England vs Pakistan: Jamie Smith Shines Amidst Middle Order Collapse

England vs Pakistan: A Turning Point in Rawalpindi

An England middle order with nearly 25,000 Test runs between them managed only 25 in Rawalpindi. It took the mischievous, moustachioed Sajid Khan just over a session to dismiss all four of Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, and Ben Stokes. He celebrated each one by slapping his thigh and pointing to the sky, and soon had England's rookie No. 7 in his sights.

Home series against West Indies and Sri Lanka are about as gentle an introduction to Test cricket as they come for an England player, but Jamie Smith was now in at the deep end. At 118 for 6 on a pitch manufactured specifically to suit Pakistan's spinners, England were in real danger of squandering the huge advantage they had gained when the coin came down tails-up on the first morning.

Instead, Smith picked his moment to launch a stunning takedown of Sajid, demonstrating the ability to glide effortlessly through the gears that had first earned him his call-up. He defended resolutely against Noman Ali, the left-arm spinner who dismissed him twice in the second Test, but launched Sajid for five fours and four sixes in an assault which confirmed his rare combination of talent and temperament.

England looked spooked by the pitch during their middle-order collapse, with sharp turn on offer from the outset and several balls shooting through low. They tried unsuccessfully to sweep their way out of trouble and it took Smith's calm head to recognise that the slow nature of the turn rewarded playing straight, especially early in his innings.