Rehan Ahmed takes two wickets on Test debut as England dismiss Pakistan for 304 on day one in Karachi

Teenager Rehan Ahmed claimed two wickets on the day he became England’s youngest men’s Test cricketer of all time as the tourists bowled Pakistan out for 304 in their pursuit of a historic 3-0 series sweep.

The leg-spinner, making his Test bow at 18 years and 126 days, bowled a jittery five overs before lunch, conceding 37 runs as he struggled to find his length in Karachi.

However, Ahmed (2-89 from 22 overs) struck in memorable style in the second session with an excellent leg break accounting for Pakistan batter Saud Shakeel (23) before he trapped Faheem Ashraf (4) lbw with his favourite ball, the googly, in the evening.

England closed on 7-1 from three overs in reply to trail by 297- Zak Crawley (0) pinned lbw by Abrar Ahmed on the back foot as the Pakistan leg-spinner backed up his 11-wicket outing during the second Test in Multan.

Babar Azam (78) and Agha Salman (56) passed fifty for Pakistan but their score looks below par on a flat surface, albeit that the pitch offered more turn as the day progressed with Ahmed starring, Jack Leach completing figures of 4-140 and Abrar then dismissing Crawley.

Ahmed, who had beaten Shakeel’s outside edge with a terrific googly the ball before, had Ollie Pope to thank for his maiden wicket with his team-mate taking a superb one-handed grab at short leg after left-hander Shakeel had inside edged onto his pad, sparking vibrant celebrations from Ahmed’s Pakistan-born father in the crowd.

The biggest wicket England claimed was that of Pakistan skipper Babar, run out at the wicketkeeper’s end after the recalled Ben Foakes collected Harry Brook’s throw, but the most memorable scalps were taken by Ahmed, who has eclipsed Brian Close (18 years and 149 days) as England men’s youngest player.

The Leicestershire all-rounder mixed the odd short ball and overpitched delivery with fizzing leg-breaks and sharply-spinning googlies, with Ashraf narrowly avoiding nicking one fine googly from around the wicket two overs before a similar one trapped him plumb in front.

Stokes protected the youngster with some defensive fields – a rarity over the last seven months during the new era of ‘Bazball’ – as he became the first England leg-spinner to take two wickets in his debut innings since Ian Salisbury against Pakistan at Lord’s in 1992.

Sunday 18th December 4:45am

Pakistan plummet after electing to bat in Karachi

England, victorious by 74 runs in Rawalpindi and 26 runs in Multan as they clinched a first Test series win against Pakistan away from home since 2001, are looking to become the first side to earn a 3-0 sweep in Pakistan.

They reduced the hosts to 46-2 in the morning session with Leach pinning Abdullah Shafique (8) lbw in the sixth over before Mark Wood’s short ball accounted for Shan Masood (30 off 37) in the 13th.

Masood – who had come into the side in place of the injured Imam-ul-Haq (hamstring) – took a liking to Leach, using his feet and striking the spinner for four of his five boundaries, but then top-edged to Leach at deep fine leg after Wood’s banged-in ball did not get up as high as he expected.

Azhar Ali (45) and Babar rebuilt during a third-wicket stand of 71, with Azhar – who announced on Friday that his 97th Test for Pakistan would also be his last – shaking off a nasty blow to the arm from a fierce Wood delivery to move five runs shy of what would have been his 36th Test half-century.

Azhar was denied that on the stroke of lunch as he gloved Ollie Robinson down the leg-side and the soft signal of not out was overturned with third umpire Marais Erasmus deciding England wicketkeeper Foakes had got his gloves underneath the ball.

Foakes’ glovework also led to the run out of Babar in the evening with the Surrey man – who joined Ahmed in the line-up for this Test with James Anderson and Will Jacks making way – removing the second bail before Babar could complete a careless single.

Foakes had dislodged the first bail as he reached round the stumps but the other remained in the groove until he knocked it off with ball in hand, sending Babar on his way at a ground where he averages a touch under 85 and reducing Pakistan to 219-6.

The previous two wickets had fallen to spin in the afternoon – Ahmed banishing Shakeel in what was the moment of the day before Mohammad Rizwan (19) had a moment to forget as he cue-ended a filthy full toss from Joe Root to Stokes.

Ashraf, Nauman Ali (20), Salman, and Abrar (4) also fell to turn in the third session, with the final three on that list out to Leach – Nauman skying to Stokes down the ground having put on 48 with Salman for the eighth wicket before Leach found prodigious turn to have Salman stumped and castle Abrar off stump.

Abrar soon had ball in hand, banishing Crawley for a five-ball duck and then seeing a review for for Ben Duckett (4no) leg before on the sweep come to nothing with the delivery having pitched outside leg stump.

Pope (3no) is the other unbeaten England batter.

What they said

England debutant Rehan Ahmed after taking 2-89…

“I think I rushed a little bit in my first spell, but it came out better than I expected. I know I got hit for boundaries, but Stokesy was like ‘I don’t care about the runs, just get me wicket’ The second spell I just went in, forgot about the runs and wanted to take wickets, and it happened.

“Bowling them out for 300 in a day was great – and also getting my first wicket.”

Watch day two of the third Test between Pakistan and England live on Sky Sports Cricket from 4.45am on Sunday.