Pakistan vs England 3rd Test: Pakistan End Day 1 On 73/3, Spinner Sajid Khan Bags Six Wickets

England fought back to reduce Pakistan to 73-3 on the first day of the series-deciding third Test in Rawalpindi Thursday, after off-spinner Sajid Khan took six wickets. Sajid finished with 6-128 and left-arm spinner Noman Ali took 3-88 after a rearguard 89 by wicketkeeper Jamie Smith enabled England to recover to 267 from a precarious 110-5 at lunch. At the close, Pakistan captain Shan Masood and Saud Shakeel were both unbeaten on 16, with the home team trailing by 194 and the match in the balance.

On a dry and spin-friendly Rawalpindi pitch, 13 wickets fell on day one with all but one going to spin bowlers.

In the final session, England off-spinner Shoaib Bashir dismissed Abdullah Shafique for 14 and left-armer Jack Leach accounted for Saim Ayub who had made 19.

Gus Atkinson was the only fast bowler to take a wicket, dismissing Kamran Ghulam for three.

"The pitch helped us for the first 25 overs, but when the ball got softer it was difficult to spin the ball," said Sajid, who took nine wickets in the second Test victory in Multan.

"Smith played a brilliant knock otherwise we could have got them out for under 200. We need a good first-innings lead to win this Test," admitted Sajid.

England were in huge trouble at 118-6 after they lost captain Ben Stokes in the third over of the second session, caught by Sajid for 12.

But Smith, who reached his fifty off 94 balls, and Atkinson (39) added 105 for the seventh wicket to rescue their side.

Smith fell 11 runs short of his second Test century after enabling England to add 149 for their last four wickets.

- Six towering sixes -

Smith smashed six towering sixes and five fours in his 119-ball knock before he was caught off a miscued slog against spinner Zahid Mahmood in the last