Sunday 29 / December / 2024
Multan : Pakistan made a comeback in the second Test against England as they restricted the visitors to 239 for 6 at the end of second day's play after scoring 366 runs in their first innings.
England began their innings aggressively but could not sustain the momentum. Ben Duckett was the top scorer with his breezy 114. This was his third century. Most other England batters could not stay for long.
Pakistani bowlers, particularly Sajid Khan, fought back, leaving England in a precarious position at the end of second day's play.
Pakistan resumed Day 2 with Mohammad Rizwan and Agha Salman at the crease. The pair looked to build on the overnight total but their partnership was quickly broken by Brydon Carse, who dismissed Rizwan for 41. The team reached the 300-run mark in 100.2 overs, but Salman's dismissal for 31 by Matthew Potts shifted the momentum back to England.
Aamer Jamal provided some resistance with his knock of 37 before being cleaned up by Carse. The last two wickets fell swiftly as Jack Leach took control, dismissing Sajid Khan for just two runs and Noman Ali for a gritty 32 runs.
Zahid Mahmood remained unbeaten on 2 and Pakistan made 366.
Leach emerged as England's standout bowler with four wickets for 114 runs, while Carse claimed three wickets. Potts and Bashir got two and one wicket respectively.
In response, England openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley provided a brisk start, racing to 50 runs in just 7.5 overs. However, Crawley fell for 27, caught by Noman Ali after a solid 73-run partnership with Duckett.
Ollie Pope, who had captained the side in the first Test, added 29 runs before being bowled by Sajid Khan. Joe Root, who was in a remarkable form in the previous Test, made 34 and also succumbed to Sajid.
Sajid also sent Duckett to pavilion and England looked comfortable at 175 for 2. However, a dramatic collapse ensued with England slipping to 225 for 6 as Ben Stokes fell was out for one becoming Noman Ali's second wicket.
Harry Brook, who scored a triple century in the previous match, could only manage nine runs in this innings before being bowled by Sajid, who completed a four-wicket haul.
As the day concluded, Jamie Smith (12*) and Brydon Carse (2*) were at the crease, with England facing a challenging situation. The match remains finely poised as Day 3 approaches, with Pakistan's bowlers looking to capitalize on their momentum.
Brief score: Pakistan 366 (Kamran Ghulam 118, Saim Ayub 77; Jack Leach 4-114) vs England 239/6 (Ben Duckett 114, Joe Root 34; Sajid Khan 4-86).
