England found ways to take wickets and sensed a good lead despite hundreds from three Pakistan players on the third day of the opening Test in Rawalpindi Saturday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Pakistan were 499-7 at stumps with Agha Salman (10) and Zahid Mahmood (yet to score) at the crease -- still trailing England's mammoth 657 first innings total by 158 runs, with three wickets in hand.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
On a see-saw day, Pakistan were lifted by centuries from skipper Babar Azam (136), and openers Imam-ul-Haq (121) and Abdullah Shafique (114).<\/p>\r\n\r\n
But England took three wickets in the first session, none in the second and three again before the close to put themselves in a better position.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
If the tourists can force a 100-plus lead and score like they did in the first innings, they can still force a win on a Rawalpindi Stadium pitch which has given little help to the bowlers.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Spinners Will Jacks (3-132) and Jack Leach (2-160) shared the early spoils, while the pace duo of James Anderson and Ollie Robinson took a wicket each.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Saturday's final session belonged to home skipper Azam, who hit 19 boundaries and a six for his first Test hundred against England.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He cracked a boundary towards cover off opposition skipper Ben Stokes to reach his eighth career Test century, this coming off 126 balls and studded with 13 boundaries.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Jacks forced a miscued drive off Azam to get him caught at point, and in the next over Mohammad Rizwan played straight in to the hands of mid-wicket off Anderson.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Debutant Saud Shakil, who added 123 for the fourth wicket with Azam, was caught behind off Robinson soon after the tea interval.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Earlier, Azam upped the tempo in the second session after Pakistan lost centurions Shafique (114), Haq (121) and Azhar Ali (27) before lunch.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The centuries by Shafique and Haq meant for the first time in 146 years of Test cricket the openers of both teams reached three figures in the first innings.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Their 225-run opening stand -- a Pakistan record against England -- is also the first time in Test history that two 200-plus opening partnerships were made, following Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett's 233-run partnership for the visitors.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Pakistan started the day on 181 without loss and Shafique, 89 overnight, was the first to three figures with a sharp single off Joe Root.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Haq, who started the session on 90, followed with a boundary off the same bowler to complete his century.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
They both now have three Test centuries and successive hundreds at the venue, having also reached three figures against Australia in March this year.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Crawley (122), Duckett (107), Ollie Pope (108) and Harry Brook (153) scored centuries for England in their first innings.<\/p>\r\n\r\n