Abbas strikes first ball! Duckett out for a duck vs Pakistan

Heading into the fourth day of the third Test against England at Edgbaston, Pakistan had a stiff job of defending 129 runs to end the series on a high. That was possible due to the superb 81-run knock from Razaullah towards the end of the third day’s play, and Mohammad Abbas gave them the perfect start with the first-ball wicket.

The visitors didn’t put in a strong performance in the first two Tests of the series at Leeds and Lord’s, when their batting struggled so much that they failed to score 200 runs in any of the innings. However, they gave a strong fight back with the bat in Birmingham.

Golden duck! Abbas strikes with the first ball of England's chase at Edgbaston

It was the very first delivery of the fourth day’s play when Mohammad Abbas got the vital wicket of Ben Duckett for a golden duck. It was a gentle out-seamer that angled in on a good length from round the wicket. The line forced the left-handed batter to play at it. The outside edge carried into the hands of the wicket-keeper.

Watch Ben Duckett's dismissal here-

On the final delivery of the over, Abbas removed the second opener, Emilio Gay, for a four-ball duck. This one nipped in with the angle to beat the left-handed batter’s inside edge, who certainly didn’t expect it to come in. He was rapped on the front leg adjacent to the stumps.

It was the third time Duckett was dismissed against Abbas in Tests at an average of seven. He is the second England batter to be dismissed on the first ball of a Test innings against Pakistan after Brian Luckhurst in 1971.

Early blow keeps Pakistan's fightback alive after Razaullah and Abbas's heroics

Towards the end of the third day’s play, it was a superb knock entertaining the visitors from Razaullah, who put a partnership of 121 runs for the ninth wicket with Mohammad Abbas, who slammed 42 runs off 67 balls with the help of five boundaries and a pair of sixes.

Meanwhile, Razaullah drilled 81 runs off just 63 balls, thanks to his four boundaries and a record nine sixes. Their top order also contributed several knocks with the bat, including the fifties from captain Babar Azam and youngster Azan Awais.

Shan Masood missed out on his century by just five runs and was dismissed on 95 off 148 balls, thanks to his 12 boundaries at a strike rate of 64.19.

Brief Scores: England 71/2 (Joe Root 40*, M Abbas 2/25) & 453 (Harry Brook 75, Razaullah 4/148) vs Pakistan 133 (Saud Shakeel 43, Josh Tongue 4/42) & 449 (Shan Masood 95, Babar Azam 76, Gus Atkinson 3/109)