- Dec 2, 2024
- Nov 30, 2022
Pakistan vs England third Test continued on Day 3 on Monday as Pakistan resumed their second innings on 21/0 trailing England by 29 runs. Openers Abdullah Shafique and Shan Masood started positively and completed their 50-run stand for the first wicket. Seeing the partnership getting dangerous, left-arm spinner Jack Leach quickly got into action and cleaned up Shan Masood to give first blow to Pakistan.
Masood’s downfall brought Azhar Ali to the crease who walked out to the middle for the final time for Pakistan. The 37-year-old was welcomed with plenty of handshakes from the England group. The right-hander played the first three deliveries by Leach comfortably as he hoped for a big knock in his final Test innings.
However, his dreamy farewell lasted just four deliveries as he tried to play a full delivery on the on side but it sharply turned from the middle stump to hit the top of off. Following his dismissal, Ali was seen taking deep breaths as he walked back to the dressing room.
The England players patted him on the back and as he reached the boundary rope, Pakistan players give him a guard of honour with their bats aloft. His family looked in a bit of mild shock. The England players too gave him a grand reception with synchronized claps.
Watch the video here:
The last innings of Azhar Ali!
15.6 Jack Leach to Azhar Ali, out Bowled!! *Oh dear! Azhar Ali b Jack Leach 0(4)🎯🎳*
Jack Leach to Azhar Ali, THATS OUT!! Bowled!! 🏴 🇵🇰 🔰 pic.twitter.com/ZFCth10B5D
— Roshan Abeysinghe (@RoshanCricket) December 19, 2022
All good things come to an end one day. Azhar Ali 💔 #PAKvENG pic.twitter.com/mmi0hfrjcj
— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) December 19, 2022
Azhar Ali made his Test debut way back in 2010 against Australia at Lord’s. He went on to score 7142 runs in 97 Tests at an average of 42.26 having 19 hundreds and 39 fifties to his name.
He’s also just the fourth Pakistan batter to score a triple hundred which he scored against the West Indies in Dubai in 2016, an unbeaten 302. He’s also the only cricketer to have scored a triple hundred in day-night cricket. He finishes his career as the fifth-highest run-getter for Pakistan in Tests.
He has just one fifty-plus score in his last ten innings in Tests. His last hundred came against Australia in Rawalpindi in March 2022.