England vs Pakistan, 3rd Test, Pakistan tour of England, 2020 - CommentaryENG vs PAK, 3rd Test, Pakistan tour of England, 2020 - Commentary

Harsha Bhogle: 600 is a lot of wickets for a fast bowler; a tribute to skill and fitness. And Anderson has shown he is as good as any. Fabulous career and a place among the greats of the game

Amit Sawant: "What an achievement this for Anderson. Looking at his fitness and agility he can run in for couple of years more. Who knows another 25 Tests and we are counting down 700th wicket. What a legend!"

Sibi: "There is no sense of urgency from England. Rery disappointing to see... they should try to bowl quick overs and get that second new ball. They look very lethargic..."

Abhi: "Clouds make way for Anderson, interesting."

Vishank: "So, we have seen a new addition both in club 500 and club 600 this season. Who would have imagined this at the start of this year?"

Hemanta Karki: "Who knew a funny haired young man would be first fast bowler to take 600 wickets, hats off to Jimmy!!"

SATBIR singh: Sanwal Karan it may be toss up between Lyon or Ashwin as they both are best for their variations but at that moment I prefer Lyon as he has significant record in Australia sub continent and even south Africa.

Sanwal Karan: @afaq: Fab four for bowling: Trent Boult, Rabada, Bumrah, and Pat Cummins. I cannot think of any spinner, any suggestions?

jake: my bowling fab four in recent form would be stuart broad, jimmy anderson, Pat cummins, kagiso rabada

Shanu: Even though having stats similar to Virat or Root, Warner hasn't scored much away from Australia and his performances in the subcontinent has been dismal.Compare it to that of Root and Kane's debut knocks, Smith and Virat at Edgabaston, the difference is surely there.

Rusaf: I think Despite having very good techniques, what hurting Joe root most is his inability to leave the ball outside off stump (or perhaps he loves to feel the bat on ball) ,which other three of fab four does very well.

Bijesh T: @Abhishek Srivastava You are right, David Warner's and Kohli's stats are so similar in test cricket ( even in one day cricket he is not far off ) David Warner - Inn 155 Runs 7244 Hundred's 24 Virat Kohli - Inn 145 Runs 7240 Hundred's 27

Bryan: Couldn't understand the problem with Joe Root. It would be quite unfair to say that he's lacking technique. Hardly an innings in which he hasn't got a start. But nobody knows what happens to him between the 30-60 range. Captaincy pressure??

Abhishek Srivastava: And What about David Warner with 24 Test hundreds? What does he need to do to enter in fab 4?

Ketan: @Gaurav Singh its not about scoring 3 double centuries, it's about playing consistency across all formats and tbh Rohit still has a long way to go in red ball cricket.

Gaurav Singh: Bringing the most talked topic about Fab four, Why No Rohit Sharma but Joe Root makes it? What else this man need to do? 3 double century isn't enough?

Abhishek: It's really pity how everyone's talking about questioning the career of Fawad Alam. Really harsh on somebody who has made a comeback after 10 years and had to face the most challenging bowlers in their own conditions. Come on, he deserves more chances.

AJ: @Raunak I don't think that's respect, it's charity and I am not sure if Anderson would accept his 600th scalp to be that way.

Gokul: I don't want England to win this game and earn those WTC points but yes I want to see Jimmy getting 600 wickets

Raunak Mawani: If we do get play, Azhar or Babar should hit the stumps with their bat when Anderson is bowling for respect and out of respect for Pakistan, England should not bowl anymore and shake hands

Vavan: If they can have cameras in stumps, why not a light meter too? The reading could be broadcast so everyone knows where they stand (like the old lights on the scoreboard system) and there might be fewer arguments and general disgruntlement..

Surya: "It matters only if they plan to catch it in the first place." - That was one hell of a pun. These kind of lines makes me feel that I am watching with my friends.

Haran: Abid was playing well, being cautious and taking no risks, but when Anderson needs his wickets desperately, you know what happens!

PK: "Great show of resilience from Pakistan. But not sure if this will help! Slow scoring rate means they are still trailing by more than 200 runs and knowing Pakistan, a wicket here could open the floodgates for England!"

Shahriar Kabir: "This is a rare scene Broad bowling without any slip. Shows you how well this Pakistan top order batted in this innings."

Owais: "Wrong mindset again. Pakistan looking to consume time by which by they are just increasing the pressure. They need to keep the strike moving and play with a positive approach."

Faisal: "Abid Ali needs to convert his first class experience in international cricket..He will struggle on these pitches because he has played every first class match on Asian pitches."

Jon Reynolds: "Scoreboard pressure is paramount, especially on a wicket like this. Anyone saying we batted for too long is just jumping on the fact we've taken one wicket. More will come!"

Mani: "They should consider giving points for who takes the session and give points for who takes the game, that way there's always a sense of intrigue. What if there's a hat-trick in the last over of a session to tilt the session? Always on the toes."

Vedant: "England batted for too long during their first innings, maybe that can cost them the win."

Jawad: "I think England should change their strategies during rain by covering the entire ground like Bangladesh and Sri lanka to avoid excessive time wastage after rain."

Shlok: "I think with Test cricket played all year and finding it tough to get results during this time of the year, maybe, following the Ranji Trophy scoring system make more sense and keep the team at their toes during the entire match and make every inning equally exciting."

Achintya Das: "@Anas - Totally agree with you, like we have extra points for first innings lead in Ranji maches. Something like that ICC can consider."

Ronish: "@Anas I agree that the equal split system does seem outdated, but at times when the lead is relatively smaller, it will create ambiguity and might de-incentivize the teams with the lead to push for a win."

Anas: "I do not agree with simply splitting the points in case of a wash-out. It is so old-school. Team with an upper hand should get some advantage. These days we have win predictors, so better use the probabilities to divide the points rather than just splitting equally."

SRK: "These rain breaks will keep ENG a little fresh and also assist in movement and swing due to overcast conditions."

Yash Verma: "Fun Fact : Shan Masood's Average and strike rate in this series are exactly same ie 43.50"

Omar: "I would say Crawley's 267 was the best of the series as he was up against a top quality Pakistan bowling lineup at 127/4, and he didn't give a single opportunity for Pakistan to get him out. The next best was probably Azhar's 141* as Pakistan were at 30/4 and was up against a daunting England 583."

Clive Grylls: "This has been an intriguing series. About weather conditions in a country that ultimately favour a swing attack as a batsman to be able to survive you must show grit in the face of adversity."

Shashwat: "Azhar Ali's 141* is my knock of the series as it was under the utmost pressure and there were no Pakistani batsmen playing around him or co-operating."

Ali Akbar: "I mean the British can't be wrong about there own language right? So pretty sure the teachers in the subcontinent got winter and summer mixed up."

Shubham Rathi: "And they call this English Summer.."

Mahesh Kumar: "If Pakistan can manage to draw this game they can keep their heads held high. Playing in England is never easy and Pakistan actually played respectable cricket."

Fadi Mughal: "The body language of English players looks tired. It's a great opportunity for Pakistan to save this match. As per weather forecast no play will be possible on day 5."

Abhay bakshi: "Abid Ali has to prove himself here by scoring big because he has got the starts but not converted into a big one in this series."

Naif Shaikh: "Pakistani openers playing so positively, hope they can stitch a nice partnership and spice this game up!"

Shivansh: "@Gowtham - That's the benefit of playing 5 proper bowlers. You can easily manage the workload. Remember Pakistan bowled more than 150 overs with just 4 proper bowlers."

Mike: Jimmy Anderson - the angriest man in the world at the moment!

Vishal: "@Gowtham - That is what Pak should target. They should look to wear out all the freshness that the English bowlers may have gained overnight, wait on and pray that it rains enough."

Gowtham Chintalapati: "Hope England bowlers aren't drained out!! They have already bowled 93 overs in the first innings."

John Samuel M: This is the same England that once produced Strauss, Cook, Bell, Swann in the cordon. The Strongest combo then!!

Shahriar Kabir: Anderson could have had 599 wickets in the bag. Bad luck for him, what a shame.

Andy: From a precarious 30 for 4, this has been a good turnaround by Pakistan, showing gumption and intent.

Priyanshu Gupta: Rizwan survives the toughest phase and gets out to a leg-side delivery. Reminds me of Dravid's dismissal against West Indies when he went after a really wide ball bowled by a spinner when he was batting on 140-odd runs...

Yusuf: Azhar may not have looked as flamboyant as Rizwan, and there still may be issues with his technique, but he certainly has been effective and impactful under a lot of criticism on his batting and captaincy. This is the gritty Azhar that we know

Abhrajyoti: Finally, Azhar answers all the critics. A captain's innings, cautious and prudent. Just hope he can save the test and salvage pride for Pakistan.

Abhay bakshi: Rizwan has been the stand-out performer for Pakistan in this series. Has been fantastic with the gloves too

Haseeb Arshad: "You can Check stats, Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq both plays best knock in the last match of the series. If Azhar Ali has done well in this innings you will surely see Asad Shafiq in the next innings."

SST: "England shouldn't be too worried about this partnership. They need to hit the right areas and things will fall in place. Somehow, I think they are not at their best after the initial burst from Anderson and Broad."

Dennis horsker: "Why doesn't Root give himself a few overs?"

Jasir Irshad: "Regardless of the result of this match, I believe Azhar Ali has played the innings of his life. This could have well been the deciding match in his cricket career."

Manish: For England, their No. 3 and wicket-keeper mounted the runs.., and Pakistan are having a similar pair at both ends currently, just saying... Still a long way to go.. -- Good observation

Shreyas: Azhar Ali once again proved the fact that "Form is temporary but class is permanent"!

Bijit: At last, Azhar Ali is showing some patience. He has a long way to go to save this match for Pak. Hope, Rizwan will show his class.

Ajitesh Juneja: No matter how flat a wicket is, there will always be something in it for the spinners in the later half of a Test

Nayan: I think this is probably the best time for Azhar ali to show some character and play a gutsy knock.

Soham: More than Chanderpaul, Fawad's batting stance reminds me of Katich.

Pratyush: Root had given us indication at the toss and pre match press conference that Jofra Archer will be seen bowling short and fast spells, at what pace is he bowling today? -- He's been real quick. Consistently touching 90mph and excess..

Shashwat: Numbers are advanced these days so Anderson is looked at numbers than performance. He has given the biggest contribution to English pace bowling. I think he should get way more praise. All the best, Anderson!

Nitish Mariner: Getting out is part of the game but getting out in the same manner is an issue. Very frustrating to see Pakistan’s top order repeating same mistake over and over again.

Soumya: "I think Anderson has not been appreciated enough internationally, because his exploits in English Condition does not quite match with his subcontinent exploits.. compared to the likes of Steyn, Mcgrath or Walsh."

Krish: "Am I the only one who feels Anderson is underrated even after all the praise he is getting. I just don't feel he has been appreciated internationally as others who have got similar kind of numbers."

Abinash Das: "Jimmy Anderson is making a statement out there at Rose Bowl to the youngsters and naysayers about his age. You can have more pace and bounce but he can outperform you every single time with his sheer skills and control with the red cherry."

Kartik Kathuria: "I must say Fawad would be getting out very soon with the way he is playing with his body falling all over the place."

Scott: "@Tejas, Stuart Board wants your number!!"

Patrick: "If the conditions are suiting Anderson - you can be sure they will suit Woakes just as well..."

Tejas: "Anderson, what a legend he is. He is 38 and still bowling with the same enthusiasm with what he bowled in his early days. I don't think there is any another fast bowler out there currently who is worthy of having 600 wickets against his name. May he continue to inspire players all around the world."

Sri Harsha: "This delays will turn out to be a nightmare for Pakistan. Just before Anderson was supposed to finish his spell, it was stumps last night. Now this rain break might give him enough rest time to continue for another 5-6 over spell."

Aditya: "Have been a fan of Shafiq for a long time. But he has disappointed in this series big time. Hope he doesn't get dropped after this series."

Vani: "Could be the last Test for Pakistan's number 3, 5 and 6 if they don't perform. It's the perfect stage for people to take note of."

Navneeta Priya Cherukuri: Exactly the beginning England would've hoped for.. both openers gone and Pakistan under pressure now.

Jayesh: "The pitch certainly looks a bit good for batting with nothing much to offer for the bowlers as of now. Good tactics by England by not declaring yet, they are ruling out the 4th innings completely."

Kishore: "Weather forecast iffy for both monday with heavy rain forecast on tuesday. Declaration should have long been done as they would roughly have had a day and a half to bowl out Pakistan twice on a good wicket."

Gagan: "I can't understand what England are thinking about. It is a good lead to bowl to."

Badri: "Caliber of Crawley shows how important domestic circuit is for a Country! This is why Australia, England and India are on a different level!

Habib: "This could very well be the last game of their career for Azhar Ali and Fawad Alam if they don't perform"

Robin: "Good to have two batsmen at the same end in over 141 (twice!), but isn't this bending the rules of cricket a bit?" -- Well, all thanks to us. That's what this innings has done to us!

Yash Thanki: "While we have to agree Naseem and Shaheen would get better with time, what can you say more about England's young guns Pope and Crawley in this season. They have shown tremendous temperament and maturity at this level.The challenging conditions in their domestic circuit plays an important role too."

Vivaan Navare: "England should go berserk at this point and give Pakistan the last 10-15 overs to bat and take as many wickets as they can."

Shariq Siddiqui: "They are an exciting prospects. Naseem is only 17 and Shaheen is 20 years old. They are too inexperienced at the moment and would only get better as time progresses."

Hariharan: "Except for Root all other English batsmen have had a fine summer, each contributing to the team's success. The way England are going even an innings win for them would be possible. Let's hope that Root rediscovers himself in the break ahead after the series and proves that he is still a part of the Fab 4."

SJ: "Fair to say Pak have been batted out of this test. What was all the talk of Naseem Shah being an exciting fast bowler and all that. Pak bowling has been as impotent as it can get."

Zain: "Ah! not easy to be Pakistani Fan"

Subhodeep Hajra: "Reminds me of Karun Nair whose first 100 was a similar massive hundred (in fact a 300) ... hope England deal with him well and his career turns out to be better than Nair's."

Mohit: "I really hope Root lets Crawley go for a triple ton here and does not declare the innings before that."

Fahad Fazal: "Just to mention if someone has not noticed it yet, the third out of four Pakistani main bowler is approaching towards his century."

Umair: "I am sure as soon as Pakistan will come out to bat, this pitch will become a bowling paradise."

Aprajay: "This bowling reminds me of India in England series in 2011."

Anamol: "Might be quite difficult for Chris Woakes to watch this whole partnership with pads on. Next man in and padded up since 2nd session yesterday."

Ahsan Kiani: "Zak Crawley playing innings of his life. He is a bit like Pietersen just attacking the opposition and not letting let them settle down."

Danny: "That's how you do it Joe Denly!! No offense:)" -- Now, now, let's behave ..

Navneeta Priya Cherukuri: "Effortless display of batting by Zak. His back foot drives are treat to watch. Just 22 years and what an amazing innings he played. Pak has failed to grab chances and paid for it."

Rohan: "It looks like Pakistan is playing without any plan. If there is any plan from the dressing room then why they are not implementing it." -- Maybe because there's no help from the pitch. Or maybe because the plan is to wait for the rain

Rahul Nagre: "The strategy should be to slow down run rate if you are not able to take wickets. They should bowl stump line and wait for the batsman to make a mistake. Passive rule."

Rishabh Wadhwa: "Pakistan playing with Fawad Alam as a part time spinner in place of Shadab Khan is a quite defensive approach. They have done this before with Haris Sohail as well."

Dheeraj: "There are views that these Pakistan pacers are inexperienced, but you can't make excuses, they have to be the best 3 among available players otherwise there is a mistake in selection."

Gary: "Bat till 550. England have got to make this into a three innings game if they are to win it. With the weather around on day 4 and 5, they might not be able to force a result normally."

Muhammad Zubair: "Frustrating to see Pakistan bowlers not thinking out of the box. By not using any short bowls and not using any tactics, they are almost out of the game!"

Amit Holkar: "Pakistan clearly lacking one bowler.. "'I'm still not being able to understand why Shadab Khan was dropped."

Mohanpriyan: Abbas is constantly bowling those occasional rippers but sadly not getting any reward.

Rahul Chaudhary: Now that Buttler has completed his century, the next milestone will be Crawley's double ton after which England might want to declare their innings.

krishna: I think England should start thinking about declaration, maybe before tea? The forecast doesn't look great on day 4 and day 5. They should look to score quick runs now.

Yuvi Ali: It just rained for like 10 to 15 mins and umpires are worried about the outfield already -- It was a heavy downpour although didn't rain for too long. So, the outfield has taken a bit of pounding.

Danny: @mohit raj Zak Crawley can be a good opener for England and he also plays as an opener for his club. England's search for the good opener is so long now and there's Dan Lawrence waiting into the fringes, he can play at number 3 for them.

Mohit Raj: @Mohit Yeah he can be a good opener in test for England. But he has settled himself at 3, let him play there. And for opening, they have good set of openers, just give them time. They can be really good.

Mohit: I feel Zak Crawley will be a good opener in Tests for England. Since they are already struggling with their opening combination, they should push him to open the batting.

Gohar Baloch: So hopefully a new day brings a new luck.. Pakistan should get rid of these two as soon as possible if they wanna fight back.

Harsha Bhogle: Two very fine, very young, prospects for England in Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope. Hopefully, batting either side of Root, will take pressure off him and let him rediscover himself.

Mir: Last time Masood scored 150+ and Pakistan lost and this time Crawley has scored 150+, now will the same happen for England? -- Such high hopes, eh?

Garry: What Pakistan bowling lack is experience. Shaheen and Naseem are 20 or under and have played around 10 Tests only. While Abbas has played around 20 Tests. Biggest reason they have been unable to get a breakthrough when things don't go their way.

simply: Can you tell why English players are wearing black armbands? -- They are paying tribute to Dan Lawrence's mother, who passed away recently

Misbah: Good selection headache for England, whom to drop now for Ben Stokes. Crawly, Pope, Butler or a bowler? -- They can relax for a while as there are no Test matches lined up for England anytime soon after this.

Rishabh Sanklecha: The problem with this Pak attack is that they lack an enforcer... someone who can run in and bowl short balls on demand for 8-9 overs at a stretch. Bowlers like Shami, Stokes, Wagner etc

Souvik Barui: "Crawley is much more mature and proactive than both Rory Burns and Dom Sibley. He seems to be having a calm head on his shoulder, he should be the permanent opener" -- No reason why England cannot play all three of them.

Sarvesh: Here he is - ZAK CRAWLEY - showing great intent and character. Great young talent.

Commentary not available for this match