(Reuters) – Teenage sensation Rehan Ahmed said taking five wickets on his test debut was a “dream come true” after his heroics left England on the brink of victory in the third test against Pakistan and a record clean sweep.
Ahmed dismissed Pakistan captain Babar Azam and key player Mohammad Rizwan among others as his spin bowling proved to be the game-changer for England on day three. The 18-year-old became the youngest debutant in men’s test history to take five wickets in a single inning, beating the previous record held by Australia’s Pat Cummins.
“It was probably the best day of my life again. To get a five-for on debut is a dream come true,” Ahmed told the BBC.
“I have bowled better balls and not got wickets. To get Babar Azam out is a dream come true. He is a very good player.
“I liked the Rizwan wicket because I have been working hard on my leg-spin for the last two months with bowling coach Jeetan Patel. To get one to spin a little bit was great.”
Having bowled out Pakistan for 216 in the second innings, England are chasing a target of 167.
They will resume at 112-2 later on Tuesday, needing 55 runs to win the test and become the first test team to complete a 3-0 whitewash in Pakistan, having won the first two tests in Rawalpindi and Multan.