In the second Test in Multan on Wednesday, Pakistan’s spinner Sajid Khan impressively claimed three wickets within ten deliveries, including that of centurion Ben Duckett, reducing England to 239-6.
The day, marked by intense play on a spin-friendly pitch, it ended in favour of Pakistan, who had previously set a first-innings total of 366 and gained a lead of 127 runs.
At one stage, England was comfortably positioned at 211-2, but the tide turned during the final session when Sajid dismissed Joe Root (34), Duckett (114), and Harry Brook (nine).
Concurrently, Noman Ali, another Pakistani spinner, took the wicket of England captain Ben Stokes for one, compounding England’s troubles as they lost four wickets for just 14 runs.
By day’s end, Jamie Smith and Brydon Carse were the remaining batsmen, securing 12 and two runs respectively.
Given the challenging conditions of the Multan pitch, also used in the first Test, Pakistan aims to capitalize on the first-inning lead to equalize the series.
England currently leads the three-match series 1-0, following their victory by an innings and 47 runs in the initial Test.
On that day, he witnessed the fall of 11 wickets, with Sajid achieving figures of 4-86 and Noman 2-75.
Sajid, known for his sharp deliveries, dismissed Brook and removed Root, who was attempting to sweep.
Before England’s decline, Duckett was prominent, achieving 16 boundaries and surpassing 2,000 runs in his 28th Test.
Read: Ben Duckett Sets Record for Fastest 2,000 Runs in Test Cricket
His partnerships included 73 runs with Zak Crawley (27), 52 with Ollie Pope (29), and another robust 86 with Root. His century, his fourth in Test cricket, came off 120 balls, having reached his fifty in just 47 deliveries.
Pakistan strategically deployed Sajid early, seeking to unsettle England’s openers, though Crawley narrowly escaped multiple dismissals.
Earlier, Pakistan’s lower order had extended their innings, adding 107 runs from an overnight 259-5. Jamal and Noman contributed a vital 49-run partnership for the ninth wicket.
