Pakistan is close to achieving its first Test victory on home soil after nearly four years and 11 Test matches. Following four consecutive Test losses to England, the current series has also brightened the chances of avoiding defeat.
The English team is struggling against the twisting bowling on the spin-friendly track. In pursuit of a challenging target of 297 runs, they ended the third day having lost 2 wickets and scoring 36 runs on the scoreboard. They now need 261 more runs to win, while Pakistan requires 8 wickets.
On Thursday morning, under the bright skies at Multan International Cricket Stadium, the English team began their first innings with a score of 239 runs for 6 wickets. After adding 9 runs, they faced the first wicket loss of the day and the seventh in the innings when Braden Carse, attempting a six, caught by Saud Shakeel off Sajid Khan’s bowling. He had scored only 4 runs, marking the fifth wicket for Sajid in this innings.
After adding another 8 runs, Matthew Potts was beautifully bowled out by Sajid Khan, leaving him bewildered. He could only manage 6 runs. With an additional 6 runs, England suffered a significant loss at a total score of 262 when their wicketkeeper, Jamie Smith, was out after scoring 21 runs, becoming part of a partnership between Saeem Ayub and Nauman Ali. Thus, Pakistan took 9 wickets from England for 262 runs. Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir, batting together for the last wicket, managed to add runs with the intention of reducing Pakistan’s lead as much as possible. They were quite successful in this endeavor, bringing the total from 262 to 291. Jack Leach was instrumental in this effort, scoring an unbeaten 25 runs off 25 balls, while Shoaib Bashir was the last batter to be out, having scored 9 runs.
During the third day at Multan Cricket Stadium, 16 wickets fell throughout the day, with 309 runs scored in 86 overs.
Sajid Khan Shines as Pakistan’s Leading Bowler
Pakistan’s most successful bowler was Sajid Khan, who claimed 7 wickets for 111 runs in 26.2 overs. Nauman Ali also bowled impressively, taking 3 wickets for 101 runs in 28 overs.
England’s target in the fourth innings on Asian soil is a challenging 209 runs. If they succeed, it will set a record for the highest successful chase in Asia.
England’s first innings concluded at 291 runs after 67.2 overs. Pakistan began its second innings with a 75-run lead. Unfortunately, the Pakistani opening batsmen failed to build a solid foundation once again. Abdullah Shafique was dismissed for just 4 runs, caught behind off a delivery from Shoaib Bashir, after the English captain opted for a review that was successful, benefiting from the umpire’s decision.
Captain Shan Masood struggled again, scoring only 11 runs with the help of one boundary before falling to Shoaib Bashir, caught by Ollie Pope in slip. Saeem Ayub made 22 runs before also being caught by Pope. The dominance of spinners continues in the ongoing Test match at Multan International Cricket Stadium. In the first session, Pakistan’s bowlers made a strong impression, and England’s bowlers were not far behind. A total of 7 wickets fell in the first session, including 4 from England and 3 from Pakistani batters.
After the lunch break, Jack Leach opened his account in the second innings, while Kamran Ghulam, who set a record in the first innings, was out LBW after scoring 26 runs, which included 5 boundaries. In a cautious partnership for the fifth wicket, Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel moved the scorecard forward. After a partnership of 37 runs, Mohammad Rizwan was dismissed for 23, caught by Jamie Smith off a delivery from Braden Carse after hitting 2 fours.
By the tea break, Pakistan had managed to score 134 runs for the loss of 5 wickets. This session was relatively slow.
Pakistan All Out for 221, Sets England a Target of 366 Runs
In the final session, the Pakistani team was dismissed for 221 runs, just 47 minutes before the end of play. A crucial highlight of the innings was the valuable 65-run partnership for the ninth wicket between Salman Ali Agha and Sajid Khan. At one point, Pakistan had lost 8 wickets for just 156 runs, but thanks to their efforts, the team managed to reach 221 runs. This gave Pakistan a lead of 296 runs, following their first innings lead of 75 runs. Salman Agha scored 63 runs, while Sajid Khan contributed 22 runs. Earlier, Mohammad Rizwan made 23 runs, Saud Shakeel scored 31, and Kamran Ghulam added 26 runs. Shan Masood (11 runs) and Saeem Ayub (22 runs) were also dismissed, along with Abdullah Shafique, who managed only 4 runs.
On the England side, Shoaib Bashir took 4 wickets for 66 runs, and Jack Leach secured 3 wickets for 67 runs. The English team was dismissed for 291 runs in response to Pakistan’s total of 366 runs.
In the closing moments of the play, England faced a challenging batting session, scoring 36 runs for the loss of 2 wickets in 11 overs. Ben Duckett was dismissed for a duck, while Zak Crawley scored 3 runs. Ollie Pope was batting on 21 and Joe Root on 12. England requires an additional 261 runs to win, while Pakistan needs 8 wickets for victory. The third day of play is scheduled for tomorrow.
Sajid Khan Earns Best Bowler Honors at Multan International Cricket Stadium
Sajid Khan, who replaced Abrar Ahmed in the Multan Test, etched his name on the honor board of the stadium, owing to his remarkable performance.
During the first innings against England in the second Test at Multan International Cricket Stadium, Sajid Khan took 7 wickets for 111 runs. Previously, Abrar Ahmed had set a record in December 2022 during his debut Test at the same venue, taking 7 wickets for 114 runs and earning the accolade for the best individual bowling performance. Sajid Khan surpassed this achievement by just 3 runs.
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