Ahmed's three wickets for England leaves Pakistan at 187-7 on Day 2 of 3rd test

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (AP) — Recalled leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed took three wickets on an engineered dry wicket and led England's strong comeback in the third and final test against Pakistan on Friday.

Saud Shakeel was holding one end up on a variable bouncy wicket and was unbeaten on 72 off 132 balls as Pakistan struggled to 180-7 at lunch on an eventful first session of Day 2.

England still leads by 80 after it got bowled out for 267, thanks largely to a gritty knock of 89 by wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith after off-spinner Sajid Khan had claimed a six-wicket haul.

The 22-yard strip has taken center-stage for the series decider after ground staff used industrial-sized fans and outdoor heaters to dry out the wicket and counter the aggressive batting of England.

And the spinners have continued to dictate as 17 wickets have fallen in four sessions.

Pakistan exhausted its remaining two television referrals when Mohammad Rizwan (25) and Salman Ali Agha (1) went for unsuccessful lbw reviews against Ahmed (3-25), who was playing his first international since February.

Aamer Jamal (14) then chopped Ahmed’s googly back onto his stumps as England captain Ben Stokes intelligently maneuvered his three specialist spinners and claimed four wickets for 114 runs in an extended 2-1/2 hour first session because of Friday prayers.

Resuming on 73-3, captain Shan Masood and Shakeel defied spinners and stretched their stand to 53 runs on a wicket which saw 13 wickets fall on the first day. England had its moment to separate the left-handed pair but Smith couldn’t hold onto a sharp low edge of Shakeel when the batter was on 26 in Shoaib Bashir’s third over of the day.

Masood was too defensive in his 26-run knock off 70 balls before Ollie Pope held onto a sharp low catch in a close-in second slip as Pakistan skipper lunged forward to Bashir’s sharp delivery and got a thick outside edge.

Shakeel completed his eighth test half century and sixth against England when he smashed a sweep to Bashir to mid-wicket boundary before Ahmed's three quick wickets put England back in control before lunch.

Pakistan leveled the series 1-1 with a resounding 152-run win in the second test on a recycled wicket in Multan after England had recorded a memorable innings and 47-run victory in the first test.

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England's Ben Stokes, left, and Jamie Smith, center, appeal successful LWB out Pakistan's Salman Ali Agha, right, during the day two of third test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistan's Saud Shakeel runs to take a score during the day two of third test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

England's Jack Leach, left, bowls as Pakistan's Saud Shakeel watches during the day two of third test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistan's Shan Masood runs to take a score during the day two of third test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

England's Ben Stokes, left, Jamie Smith, center, and Ollie Pope, second right, jubilate after the dismissal of Pakistan's Shan Masood, right, during the day two of third test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

England's Shoaib Bashir, center, celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Pakistan's Shan Masood during the day two of third test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistan's Saud Shakeel plays a shot during the day two of third test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

England's Ben Stokes, left, and Jamie Smith, center, celebrates after LWB out Pakistan's Salman Ali Agha during the day two of third test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

England's Rehan Ahmed, center, celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Pakistan's Aamer Jamal during the day two of third test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

England's Rehan Ahmed, right, celebrates with teammate after taking the wicket of Pakistan's Aamer Jamal during the day two of third test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

England's Rehan Ahmed celebrates after taking the wicket of Pakistan's Aamer Jamal during the day two of third test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

HONG KONG (AP) — Asian stocks were mostly higher Friday aside from in Japan, where investors were awaiting the outcome of an election on Sunday.

U.S. futures and oil prices rose.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who took office just weeks ago, called the snap general election to drum up support as the ruling Liberal Democrats grapple with a political funding scandal. Recent upheavals have added to uncertainty for markets, complicating the Bank of Japan's efforts to shift away from long-standing near-zero interest rates.

Core inflation in Japan’s capital was 1.8% in October, lower than the central bank’s 2% target for the first time in five months, the government reported. That reinforced expectations that the central bank will keep its key interest rate unchanged at a policy meeting next week.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index lost 0.6% to 37,913.92, while the Japanese yen fell against the U.S. dollar. On Friday, the dollar was trading at 151.90 yen, up from 151.89 yen.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 0.6% to 20,616.83, and the Shanghai Composite gained 0.4% to 3,294.38.

China’s central bank kept its medium-term lending rate unchanged at 2%. It also issued 700 billion yuan ($98.3 billion) in one-year medium-term lending facility loans to financial institutions, according to the bank’s statement.

Elsewhere, South Korea’s Kospi edged up 0.1% to 2,583.69 and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 climbed 0.1% to 8,211.30. Taiwan’s Taiex increased 0.5%.

On Thursday, the S&P 500 rose 0.2% to 5,809.86, breaking its first three-day losing streak since early September. It bounced between losses and gains through the day, and it was roughly evenly split between stocks rising and falling.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3% to 42,374.36 and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.8% to 18,415.49.

Tesla led the market with a jump of 21.9% after the electric-vehicle maker reported better profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. An optimistic CEO Elon Musk also predicted 20%-30% sales growth next year, though revenue for the latest quarter fell short of analysts’ forecasts. It was the best day for Tesla’s stock since 2013.

Boeing sank 1.2% after its machinists voted to continue their strike, which has crippled aircraft production. More than 60% of union members who voted on the proposed contract rejected it, keeping them on the picket lines six weeks into their strike.

Stocks have broadly retreated this week after the S&P 500 and Dow both set records at the end of last week. They’ve been hurt by rising Treasury yields in the bond market, which can make investors less willing to pay high prices for stocks. Critics had already been saying beforehand that stocks looked too expensive given how much faster their prices have risen than corporate profits.

A report on unemployment claims Thursday offered a mixed picture on the job market. It said fewer workers applied for unemployment benefits last week, which can be a signal of relatively low layoffs. But it also said the total number of those collecting benefits rose to its highest level in almost three years.

Treasury yields, which had eased overnight, pared their losses after the release of the unemployment claims report before yo-yoing. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.20% from 4.25% late Wednesday. It’s still well above its 4.08% level from late last week.

A separate preliminary report said growth in U.S. business activity may have accelerated slightly last month, as strength for companies in services industries continue to make up for weakness in manufacturing. The report from S&P Global also showed a recovery in confidence as companies anticipate greater stability and certainty after the upcoming presidential election.

A third report, meanwhile, said sales of new homes were stronger last month than economists expected.

In other dealings early Friday, benchmark U.S. crude added 16 cents to $70.35 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, the international standard, rose 14 cents to $74.17 a barrel.

The euro fell to $1.0817 from $1.0828.

FILE - The Fearless Girl statue, with a flower draped on the shoulder, stands outside the New York Stock Exchange on Oct. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan, File)

A currency trader passes by a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), left, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Currency traders watch monitors at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

A currency trader reads documents at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)