PAKISTAN v. ENGLAND

Like the previous two Tests this one ended in a draw although it was not without its incidents, unfortunately off the field. Over one hundred minutes were lost through rioting and invasions of the field by spectators, and the match was abandoned forty-five minutes early when a dust-storm made play impossible. As at Hyderabad there was a time on the last day when it seemed that there might be a victory, this time to England, but the slowness of another grassless pitch enabled Pakistan to escape. In the main it was a match of batting although none of it exciting for the bounce of the ball made stroke-play unrewarding. It was remarkable for one oddity in that Majid, Mushtaq and Amiss, who had scored a century in each of the previous Tests, were each dismissed for 99.

Majid and Sadiq laid the foundation of a big score when they put on 97 for the second wicket and when Majid eventually fell Pakistan were 297 for three. With Mushtaq, who brought his time at the crease in two innings against England to thirteen hours, he put on 121. Only a strong man could make runs quickly in these conditions and not surprisingly Intikhab with 61 provided the most enterprising batting of the innings before Pakistan declared at 445 for six.

England, who would not have wanted to face too many runs on the last day on a pitch of doubtful durability, were reassured by a second wicket stand of 130 between Amiss and Fletcher who, after a confident start, had been subdued by the accurate leg-spin of Mushtaq and Intikhab and the activities of the crowd. Strangely, Majid did not use these two together again until nearly four hours had passed on the next day, the fourth, by which time England's position had become reasonably carefree. Greig, so reliable, made 48, the captain, Lewis, 88. When the leg-spinners at last teamed up again they finished the innings in half an hour, sharing the last four wickets.

Pakistan, who theoretically should have held the initiative on the last day, lost it--and with it almost the match--in a highly effective spell by the England spinners, Gifford and Birkenshaw. Gifford bowled Talat and Sadiq and had Asif caught at extra cover, while Birkenshaw accounted for those who plunderers of England's bowling, Mushtaq and Intikhab, each for a duck. Those five wickets fell for only three runs so that Pakistan were 108 for seven with four and a half hours left.