Ben Stokes and Ben Duckett took just 38 minutes on day four of the third Test to see England to an eight-wicket victory against Pakistan.

It completed a 3-0 series win for the tourists, the first time Pakistan have ever lost every match of a home Test series.

Starting Tuesday needing another 55 runs to chase down the overall target of 167 in Karachi with eight wickets remaining, Stokes and Duckett made a careful start initially, with just one boundary coming in the first four overs.

Back-to-back fours from Duckett off the bowling of Abrar Ahmed were followed by more steady batting from the pair, before Duckett hit the winning runs off Mohammad Wasim with another four to finish on 82 not out.

After securing what was England's ninth win in 10 Test matches since he and Brendon McCullum took the reins, Stokes – who ended unbeaten on 35 – described his team's performances as "perfect", adding: "We've got a process we want to play but the challenge was the different pitches for every Test.

"We stuck to our gameplans and adapted really well."

His opposite number, Babar Azam, was reflective but could not hide his disappointment at the result. 

"Definitely disappointment as a team," he said. "First innings, we lost back-to-back wickets, we were good in batches, but that moment cost us.

"Bowling [was also a problem], definitely, your best pacer [Shaheen Shah Afridi] is not fit so that cost us. A lot of positive things in this series, but also things that we lack."

Duckett's star continues to shine

The Nottinghamshire batsman did not exactly take his opportunity in 2016 when he faced Bangladesh and India, scoring just 110 across four Test matches against the pair.

Finally getting back into the England team six years later, he looked far more accomplished, scoring 357 across six innings in Pakistan at an average of 71.40, and hitting at least 100 runs in all three Test matches, before ultimately seeing his team home with another impressive outing in Karachi.

Brook announces himself on Test scene

Stokes and McCullum appear to have a gem in Harry Brook, who won the player of the match and series awards.

Speaking at the presentation, the 23-year-old, who scored three centuries in the series and averaged 93.60 runs, said: "This was probably my best tour so far, to win 3-0 here, no-one's done it before, it was phenomenal from the lads."

Rehan Ahmed's strong Test debut for England was aided by Ben Stokes' low-stakes approach to his captaincy, believes Stuart Broad.

The 18-year-old became the country's youngest male red-ball debutant, eclipsing Brian Close's 70-year-plus record, after making his bow against Pakistan in Karachi on Saturday.

In the third and final match of England's tour, Ahmed posted figures of 2-89, with only Jack Leach bowling more overs than the spinner as they skittled the hosts for 304 all out.

Broad, who has sat out the trip to Pakistan, suggested the teenager was able to play without pressure thanks to Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum's aggressive style to long-form cricket, crediting their impact as key.

"Leg-spinners can offer such variety," he told Sky Sports. "The bowling deserves a lot of credit.

"With Brendon and Stoksey, the mindset is nothing about run rate and as a young leg spinner, imagine what a mindset that is.

"He wouldn't have felt judged or under pressure; all they are saying is get us that one wicket to open the game up for us. The mindset played beautifully into his hands."

England are looking to seal a clean sweep after winning their first two games, and Ahmed is likely set to play a major part in helping to restrict Pakistan's second innings.

Former captain Michael Atherton believes Ahmed can stake a claim to be a long-term part of Stokes' plans, highlighting his improvement across his spells on the first day.

"We can all imagine what he was feeling at the end of his mark, but he quickly settled and got better," he added. "Temperament is the big thing, and he looks temperamentally sound."

James Anderson is enjoying the thrill ride of Ben Stokes' England captaincy and the challenge of "thinking differently", ahead of the third and final Test against Pakistan.

The 40-year-old has impressed in the tourists' first two matches and will be rested for the last encounter, with an eye on England's trip to New Zealand in the new year.

With 177 caps, Anderson is second only to India great Sachin Tendulkar for all-time Test appearances, and he has posted eight wickets at 18.50 while in Pakistan.

His efforts come amid a more aggressive approach to the long-form game favoured by Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, which Anderson says is having a galvanising effect on all England's bowlers.

"I love thinking about the game, thinking about plans, and Ben is that sort of captain," Anderson said. "All he thinks about is taking wickets.

"He's not bothered about trying to dry the run rate up or control the game. He wants to take wickets. You see that with the fields he sets. That then rubs off on you as a bowler.

"This seems to be working for this group of bowlers, and we've got a nice mix of bowlers. I've found it refreshing thinking differently, even though I've played a lot of games."

The third Test begins on Saturday, with Anderson expecting England to head in with the same positive approach that has brought two wins so far, as instilled by captain and coach.

"As long as you're getting hit in the right areas, they don't care if you go for the odd four," Anderson said, quoted by Cricinfo. "That gives you confidence to bowl, knowing that you don't have to fret about how many runs you're going for.

"If that's the way you're trying to get people out, with catchers in front of the wicket as they have been out here, then they're completely fine with it."

Ben Stokes is relishing the chance to see Rehan Ahmed in action after naming the teenager as England's youngest ever men's Test debutant.

The spinner, aged 18 years and 126 days, will face Pakistan in the third and final red-ball match of the tourists' series, having been drafted in alongside wicketkeeper Ben Foakes.

Ahmed's inclusion sees him break the long-standing record of former captain Brian Close, who made his bow at 18 years and 149 days in 1949.

Stokes, who previously said he would not hand caps out easily, insists Ahmed has earned his place in the team for their last game.

"I think it's a good opportunity for us to not only look at him, but for him to come in and experience what it's like to play international cricket," he said.

"We obviously brought him into the squad to try and get him amongst us and experience what it's like being in this cricket team, and we've been very impressed with what we've seen.

"He's got a lot of skill with both bat and ball, so it's great to be able to bring someone with the talent and the excitement that he has into the squad and see what he's got this week.

"I think being at such a young age, it's great to see someone who has so much freedom in what they do and the way that he bats.

"He likes to get on with it and show what he's about and almost, not show off, but show what he can do. He's got a vast array of shots, and obviously a wrist-spinner is great to be able to have in your team.

"It's exciting times for Rehan especially, and he was very excited when we gave him the nod that he was going to play last night."

Teenager Rehan Ahmed is in line to become England's youngest men's Test debutant as the tourists prepare for their third and final red-ball clash with Pakistan.

The 18-year-old, who was added to the senior squad after impressing in an Abu Dhabi camp ahead of the team flying out, was passed over for the first two matches.

With Liam Livingstone having suffered a tour-ending injury in the opener, however, Ahmed is the only recognised wrist-spinner England have ahead of their last match in Karachi.

Having favoured the additional slow options of Joe Root and Will Jacks on flat pitches so far, captain Ben Stokes has revealed Ahmed could well figure as the tourists look to complete a clean sweep. 

"We've been thinking about it," he said. "We can't go into too much detail until me and Baz [head coach Brendon McCullum] have had a look at the wicket.

"When we spoke about having Rehan into the squad, it was more than just bringing him in and integrating him into the squad. We did speak about us having no issues with selecting him if we felt it was the right option.

"I don't think this is a case of, if he was to play, of giving caps away. We picked him in the squad not just because of his talent, but because we thought it would be a good opportunity to play if we thought it was necessary."

Ahmed was not originally in the squad named for the tour, but a maiden cap would round out a breakthrough year that saw him impress in the Under-19 World Cup and earn a spot with Southern Brave in the Hundred.

"Having a wrist-spinner is always exciting, especially for England," Stokes added.

"But [we are] not getting too carried away with the potential that he has, because he is only young, and you've still got to nurture talent, even how exciting it is."

If Ahmed were to play, he would be 18 years and 126 days - surpassing legendary captain Brian Close who was 18 years and 149 days when making his debut in 1949.

The youngest ever England Test debutant was Holly Colvin, who was 15 years and 336 days when playing for England women against Australia in 2005.

Mark Wood considered giving up Test cricket during his long absence with injury before playing a starring role in England's second Test triumph over Pakistan.

Wood had not played a Test since March because of an elbow injury, but helped inspire England to a 26-run victory in Multan with crucial wickets on the final day that swung a see-saw game back in his team's favour.

The Test was Wood's first under new captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum, with England having now won eight of their nine Tests with that combination at the helm.

After missing the first eight matches of the new leadership's tenure, Wood was delighted to be back involved in the red-ball side after pondering whether to give it up during his time away.

"I desperately wanted to experience this, with Stokesy and Brendon," Wood told reporters. "I'm pleased I stuck with it.

"I wondered if I'd go white-ball only. At some my point my body will say that it's the way to go but I didn't prepare for white-ball, I prepared for all cricket."

Stokes' in-form side became the first England team to win two Tests in a series in Pakistan, and Wood is thrilled with his Durham team-mate's impressive start to life as captain.

"It's weird, the lad I grew up with," Wood added. "Stokesy now is much more mature.

"He speaks so well – he's always had a fantastic cricket brain. But the way he comes across, the way he conducts himself and the messages that he gives, he's just so much more rounded than when we were growing up.

"He was this alpha guy who would whack it, never back down. He's still got all that, but he's got other sides to him now. He'll put an arm round people, express what he means really articulately.

"He's been world-class, to be fair."

Ben Stokes believes Harry Brook can emulate Virat Kohli's all-format batting dominance after the England youngster again impressed in Pakistan.

Yorkshire batter Brook played a key role as England secured a first Test series victory in Pakistan in 22 years after a nail-biting 26-run victory in Multan on Monday.

The 23-year-old managed only nine runs in the first innings but responded with 109 in the second – the only century of the second Test – to help England to an unassailable 2-0 series lead.

That form comes as no surprise given Brook blasted 153 and 87 in Rawalpindi, with his red-ball international average sitting at an impressive 73.8 from his five innings.

Yet Stokes believes this is only the start for Brook, who he expects to shine across all formats of cricket as he compared the England batter to India great Kohli.

"After the summer he had last year, getting all the big-ups before he made his debut, to come here and put in that kind of performance again was just phenomenal," Stokes told Sky Sports.

"He's one of those rare players that you look across all formats and you can just see him being successful everywhere.

"It's a massive shout, but Virat Kohli is one of those guys where his technique is just so simple and works everywhere. The pressure that he puts back onto opposition is exactly what we're about."

Brook accumulated just 56 runs, averaging just 11.2 across six innings, as England lifted their second T20 World Cup in Australia.

The middle-order batter has impressed in the shortest format for England in his 20 outings, though, with the expectation he will slot into Jos Buttler's side for the 50-over Cricket World Cup in India in 2023.

Stokes does not foresee the pressure impacting the form of Brook, given the comfortable manner in which he stepped into the Test side.

"The expectation on his shoulders coming into this team, because of how good he's been for Yorkshire, was obviously huge," he said.

"But I think that just shows that kind of stuff doesn't really affect him. He's a player whose technique is suited to all three formats, he wants to always look to be putting pressure back onto the opposition, and he's won another game for England.

"[He made a] huge contribution last week, and the hundred he scored here was obviously massive for us in getting that big lead.

"He's a pretty simple lad to captain: he just gets about his business, loves his batting, wants to constantly improve, constantly work on it. He's a pretty easy bloke to have in your dressing room."

Jonny Bairstow's injury offered Brook the chance to take the number-five role for Stokes, with the England Test captain acknowledging he is fortunate to have a wealth of batting talent to call upon.

"We're very, very lucky with the way in which we can replace Jonny, to have Harry coming in, because those two, batting No.5, they both go about it in exactly the same way," he added.

"They bring so much to the team and obviously Harry playing the way he has done at the moment with Jonny not being in the team, unfortunately, it's the best thing you want.

"You want competition for places, you want a strong squad to be able to pick from, and you want those headaches when it comes to the final XI every week, rather than saying 'I'm not sure who we're going to pick, let's pick a name out of the hat.'

"We're definitely not in that situation, and we feel like we've got all bases covered at the moment."

Ben Stokes hopes England's thrilling series victory in Pakistan will help to dispel negative perceptions of Test cricket across the sport. 

England took an unassailable lead in the three-match series – their first in Pakistan since 2005 – by seeing out a 26-run win in a nail-biting end to the second Test on Monday.

An 80-run stand between Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Nawaz looked to have put Pakistan on course for victory in Multan, but Mark Wood felled both men before Ollie Robinson had Mohammad Ali nick behind for the final wicket in a dramatic finish.

While Pakistan have now lost three straight home Test matches for the first time since 1959, England brought an end to their 22-year wait for a red-ball triumph in the country.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the victory, Stokes, who has overseen eight wins in his nine Tests as skipper, praised England for redefining the format.

"We do understand how special an achievement this is, but as we keep saying, these series victories and these wins are part of a much bigger picture in what we're trying to achieve," he said.

"When I first got the job, I just wanted to come in and just try and change a few things up and get things going in a different direction. 

"We were never focusing too much on results when I came into the job, and obviously the bigger picture and stuff like that, but it's been an amazing nine games to start off with.

"I just feel very honoured and very privileged to be a part of something like this and having everyone, not just the players but the backroom staff and everyone that works alongside us, being on the same path. It's really, really good.

"I knew how much enjoyment the public would get out of seeing England play Pakistan in a Test match in Pakistan. I don't feel like we're playing away, if that makes sense. 

"The way in which the crowd come and watch cricket, they just want to see good cricket. We walk off to people enjoying what they've just watched. That's what we want to do.

"Wherever we go in the world, we want people to enjoy the cricket, and the more we can do that, the more Test cricket stops getting spoken about like it's the losing form of cricket, because it's definitely not.

"All we can do is try to create something where we people want to be a part of the long format going forward."

England will head to Karachi for the final match of their long-awaited tour, which gets under way on Saturday. 

Babar Azam felt the decision to give Saud Shakeel out cost Pakistan as they slumped to a Test series defeat to England on day four at Multan Cricket Stadium.

The tourists won another dramatic match by 26 runs on Monday to take an unassailable 2-0 lead.

Shakeel (94) and Mohammad Nawaz (45) appeared to have given Pakistan the upper hand with a sixth-wicket stand of 80, but both were removed in quick succession by Mark Wood.

Aleem Dar put his finger up after Shakeel edged a delivery from Wood down the leg side and third umpire Joel Wilson stayed with the on-field decision, seeing no evidence that Ollie Pope did not take the ball cleanly.

Pakistan captain Babar believes Shakeel should have remained in the middle.

He said: "The Shakeel dismissal cost us. It looked to us as if the ball had touched the ground. As a professional, you have to respect the umpire's decision, but we felt the ball had been grounded."

England skipper Ben Stokes had a different opinion on the incident.

He said: "I don't think [there were any doubts about the catch], personally. The only thing where you start worrying is when it gets looked at for a long period of time because that's when you start having doubt in your own head.

"I've been part of games before where I've been on the team who's been on the receiving end of those decisions and you're always like, 'that's not carried'.

"You see a lot of those decisions and those type of catches in cricket. You could say the similar thing was when Rooty [Joe Root] got caught at short leg - you could say that might have touched the floor.

"But you've just got to go with what the umpire's decision is. It went our way but I've been involved in a few decisions where stuff like that has gone against us. But you can't change that."

Abrar Ahmed expressed his delight at capturing the wicket of his idol Ben Stokes after the Pakistan debutant tore through England on day one of the second test in Multan.

Abrar took seven wickets as Pakistan bowled England out for 281 on Friday, becoming the 13th Pakistani bowler to claim five wickets on debut before lunch.

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, and Harry Brook all fell to the 24-year-old in the first session, with Stokes and Will Jacks following later in the day as Abrar recorded the best figures by any spinner on Test debut for 14 years.

Asked by Sky Sports for his thoughts on a remarkable first Test outing, Abrar said he took particular pleasure in dismissing England's skipper.

"My favourite wicket was Ben Stokes, my favourite player," Abrar said through a translator. "I definitely thought about taking five wickets, but not so quickly! 

"I cannot forget this day. I wanted to win this match for Pakistan, but also the coming matches as well.

"I started my journey with the Rashid Latif cricket academy in Karachi, then progressed to club cricket, divisional cricket, and then got picked up by the Pakistan Super League Karachi Kings franchise.

"I had two years out with a hairline fracture and then came back into the side."

England batsman Duckett was Abrar's second victim, and the 28-year-old is looking forward to further tussles with the Pakistan spinner after his remarkable introduction to Test cricket.

Asked if Abrar caught England by surprise, Duckett said: "I can only speak individually, I had my own plans for him, he was basically a leg spinner with a good googly, there was no real mystery to it.

"He bowled beautifully today. I'm sure we'll have our plans in the second innings, unfortunately for us, it was his day today.

"There was limited footage [of Abrar], but for me personally, I'd rather not know all of his tricks and worry about them, I'd rather focus on what I can do to him."

England hit back with late wickets from Jack Leach and James Anderson as Pakistan closed on 107-2, and Duckett is hopeful their attack will make inroads when play resumes.

"I'd say its level at the minute, we're a couple of quick wickets away from it being our day, so we'll have to see in the morning," he said. "I think the game's going to move forward really quickly."

Marcus Trescothick says he wishes England "were going into the Ashes next week" after a run of impressive Test results.

England's thrilling 74-run victory in the first Test against Pakistan generated huge praise for captain Ben Stokes, after his bold declaration helped to force a result on what was a flat pitch.

England have now triumphed in seven of their past eight Test matches, a stark improvement after failing to win in their previous nine.

The upturn in form bodes well ahead of a home Ashes series against Australia in 2023, with head coach Brendon McCullum's appointment in May of this year breathing new life into English cricket with an exciting new style.

England batting coach Trescothick says he cannot wait for the Ashes next year, and spoke of his admiration for McCullum's tactics.

"It is the exciting part [the Ashes]," Trescothick told reporters. "I wish we were going into the Ashes next week. If it continues on in this form then it bodes for a great series.

"As we say we do not look too far ahead in what is going on. But it is exciting, no doubt about it, because India series and Ashes series are the pinnacle of what we do in Test cricket."

Trescothick played for England between 2000 and 2006, and explained he would have loved to play in this expansive style McCullum has brought in.

"Any batter would have loved this," Trescothick added. "We would have loved this environment because it is so free.

"It is enjoyable, the methods and way we are talking about it in the changing room is exciting.

"You want to come out here every day, walk out with them and have the opportunity to bat. It is still great watching from the balcony and seeing what they do."

Ben Stokes says England are mulling sticking with Ollie Pope as wicketkeeper for the second Test against Pakistan which starts in Multan on Friday.

Pope stepped in with the gloves for the ill Ben Foakes in England's 74-run first Test win in Rawalpindi, making 108 in the first innings. Foakes was one of numerous England players hit by illness on the eve of the first Test but was unable to take his place.

Pope, 24, has made three centuries in 31 Tests but kept wicket for only the second time in his Test career in Rawalpindi.

If Pope retains the gloves, England could bring in fast bowler Mark Wood, replacing the injured Liam Livingstone, to bolster their attack which was burdened with a heavy workload in the first Test.

"We found ourselves in that situation and still picked a team that was strong enough to win. We'll consider all our options," Stokes said.

"I think there are a few different options we are going to lay out in front of each other, and try and understand what is the best option to try and win this Test match. Because we have got a few other factors that we have to contend with.

"That's the great thing about where we're at at the moment… As I said, we are going to have a conversation at some point about what we feel is the best route to go."

Beyond Pope's century, he had a mixed Test with the gloves, dropping a catch in Pakistan's first innings, while spurning an opportunity in the second innings with one wicket left.

Pope also pulled off a smart stumping to dismiss Zahid Mahmood along with an acrobatic one-handed catch down the leg side to dismiss the same player in the same innings as England pushed for victory.

Wood has only just returned from a long-term elbow injury, with Stokes adding his availability was "an added bonus".

Another factor impacting selection is the morning smog in Multan, which could delay the start of play, potentially shortening the number of overs available if there is bad light late in the day, like which occurred on four of the five days in Rawalpindi.

"We'll have a sit-down discussion and we'll find a way to pick a team which we find is best to win the game, with those two things: the start time potentially delayed and coming off early because of the light," Stokes said.

"We could end up having only 300-350 overs in the Test match. We might have to get even a bit more adventurous with what we do. We'll see."

Ben Stokes reiterated his England side have little interest in drawing games after a dramatic denouement saw them claim a 74-run victory over Pakistan in the pair's first Test.

In the tourists' first red-ball visit to the country since 2005, an aggressive performance with bat and ball paid off as Jack Leach beat the dying light on the final day to dismiss Naseem Shah.

Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum's tactical approach on a flat surface yielded a Test match with the third-highest aggregate number of runs in history, and an early declaration that set up a thrilling final day.

James Anderson and Ollie Robinson struck in a rip-roaring passage after tea to check the ultimate momentum of any Pakistan chase, and Stokes acknowledged vindication for his game-plan in the aftermath.

"We've no interest in drawing," he stated. "On pitches like this, you have to make things happen, [you have to] make some bold decisions. We had to entice the batters to play a shot at times.

"I think it's maybe up there with England's greatest away wins. The toil everyone has put in is hitting. We've done something very special this week.

England had not won in red-ball cricket in Pakistan since a famed win in Karachi in 2000, and there were similarities to its sundown finale as England raced to snag their final wickets before the light was gone in Rawalpindi.

It is a feat made all the more impressive by how the tourists pulled together after a virus outbreak in the build-up left questions over whether the Test would actually proceed as intended.

"There's a few things you can plan for, which is the way we want to approach Test cricket," Stokes added. "But what you can't plan for is what happened to the squad a few days before. That seems a long time ago.

"I want to give our group of players a lot of credit for coming here and turning up, a little bit under the weather. Will Jacks got the nod to make his debut about three minutes before team-time,

"You can go through this whole Test match and pick out key individuals. I think with what we've had to deal with coming into this Test match makes this win feel a little bit better."

Opposite number Babar Azam was left to rue missed opportunities for his side, Pakistan having entered the final session needing only 86 to win with five wickets in hand after tea.

"We were not up to the mark," he added, "We had a golden chance to win this Test, but session by session we lost wickets. All credit to our bowlers, it was difficult.

"We had our opportunity but we couldn't get partnerships in the end. We have a lot of positives, so we will try to continue that in the next match."

Ollie Robinson and James Anderson starred as England claimed a famous 74-run win in an enthralling first Test against Pakistan at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Ben Stokes was rewarded for a bold declaration when the tourists claimed a first away victory over Pakistan in the longest format for 22 years on a benign pitch late on the final day.

Robinson took 4-50 and the evergreen Anderson 4-36 before Jack Leach ended a defiant last-wicket stand with the light  fading to bowl Babar Azam's side out for 268 after they were set 343 to win.

England's seamers were outstanding, generating sharp reverse swing with an old ball to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series in their first Test in Pakistan for 17 years.

Anderson struck an early blow after Pakistan resumed on 80-2, snaring Imam-ul-Haq caught behind by Ollie Pope down the leg side for 48.

Saud Shakeel (76) and Mohammad Rizwan (46) took their side on to 169-3 at lunch, but Pakistan's wicketkeeper-batsman nicked Anderson through to Pope early in the afternoon session.

Keaton Jennings, the substitute fielder due to a tour-ending knee injury sustained by Liam Livingstone, took a brilliant diving catch at short cover off the bowling of Robinson to remove Shakeel.

Azhar Ali (40) played with great composure, after retiring hurt on day four with a finger injury, as he combined with Agha Salman to frustrate the tourists, Stokes and Anderson bowling excellent spells without further reward.

Pope dropped Azhar off Robinson down the leg side off the next ball, but the seamer ended a stand of 61 by trapping Salman leg before and then had Azhar caught by Joe Root at leg slip.

Naseem Shah had a huge stroke of luck with the first ball he faced when Robinson clipped his off stump but the bails stayed on, but Pakistan were eight down when Pope took a stunning catch for Anderson down the leg side to see the back of Zahid Mahmood.

Anderson got Haris Rauf lbw and although Mohammad Ali and Naseem dug in for just under nine overs, the latter fell lbw to Leach to give England one of their greatest wins after Stokes left it late to take the new ball.

 

Robinson and Anderson swing the game in England's favour

You would expect the spinners to play a massive part on the final day, but it was the reverse swing generated by England's seamers that was crucial.

Robinson generated sharp movement in the air, striking twice early in the last session to set England well on their way to victory.

Anderson was also magnificent, the 40-year-old once again showing age is no barrier as he bowled 24 probing overs on a lifeless pitch.

Stokes can do no wrong

Captain Stokes became only the third England captain to win a Test in Pakistan after Ted Dexter and Nasser Hussain.

The skipper could not have wished for a better start to his reign, beating New Zealand, South Africa and India on home soil this year and leading the side superbly in this remarkable Test.

England's bold declaration on the fourth day of their first Test with Pakistan shows how Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum are "pioneers", says Paul Collingwood.

The captain and head coach's aggressive approach to red-ball cricket has been rewarded with rapid runs during their encounter in Rawalpindi, as they look to win in their first long-form visit since 2005.

Having bowled out their hosts for 579, to earn a first-innings lead of 78, a rampant 264-7 followed by an early declaration at tea set Pakistan an achievable 343 in pursuit.

England reduced their opponents to 80-2 at the close of play, heading into the last day, but their swing-for-the-fences approach continues to delight many, including assistant coach Collingwood.

"Sometimes I think it's crazy – crazy in a good way," Collingwood said. "I know I would never have come up with some of the ideas Ben and Baz [McCullum] come up with, but it's great to see. It's going against convention.

"When it comes off, it's genius. If it doesn't come off, so be it. The bigger picture of what Baz McCullum and Ben Stokes are doing is for Test cricket to be entertaining.

"It feels like they have been pioneers in the way they go about playing the game. You've got two guys willing to risk everything to make sure that this game survives.

"It's great to watch. If you play the game in the right way and put yourself in the right position to win the Test match, there's no shame in losing a cricket match.

"If Pakistan knock the runs off tomorrow, they deserve the win. It's very well-balanced. It's up to us to come out tomorrow with plenty of energy, and if we get a couple of early wickets, we're right ahead of the game."

Stokes, who succeeded Joe Root as skipper earlier this year, has forged a thrilling partnership with former New Zealand captain McCullum since he took the reins.

Their run rate of 6.73 per over in Rawalpindi is the fastest ever set by a Test team batting twice in a match.

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