Patio heaters and giant fans: Pakistan bake Test pitch for England decider

Having won the second Test against England on a reused spinning pitch, Pakistan are using windbreaks, industrial-sized fans and patio heaters to present the visitors with a similarly dry surface in Rawalpindi.

Pakistan lost an extraordinary series opener on a flat Multan pitch, becoming the first team in Test history to score 500 in their first innings and lose by an innings because England racked up 7-823 thanks to Harry Brook’s 317 and Joe Root’s 262.

That was Pakistan’s fourth successive defeat to England and sixth in a row at home.

They responded with a remarkable, unprecedented gamble, going into the second Test with just one seamer and seven spinners and opting to reuse the same surface.

Pakistan won the toss, condemning England to batting last on a pitch that began to decay on its seventh day of use. Two of those spinners, off-spinner Sajid Khan and slow left-armer Noman Ali shared all 20 wickets as Pakistan won by 152 runs.

Fans and heaters are being used to dry out the Rawalpindi pitch ahead of the deciding third Test against England.Credit: Behram Qazi/Twitter

The two teams have now moved to Islamabad, with the third Test played in Rawalpindi from Thursday. The Pakistan captain Shan Masood said he wanted a similar pitch and his board are doing everything at their disposal to ensure he gets his wish.

The Pakistan Cricket Board sent their Australian curator Tony Hemming to Rawalpindi ahead of time to get to work.

“I would like a turning pitch,” Masood said when the second Test finished on Friday. “I don’t know if I’ve seen a turner in Rawalpindi – that’s an issue.

“We’re still hoping that the sun can play its part and the wicket can be on the drier side. I think the groundsmen are already there working on it.”

Rawalpindi is usually a flat surface – England scored 506 runs in 75 overs on the opening day of their series whitewash in 2022 – but Pakistan have employed six patio heaters, two industrial-sized fans and giant windbreaks at each end in an attempt to bake the surface and make sure it spins from early in the match.

Again, much will depend on the toss, which Masood has won in both matches so far.

England’s Bazballers love flat pitches, but have lost five Tests in a row on turners, first in India in the spring and now at Multan.

Telegraph, London

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