'Miracles do happen in cricket' - Mohammad Ali says as Pakistan faces 357-run deficit at Lord's

England had posted 290 in their first innings, and after Pakistan's reply of 110, the hosts extended their second innings to 177 for 7, building a commanding 357-run lead with three wickets still in hand. The match forms part of a three-match series where England leads 1-0.

Mohammad Ali, Pakistan's fast bowler, has been a key performer with the ball throughout the match. Ali took 3 wickets in England's first innings, dismissing Harry Brook, Jamie Smith and Ollie Robinson. He added a brace in the second innings, including the dismissal of England captain Joe Root. Speaking after Day 3, Ali reflected on Pakistan's prospects despite the difficult position.

"Miracles do happen in cricket. We can only hope at this time and try and encourage the batting group. The deficit from the first innings was too deep anyway. When you're so far behind, all you can do is get opposition wickets as quickly as possible. I think we bowled better here than in the first innings. In better areas and with more consistency. That's why England are 177 for 7," Ali said as quoted by ICC.

What did Ali say about bowling in difficult conditions?

The Lord's pitch presented variable bounce, a characteristic Ali acknowledged as part of the challenge.

"You often get variable bounce at Lord's. If you watched the Test against New Zealand here, you saw variable bounce too. As a cricketer, you have to be in awkward conditions," Ali said.

He emphasised the importance of mental preparation and workload management for fast bowlers operating in such conditions. Ali expressed his personal commitment to the bowling effort regardless of the circumstances.

"I don't talk about anyone else, but if you ask me to bowl all my life, I will be ready to do that. Because that's my job. And no matter how many fast bowlers play, fast bowlers should enjoy bowling in these conditions. If your workload is fine and your preparation is fine, you'll never have a problem," said Ali.

Pakistan sat at the bottom of the World Test Championship standings with two wins from seven outings, while England occupied seventh place with five results from 14 matches in the WTC cycle.