Pakistan's Openers Out, Babar Azam In Crucial Partnership

Overs20.2 Score56 - 2 Taskin Ahmed to Shan Masood, Back of a length, angling into the hips. Masood hops and tucks it to the right of Nahid Rana at deep backward square leg. He sprints hard for the first and wants the second, but it's not on. One run and no more.

Overs19.5 Score55 - 2 Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Shan Masood, A bit of mix-up between the batters, but danger is averted! Not all that short, on off. Shan cuts it to the left of point and after a slight hesitation, Masood sprints to the other end. Completes the single well before the throw arrives at the bowling end.

Overs17.6 Score49 - 2 Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Babar Azam, Slightly fuller and flatter this time, with a bit of turn into the batter from off. Babar Azam looks to block it straight by dragging his bat in front of the pads, but an outside edge is induced. The ball rolls past the first slip fielder, who gives it a chase to the deep third region. Two taken.

So both Pakistani openers are back in the hut. And out walks the half-centurion from the first innings. Babar Azam is in at number 4. Boy, this is going to be a crucial, crucial partnership from Pakistan's pov.

W Overs15.6 Score41 - 2 Mehidy Hasan Miraz to Azan Awais, OUT! LBW! Miraz strikes with a beauty. Bowls a bit round-armish, with a nice bit of flight on middle, Azan Awais stretches forward to defend this full ball, but it keeps drifting in and he plays over it, getting beaten on the inside edge and being rapped on the front pad. A huge appeal for LBW and up goes the finger. Azan Awais has a chat with Shan Masood and opts to take the review. There is no spike on the UltraEdge and the Ball Tracking shows that the ball is clipping the leg stump on umpire's call. So, the on-field decision is upheld. Awais departs after a decent start, but couldn't convert. Pakistan do not lose the review, but have lost both their openers now. They are reduced to 41/2, needing 396 runs.