MULTAN — Pakistan established a 152-run lead over England on Thursday, but their second innings faltered as they slumped to 77-4 on day three of the second Test at Multan Cricket Stadium.
Off-spinner Sajid Khan was the standout performer for Pakistan, taking seven wickets to help bowl England out for 291 in their first innings. The pitch, known for its sharp turn, proved challenging for batters, leading England captain Ben Stokes to employ spin from both ends, starting with off-spinner Shoaib Bashir and left-arm spinner Jack Leach.
Bashir made an immediate impact, dismissing opener Abdullah Shafique for just four runs after a successful review confirmed a faint edge. He followed up by taking the wicket of Shan Masood (11), who edged a flick to Ollie Pope at second slip. The final blow before lunch saw Saim Ayub (25) fall to the same bowler, leaving Pakistan in a precarious position at 77-4, with Saud Shakeel (10) and Mohammad Rizwan (0) at the crease.
England resumed their innings at 239-6 but lost their last four wickets within the first hour, conceding a first-innings lead of 75 runs to Pakistan. Noman Ali took the remaining three wickets for England, completing a strong showing by Pakistan’s spin attack, which featured only one seam bowler, Aamer Jamal.
Playing XIs
Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (captain), Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Zahid Mehmood
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wk), Brydon Carse, Matt Potts, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir
As the match progresses, Pakistan will need a strong performance from their lower order to build a more substantial lead against a determined England side.
