Pakistan held a 152-run lead over England but faltered in the second innings, stumbling to 77-4 before lunch on day three of the second Test at the Multan Cricket Ground on Thursday.
Sajid Khan was Pakistan’s star in England’s first innings, taking seven wickets to bowl out the visitors for 291. The hosts had earlier managed a first innings lead of 75 runs on a spinning track where scoring proved difficult.
England, determined to stay in the competition, relied heavily on their spin attack. Shoaib Bashir, the English player, hit three crucial shots, putting Pakistan on the defensive. Bashir first removed opener Abdullah Shafiq for four runs, thanks to a successful review that revealed a lackluster advantage. He then dismissed captain Shan Masood for 11, who caught Ollie Pope at second slip. Just before lunch, Bashir got his third wicket, sending Saim Ayub packing for 25, and was again caught by Pope.
At lunch, Saud Shakeel (10*) and Mohammad Rizwan (0*) were at the crease, with Pakistan’s lead standing at 229, but by four wickets.
Earlier in the day, England resumed their first innings with a score of 239-6, losing their remaining four wickets in the first hour to a heavy Pakistani attack. Left-arm spinner Noman Ali swept three of the last four wickets, as England collapsed all out for spin, with Pakistan’s Aamir Jamal the only seamer in the line-up.
Playing eleven:
Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafiq, Shan Masood (captain), Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Muhammad Rizwan (week), Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Zahid Mahmood.
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jimmy Smith (wk), Brydon Carse, Matt Potts, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir.
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