Jamaican Jacqueline Williams is set to serve as the fourth umpire for what will be an historic ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final as South Africa and New Zealand hunt their first hold on the title.

In fact, neither South Africa nor New Zealand have won the Women's ODI World Cup either. However, South Africa will be playing in their second successive final after losing to Australia in the 2023 showpiece.

Williams, who has achieved some historic feats along the way in her officiating career, will work alongside Nimali Perera and Claire Polosak, who will umpire their first final. Anna Harris will act as the third umpire.

GS Lakshmi has been selected as the match referee for the final in Dubai.

Perera stood in the semi-final between Australia and South Africa earlier in the tournament, having also officiated last year’s semi-final between Australia and India.

Claire Polosak is a highly experienced umpire, with Sunday marking her 64th career women’s T20 international, and the 2024 final marks the first time she will oversee an ICC World Cup final.

Polosak was one of the on-field umpires during the 2023 edition of the Women’s T20 World Cup semi-finals in South Africa, as well as this year’s semi-final between West Indies and New Zealand in Sharjah.

The final will take place at Dubai International Stadium.

Officials: On-field: Nimali Perera & Claire Polosak; Third: Anna Harris; Fourth: Jacqueline Williams; Referee: GS Lakshmi

New Zealand are on the brink of securing a first Test win in India for 36 years, following the hosts' late collapse on day four.

The visitors' decision to take a second new ball proved crucial, and left them requiring just 107 runs for victory.

India resumed at 231-3, and Sarfaraz Khan led their charge as he notched his maiden Test century with an impressive 150 off 195 balls.

The hosts, who were bowled out for just 46 in the opening innings, were looking strong, having overturned their 356-run deficit for the lead at 400-3.

However, the tide turned when New Zealand took the new ball. After Tim Southee claimed Khan, William O'Rourke then denied Rishabh Pant (99) a century, while he also bowled KL Rahul (12) and Ravindra Jadeja (five) soon after.

Matt Henry also took three wickets, claiming Ravichandran Ashwin (15), Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj (both for a duck) as India were bowled out for 462, setting their opponents a target of just 107 when play concludes on Sunday.

Data Debrief: Ton up for Khan as Pant agonisingly misses out

The new ball was certainly the decisive factor on a day interrupted by rain delays. Indeed, India were 62-3 thereon, having previously looked on course to set their opponents a healthy target.

While Khan notched his maiden Test century, Pant was not so fortunate as he was dismissed when needing just one more run for his seventh ton.

In fact, he has now hit more 90s (seven) than centuries (six) in Test cricket.

The West Indies Women came agonizingly short of a second trip to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final after suffering an eight-run loss to New Zealand in their semi-final in Sharjah on Friday.

New Zealand first made 128-9 off their 20 overs after winning the toss and electing to bat first.

Openers Georgia Plimmer and Suzie Bates were the main run getters with 33 and 26, respectively, while Isabella Gaze made a crucial 20* off 14 balls at the backend of the innings.

Deandra Dottin produced an excellent spell of bowling with 4-22 from her four overs while Afy Fletcher continued her good form with the ball in the tournament with 2-23 from three overs.

Karishma Ramharack and Aaliyah Alleyne split the other two wickets.

The West Indies then came up just short of their target in the end, reaching 120-8 off their 20 overs.

Openers Qiana Joseph and captain Hayley Matthews put on 16 for the first wicket before Joseph went for 12 with two balls remaining in the third over.

The wickets of Shemaine Campbelle (3) and the returning Stafanie Taylor (13) followed soon after leaving the Windies 41-3 in the ninth over.

Not long after, all hope seemed lost as Matthews went for a hard-fought 15 off 21 balls in the 11^th over before Aaliyah Alleyne’s wicket for four in the 14^th over left the West Indies looking all but beaten at 63-5.

A fighting 33-run sixth wicket partnership between Deandra Dottin and Afy Fletcher made things interesting including 23-run 16^th over that left the West Indies needing just 34 from the final 24 deliveries.

Dottin’s wicket off the third ball of the next over for a 22-ball 33 pretty much ended all hope for a West Indies victory.

After Chedean Nation came and went for a duck, Fletcher was joined by Zaida James and the pair tried their best to combat some smart bowling from the New Zealanders.

Eventually, the West Indies got to the last over needing 15 to win.

A boundary from James off the first ball produced some nerves for New Zealand but that was followed by a dot ball and then a wicket, putting an end to the West Indian charge.

Fletcher finished 17* while James made 14 from eight balls.

Eden Carson finished with 3-29 from her four overs while Captain Amelia Kerr took 2-14 from four overs.

New Zealand will now take on South Africa in Sunday’s final with both teams looking for their first ICC Women’s T20 World Cup title.

Full Scores:

New Zealand Women 128-9 off 20 overs (Georgia Plimmer 33, Suzie Bates 26, Isabella Gaze 20*, Deandra Dottin 4-22, Afy Fletcher 2-23)

West Indies Women 120-8 off 20 overs (Deandra Dottin 33, Afy Fletcher 17*, Eden Carson 3-29, Amelia Kerr 2-14)

New Zealand claimed a dramatic eight-run victory over West Indies to reach their first Women's T20 World Cup final since 2010, with Eden Carson starring with the ball.

The Black Caps will face South Africa in Sunday's showpiece match, with a first-time champion guaranteed after New Zealand held firm in a tense finale in Sharjah.

New Zealand were limited to 128-9 with the bat as Deandra Dottin finished with fine figures of 4-22, including the crucial wickets of opener Amelia Kerr (7) and Brooke Halliday (18) – the latter with a zipping delivery that crashed into off stump.

The Windies took up the bat in confident mood after two final-over wickets further dented New Zealand's hopes, but Carson turned the momentum by removing both of their openers within five overs.

Having hit middle stump to send West Indies' group-stage star Qiana Joseph walking for 12, Carson had Shemaine Campbelle (3) caught by Suzie Bates to drop them to 20-2.

Carson had her treble soon afterwards as Stafanie Taylor was dismissed for 13 runs, and the Windies failed to recover any momentum from there, only reaching 48 runs by the midpoint of their innings.

Dottin (33 off 22) and Afy Fletcher (17 not out) both attempted to spur the 2016 champions into life, but some efficient New Zealand bowling kept them at bay, Bates only conceding six runs from the all-important final over to get them over the line.

Data Debrief: Long wait over for Black Caps

New Zealand's victory ended their 14-year wait for a final appearance at the Women's T20 World Cup, showing impressive calm to hold off a team that blew England away in the group stage on Tuesday. 

Carson chose the ideal time to produce just her second three-wicket haul in T20Is, finishing 3-29 having previously posted figures of 3-18 versus Bangladesh in 2023. 

Her eight wickets at this tournament have only been bettered by four players, with team-mate Melie Kerr (12) and South Africa's Nonkululeko Mlaba (10) the only two to remain active in the competition.

Pakistan captain Shan Masood says their 152-run victory over England in the second Test to level the three-match series was an "important win" for the team.

Pakistan had lost each of their last 11 Test matches on the bounce as hosts, a run stretching back to 2021, and were on a six-match losing streak overall in the longest format.

However, their spinners, Sajid Khan (2-93) and Noman Ali (8-46) ensured that run came to an end on Friday as they orchestrated England's second-innings collapse.

They combined for all 20 wickets in Multan, playing on the same pitch as the one they lost the first Test on, becoming the first pair to achieve such a feat since Dennis Lillee and Bob Massie in 1972.

For Masood, it was a first win since becoming captain, and he was proud of how the players rallied to end such a torrid run.

"This was a very important win for Pakistan cricket," he said. "The recent results were unacceptable.

"There is relief. This is a long process and journey. It won't be fixed overnight. It's been three years and 10 months since we last won a Test at home. That's not acceptable for Pakistan cricket.

"We pride ourselves on how well we play this game and how we see ourselves as a team. For us to get a result and hopefully start something here in our own conditions is exciting.

"Going through that adverse situation for years and still getting a result: that's the character you want from your players, staff and cricket board. Everyone's responded well after the [first Test] loss, which is very heartening."

England are looking to claim a second consecutive series win in Pakistan, but after their history-making first Test, which saw them win by an innings and 47 runs, they struggled to match that on the well-used pitch.

Ben Stokes, who missed that last week due to a hamstring injury, was left frustrated by the result and acknowledged it hinged on the coin toss.

"They used the home conditions in their favour," he said.

"If we had won the toss, it could have been completely different, and it would have looked like a silly decision.

"The toss was always going to be massive; me and Shan knew that."

Virat Kohli became just the fourth Indian batter to reach 9,000 Test runs as he restored some hope on day three against New Zealand.

The tourists carried over their momentum from Thursday, though stuttered at the start as Daryl Mitchell's (18) involvement was cut short early on, having only added four runs to their 180-3 overnight score. 

However, Rachin Ravindra started in fine form at the crease as he brought up 134 off 157 balls to set them on their way.

Ravindra Jadeja (3-72) helped keep the scores down after that, though Tim Southee's 65 helped push New Zealand towards their 402 total before Jadeja caught him.

Set a target of 356 to chase at the start of their second innings, India made a strong start, surpassing their first innings total of 46 by the end of the 12th over.

Yashasvi Jaiswal (35) and Rohit Sharma (52) got them going early on before Kohli brought up his landmark, finishing with 70 as he was caught on the final ball of the day.

India reached stumps at 231-3, trailing by 125 runs, and Sarfaraz Khan (70 not out) will be looking to help them close in on what could be an unlikely victory.

Data Debrief: Kohli's landmark day

Kohli did not start the Test in the best way, being dismissed for a duck in his first innings, but he made up for that on Friday. 

His knock of 70 was enough to take him past the 9,000 run mark (now 9,017), with only Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Sunil Gavaskar previously reaching that total. 

He has now scored 50+ in three of his four Test innings against New Zealand at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru (103 and 51* - September 2012, 70 in October 2024).

Pakistan's spinners orchestrated England's second-innings collapse as the hosts rallied on day four to earn a 152-run win.

Having been subject to an innings and 47-run defeat in the first Test of the series, Pakistan forced a decider thanks to Sajid Khan (2-93) and Noman Ali (8-46).

England resumed on day four at 36-2 needing 297 runs to win, but Ollie Pope was only able to add one to his total (22) before being caught and bowled off Khan's second ball of the day.

Three more wickets fell over the next 40 minutes – Joe Root (18) and Harry Brook (16) were both trapped lbw by Noman, who also took Jamie Smith (6) shortly after.

Though Ben Stokes' 37 looked to provide some brief respite for England, alongside Brydon Carse's knock of 27 as they crept over the 100-mark, the tourists could not maintain any momentum.

Noman took the final seven wickets of the day and made sure things were wrapped up by lunch, dismissing Shoaib Bashir for a duck immediately after taking Jack Leach for a single run. 

Data Debrief: The wait is over for Pakistan

Pakistan have salvaged some pride following their heavy defeat in the first Test, but they have also ended their terrible run on home soil.

Shan Masood finally has his first win since taking over as captain and, along with it, put a halt to their six-match losing streak in Pakistan. 

It is all down to Noman and Khan, who combined for all 20 wickets, becoming the first pair to achieve such a feat in a Test since Dennis Lillee and Bob Massie in 1972.

Much like they did in 2016, when they got by New Zealand in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup semi-final on their way to claiming a maiden title, West Indies women will be hoping to replicate that magic.

With memories of that six-run triumph still fresh in their minds, the Caribbean side is eager to once again top the Kiwis in Sharjah on Friday to join South Africa in the showpiece event, scheduled for October 20.

Should the West Indies defeat New Zealand again, it would lay the platform for them to avenge their tournament-opening 10-wicket loss to South Africa. Since that battering, West Indies got by Scotland, Bangladesh and England on their way to the knockout stage, where they are now seeking to build on that momentum.

“I think we’re proud of what we’ve been able to achieve. No one kind of had us get to this stage, so I think we’re all pretty happy that we’ve made it here. The job’s just not finished yet and we got our eyes locked on the game tomorrow (Friday) and ready for New Zealand,” Captain Hayley Matthews said in a pre-game conference.

“Hopefully ready to play a really big game because we do want to win; we don't want to just come to this World Cup to say, ‘hey, we've made the semifinals and we're happy with that. We want to take it even further,” she added.

Experienced Jamaican batter Stafanie Taylor remains in doubt for West Indies, but Matthews’ side still possesses enough ability to pull a surprise, much like they did against England on last. In fact, with the likes of Zaida James and other rising talents currently in the squad, Matthews encouraged her peers to enjoy the moment as she recalled when she won her first World Cup title eight years ago at 18 years old.

“I think for me it was mostly just about staying calm but having fun, especially as a West Indian. I think we're always at our best when we're out there on the field, enjoying ourselves and being really vibrant in the field, and I'm just encouraging every one of the youngsters to go out there and enjoy themselves. Yeah, it's the World Cup semi-final and it's a huge game, but we're still playing the same game that we learned in the backyards of our homes and out on the streets in the Caribbean. So just enjoy it,” Matthews shared.

Despite facing tough competition, the West Indies have fought their way into the final four with a combination of gritty performances and standout individual displays, including the stellar all-round efforts of Matthews herself, along with Taylor, Qiana Joseph and Deandra Dottin, in particular.

“I think we all had the belief that we could still get the job done and the character shown within the team for us to be able to come back out there and fight. It's just about having a really good game and every single one of the players went out there and we're able to execute as we pull together as a team really well,” Matthews noted.

That said, the talented Barbadian all-rounder expressed optimism about the prospects that could come from her team winning another global T20 title.

“I really hope it helps our domestic setup. We've obviously seen the WCPL come about, which I think has made a massive difference for our girls, getting to play against some of the best cricketers in the world and playing a high-quality tournament like that.

“But for me, it's got to start right up from our individual territories, putting things in place for the girls to have proper facilities to train at and a proper structure to the point where the girls don't have to be in camp in order to get proper training. So I'd love to see if we can go out there, do really well, and hopefully we can see something like that happening for us,” Matthews explained.

But before they can get there, they will have to get by a dangerous New Zealand team.

West Indies Men’s white ball head coach Daren Sammy is focusing on the positives after his team’s 2-1 T20I series loss to Sri Lanka in Dambulla.

After a dominant win in the first T20I on Sunday on a pitch typical for Dambulla, suitable for batting, the pitches for the second and third T20Is were much more conducive to spin bowling, a strength of the hosts.

The statistics reflected that, with 15 out of the 18 West Indian wickets to fall in the last two encounters being to Sri Lanka’s slow bowlers.

While eventually noting the need of his players to be better able to adapt to the change in conditions, Sammy looked at the fact that Sri Lanka had to make that big of an adjustment in their favor after one game as a plus for his side.

“We sent a strong message. We started a series one way with a squad looking to see the depth and the home side had to change the whole set up to make sure that their spinners got the advantage,” Sammy said in a press conference after the third game on Thursday.

“Ideally, yes, our men did not respond well to the spin, however, with the mindset that we have in our team being a championship winning team, we must be able to play in different conditions,” he added.

For Sammy, the changes to the pitch in the last two games felt like a win for his side in the long run.

“For us to see the last two games, the nature of the wicket from what it was at the start, I thought we actually won the contest because we were the away team and in conditions set before us, we challenged them with a squad that was not our full squad and they had to react to that,” he said.

“I told the guys yes, when the World Cup comes, we won’t get these conditions. ICC will make sure the pitches are good. It was a moral victory for us,” Sammy added.

Sammy went further, noting how Sri Lankan pacers Matheesha Pathirana and Nuwan Thushara didn’t get an opportunity to bowl on good pitches in the last two games will hurt them in the long run.

“When you have pacers like that not getting an opportunity to bowl on good wickets when the true test comes, that’s where you really test your team,” he said.

“We as a group know Sri Lanka has never beaten us in a T20I series and with the manner in which they had to do over here in Sri Lanka, we’ll take that but there is need for much improvement in the way our guys play spin when there’s a challenge,” he added.

Both teams will now turn their attention to the three ODIs in Pallekele beginning on Sunday, October 20.

West Indies' hopes of securing another T20 International series victory went up in smokes, as they suffered a nine-wicket loss to Sri Lanka cruised in the decisive contest of the three-match series in Dambulla on Thursday.

It was another clinical performance from the hosts, who secured a 2-1 series triumph –their fifth home series win and third consecutive series victory of the year. They won the second contest by 73 runs on Tuesday, after West Indies won the series opener by five wickets.

After choosing to bat first, West Indies battled their way to a respectable total of 162-8, but their effort proved insufficient against a well-organized Sri Lankan side, which had everything going their way on the day.

Despite a competitive total, the Caribbean team’s bowling attack faltered under pressure, and some misfortune in the field compounded their struggles, as Sri Lanka raced to 166-1 with two overs to spare.

Scores: West Indies 162-8 (20 overs); Sri Lanka 166-1 (18 overs)

West Indies innings got off to a horrible start as they lost Evin Lewis to a one-ball duck in the first over bowled by Maheesh Theekshana. Brandon King (23) and Shai Hope (18) tried to repair the damage with a 37-run second wicket stand.

But just when they found rhythm, King got over ambitious and also had his stumps rattled by Theekshana. That resulted in a mini collapse, as Roston Chase (8), Hope, and Sherfane Rutherford (six), followed in quick succession, with the score at 62-5 at the top of the 12th over.

However, captain Rovman Powell, who topscored with 37, and Gudakesh Motie (32) went on the counter with a 54-run sixth wicket partnership that gradually rattled the Sri Lankans. Both players struck three maximums and a solitary four.

Again, just as they found a decent tempo, the partnership was broken when Motie was stumped off Wanindu Hasaranga.

Powell fought on before he holed out to Bhanuka Rajapaksa in the deep off seamer Matheesha Pathirana. Romario Shepherd’s 18-run cameo saw the Caribbean side past the 160 mark.

Theekshana (2-19) and Hasaranga (2-24) got most wickets for Sri Lanka.

West Indies total seemed very much defendable on a turning pitch, especially as they failed to chase down a similar target in the second game. Add to that the fact that they brought in Fabian Allen as a third spinner to try to make the most of the spin-friendly conditions.

However, it was not to be, as Sri Lanka made light work of the target. Kudal Mendis, 68 not out, and Kusal Perera, 55 not out, got the job done, after Pathum Nissanka (39) and the former battered West Indies into submission with a 60-run stand in the Powerplay.

Mendis struck three sixes and five fours in his 50-ball knock, while Perera used 36 balls and struck seven boundaries. Nissanki also had seven boundaries and a solitary six.

Motie got the lone wicket.

Powell in a post-game interview felt they had enough runs on the board, but were undone by a superlative run-chase.

“We had enough runs. If at the start of the game, if you said we would get 160 on a turning wicket, we would have taken it. But credit to Sri Lanka. Had we controlled the Powerplay better as a bowling group, we would have made a game of it. Giving away 60-70 in the Powerplay, it is always tough to come back. Sri Lankan spinners completely out-bowled our spinners, and we knew it would be a showdown of the spinners, about who bowled better and who batted better,” Powell said in his assessment.

“Still a lot of positives when you come to Sri Lanka and push them. My guys gave good efforts; our fast bowlers gave good efforts on these tracks. As a batting group, our guys showed we can play against spin. Want to say thanks to the people of Sri Lanka. They have been very nice to us as a touring time,” he added.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s captain Charith Asalanka, was full of praise for his team’s performance.

“Secret was the top order batters batted really well and they gave their best shot. We played good cricket (even against India) and we just needed a bit of momentum and we did that in the second game. I wasn’t concerned about losing the toss much, but when they scored more than 160, I was a bit (concerned). But I knew if our top order batted well, we could do well, so I am really happy and good to win the series,” Asalanka said.

South Africa stunned defending champions Australia to reach the final of the Women's T20 World Cup with a nine-wicket win in Dubai.

Anneke Bosch hit an unbeaten 74 from just 48 balls – including eight fours and one six – as South Africa successfully chased down a target of 135 with 16 balls in hand in what was a repeat of the 2023 final.

Ayabonga Khaka had earlier struck out two as South Africa limited Australia to 134-5, with five of the six bowlers used by the Proteas conceding 25 runs or fewer.

South Africa leaked 40 runs in the final four overs as Australia desperately attempted to up the ante after a slow run in the middle overs.

But any fears they would not be successful in their chase were soon allayed by Bosch.

After opener Tazmin Brits was bowled clean by Annabel Sutherland for 15 in the fifth over, Laura Wolvaardt made a composed 42 off 37 deliveries in support of the imperious Bosch, who smashed Megan Schutt's ball for four to end the encounter on an emphatic note.

Data Debrief: Brilliant Bosch the difference

Bosch's previous best figure at this tournament was a knock of 25 versus Bangladesh last time out, but she reeled off the best total by any player at the 2024 edition on Friday.

Her knock surpassed the score of 62 recorded by England's Maia Bouchier against Scotland, though Bouchier's strike rate of 182.35 did better Bosch's 154.16.

South Africa are now into their second final in this competition, having previously gone down to Australia on home soil last year. They will face either West Indies or New Zealand, who go head-to-head in Friday's second semi-final.

England assistant coach Paul Collingwood said his side have belief in overhauling Pakistan's 297-run lead to claim the second Test in Multan. 

England ended the third day of the second Test at 36-2 after losing the early wickets of Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley in their second innings. 

Should the tourists pull off the chase, it would be their joint third-highest in an overseas Test and the best by any visiting team in Pakistan.

Having broken a number of records in the first Test, Collingwood insists that anything is possible with this current group of players. 

"We’ll still have that belief," said Collingwood. "We know it’s going to be tough and we’ve got to be realistic, but we’ll find ways to put them under pressure."

Asked if a win in this match would be better than the first-Test victory, Collingwood said: "It would, under the circumstances and conditions we’ve been given this time.

"There’s still hope, and there’s only hope because of the amazing things these guys have done in the past."

Salman Agha, meanwhile, pledged that Pakistan will put every effort into securing a first home Test win in "God knows how many years". 

Agha top-scored for Pakistan in their second innings with 63, though he was fortunate to reach that total, having been dropped twice during the 52nd over. 

He also showered praise on Sajid Khan, who ended with figures of 7-111 in the first innings before claiming the early wicket of Duckett on Thursday.

"To be honest, I was thinking, 'It is going to be hard,'" Salman told Sky Sports.

"There was a lot of changes - and big changes. But the way the team has gelled, and the way the new guys have come in and we've welcomed them [has been great]. They come in and they are chipping in.

"Look at Sajid. He took seven wickets and scored important runs, and then you will see Noman Ali.

"He came and took wickets, and scored important runs. I think it's very good for Pakistan cricket, the way they came and gelled in and contributed. That's amazing."

Pakistan have not won a home Test match since they beat South Africa in February 2021, with four draws and seven defeats since then, losing all six Test matches this year.

Salman said that ending those streaks would be "very important" and that Pakistan are aiming to right their wrongs from recent years. 

"It's going to be massive, because we haven't won a Test match at home for… I don't know, God knows how many years now," he said.

"It's going to be a very, very big thing for us. We will make sure we will put all the effort there and make sure we win this game, because that's very important for us."

Rohit Sharma took responsibility after India posted their lowest-ever home score in the first Test versus New Zealand, saying he was "hurting" after they were skittled for 46 runs.

After Wednesday's play was called off due to heavy rain in Bengaluru, India produced a historically bad effort with the bat as Matt Henry (5-15) and Will O'Rourke (4-22) starred for the Black Caps.

Five India batters – Virat Kohli, Sarfaraz Khan, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin – walked for ducks as New Zealand needed just 32 overs to bowl their hosts out.

India's score was their worst-ever on home soil, having previously been all out for 75 against West Indies in 1987, and the third-lowest in their Test history overall.

Rohit opted to bat after winning the toss in what many viewed as a puzzling decision, and he admitted he had misjudged the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium surface after stumps.

"You see and you try and make the judgement. Sometimes you make the right call, sometimes you don't, and I was on the other side of it this time around," Rohit said.

"I'm hurting a little bit because I made that call. But see, for us as a team, I think these are the challenges.

"So what if we put ourselves under pressure a little bit? We want to play well. We want to challenge ourselves. 

"This time around, it didn't come off, the challenges that were thrown at us. We didn't respond well, and we found ourselves in a situation where we got bowled out for 46 runs. 

"As a captain, it definitely hurts to see that number, but in 365 days you'll make two or three bad calls. That's okay."

Only twice has Black Caps bowler Henry bettered Thursday's figures in a Test innings, with seven-wicket hauls against South Africa in 2022 and Australia in 2024, both on home soil.

Speaking to reporters after the close of play, he said: "It was a great way to start the day but it was also about the way we could build pressure with the bat. 

"There was a lot of grass taken off and we just wanted to keep it simple and there was a lot of assistance in the morning. 

"The key is to control what you can control, to work on your game and improve. With the game affected by rain, it's important to have a dominant day like this. It's obviously tough to play in India."

England's second Test against Pakistan hangs in the balance after the tourists closed on 36-2, chasing a 297 victory target after an enthralling third day in Multan.

Ben Duckett, England's hero on the second day, was removed by Sajid Khan (1-27) for a duck, with Zak Crawley (three) following just under three overs later. 

England had resumed on 239-6, but Sajid continued his impressive spin play from the previous day, taking the wickets of Brydon Carse (four), Matthew Potts (six) and Shoaib Bashir (nine) to post figures of 7-111 for the first innings.

England wasted no time in skittling India's top order, though, with Bashir claiming the wickets of Abdullah Shafique (four), Saim Ayub (22) and Shan Masood (11) as Pakistan found themselves 77-4 after 20 overs.

However, England were frustrated by Salman Ali Agha's knock of 63, made even more painful by the fact he was dropped twice in the 52nd over, on four and six. 

But the surface in Multan, which has benefitted the spin bowlers, came into play again as Jack Leach (3-67) saw Pakistan bowled out for 221 in their second innings.

Needing 297 runs to win, which would represent England's largest-ever run chase in Asia, Duckett's favoured sweep was caught by Mohammad Rizwan, before Crawley was stumped by the Pakistan wicketkeeper.

Joe Root (12) and Ollie Pope (21) are the men tasked with continuing England's chase when they start at the crease on Friday.

Data Debrief: England stumped in Multan

Crawley's stumping in the fourth over of the second innings is the third earliest in a Test innings that an England batter has been stumped.

The earliest to get dismissed in that manner for England was Alastair Cook, who was stumped with the fifth ball of the innings off Ravichandran Ashwin in Kolkata in 2012.

His loss, and that of Duckett, could prove costly unless Root and Pope can repeat their first-Test heroics.

India produced their lowest Test score ever on home soil in the first innings of their opening match against New Zealand, scoring just 46 runs in Bangalore.

Devon Conway's 91 from 105 deliveries helped the Black Caps to a 134-run lead on Thursday after day one was washed out, with India facing an uphill task in trying to resurrect their hopes of victory. 

Tim Southee (1-8) started the collapse when he clean bowled captain Rohit Sharma for two, with Matt Henry (5-15) and Will O'Rourke (4-22) continuing the onslaught.

Virat Kohli was one of five India batters to be dismissed for a duck as they collapsed from 31-3 to 46 all out with just over 31 overs bowled. 

The tourists surpassed India's measly total with nine wickets still in hand, as New Zealand openers Tom Latham and Conway started strongly.

Kuldeep Yadav (1-57) and Ravindra Jadeja (1-28) managed to take the wickets of Conway and Will Young (33), though the damage had already been done. 

Rachin Ravindra (22) and Daryl Mitchell (14) will start at the crease on day two for New Zealand, who will be looking to press home their advantage after reaching stumps 180/3.

Data Debrief: When it rains, it pours

After seeing the opening day of play postponed due to heavy rain, India may have wished for the heavens to open once again during their remarkable collapse.

Thursday's 46 runs is the lowest-ever Test innings score India have managed on home soil, and their third-lowest Test score ever. 

Their worst came against Australia in Adelaide in 2020, when they were bowled out for 36, with their previous lowest total at home in Test matches coming in 1987, when they scored 75 against West Indies.