The sun shone down on the empty Rawalpindi ground as England faced Pakistan in the third Test. After winning the toss, England chose to bat first, with openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett getting off to a solid start, reaching 54/0 in just 13 overs.
However, their partnership ended when Noman Ali dismissed Crawley, leading to an exuberant celebration.
On the last ball of the 14th over, Ali bowled a fuller delivery that was slightly wide of off stump. Crawley leaned forward to drive but mistimed the shot, resulting in a top edge that flew straight to backward point, where Saim Ayub made an easy catch.
Ali erupted with joy, and Mohammad Rizwan added flair with a playful dance as the rest of the Pakistan team joined in, celebrating as if it were a monumental victory.
Pouched safely and Noman Ali strikes for the first wicket of the day! ☝️#PAKvENG | #TestAtHome pic.twitter.com/uXJx1pLOip
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) October 24, 2024
Meanwhile, Twitter had a field day, poking fun at both Ali’s over-the-top reaction and the team’s exuberance over the wicket.