left the field.

By the end, England were reduced to Atkinson bowling bouncers at Razaullah with eight fielders on the boundary.

The late wickets were a huge relief. England dragged themselves off the field, chastened, though still in line for a 3-0 clean sweep.