Regarding the sight screens in Rawalpindi during the current Test match between Pakistan and England, Alexandra Hartley made an intriguing observation.
For the three-match Test series against Pakistan, Hartley, who has played international cricket for the England women’s side, will be providing commentary.
One of my favourite sights in Rawalpindi would be the sight screens. Just a bedsheet raised above the billboard at the conclusion of each over. After that, these guys resume lying down for six balls,” tweeted Hartley.
The sight screens here at Rawalpindi could be one of my favourite. Just a bedsheet hoisted up above the advertisement board at the end of every over. Then these lads go back to lying down for 6 balls. 👏🏽🇵🇰 pic.twitter.com/MjEwlPHCfd
— Alexandra Hartley (@AlexHartley93) December 3, 2022
In order to eliminate distractions and make it simpler for the batsmen to see the ball when they are batting, sight screens are put straight behind both of the wickets beyond the boundary.
Hartley has participated in four T20Is and 28 ODIs for the women’s squad since her debut in 2016.
At lunch on the third day of the first Test in Rawalpindi, England’s spinners dismissed Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq after they each struck 100 on Saturday as Pakistan reached 298-3.
Shafique was out for 114 by off-spinner Will Jacks, and Haq was out for 121 by left-armer Jack Leach.
In order to avoid a follow-on, Pakistan still needs another 160 runs after England scored 657 on Friday, their biggest total ever against the home team.
Even though three wickets were lost in the first session on Saturday, the Rawalpindi Stadium pitch didn’t provide much for the bowlers.
Captain Babar Azam had 28 points and Saud Shakeel had not yet scored at the interval.
On 27, Azhar Ali was caught leg-before by Leach, but he might have been out for less had Zak Crawley not lost a superb chance from pacer James Anderson’s opening over to his left at leg slip.
For the first time in 146 years of Test cricket, both teams’ openers achieved three figures in the first innings thanks to the hundreds by Shafique and Haq.
After Crawley and Ben Duckett’s 233-run partnership for the visitors, their 225-run opening stand for Pakistan against England is the first time in Test history that two 200-plus opening partnerships have been made.
With a crisp single from Joe Root, Shafique, who had been at 89 overnight for Pakistan when the day began, became the first player to reach three digits.
Haq, who had been at 90 at the beginning of the session, completed his century with a boundary off the same bowler.
Having also hit three figures against Australia in March of this year, they both now have three Test centuries and consecutive hundreds at the location.
This three-game series marks England’s return to Pakistan after a 17-year absence.
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