England made a strong start on day two of the second Test in Multan, reaching 88-1 at tea in reply to Pakistan’s 366. Ben Duckett played aggressively, scoring a brisk 53 not out, while Ollie Pope supported him at the other end with five runs. England now trail by 278 runs, with nine wickets in hand.
Duckett’s 12th Test half-century came off just 47 balls, as England made rapid progress against a Pakistan bowling attack that included only one frontline seamer, Aamer Jamal. Pakistan introduced off-spinner Sajid Khan as early as the second over, but England’s openers initially held firm.
Zak Crawley, Duckett’s opening partner, made 27 before being dismissed. He survived a close call when he narrowly avoided a run-out at 49-0, after Sajid Khan broke the stumps with Crawley out of his crease, only for the England opener to make it back in time. However, Crawley’s luck ran out when left-arm spinner Noman Ali had him caught behind after Pakistan successfully reviewed a not-out decision.
Earlier in the day, spinner Jack Leach took 4-114 to help dismiss Pakistan for 366. Leach was well supported by pacers Brydon Carse (3-50) and Matthew Potts (2-66). Pakistan had resumed the day at 259-5, but England quickly made inroads into the middle order.
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Top-Scored for Pakistan
Kamran Ghulam top-scored for Pakistan with 118, while Saim Ayub contributed 77. England’s bowlers struck early, with Carse dismissing Mohammad Rizwan for 41 in the third over of the day. Potts then had Salman Agha (31) caught behind, reducing Pakistan to 302-7.
Despite the early breakthroughs, Pakistan’s tailenders frustrated England. Aamer Jamal (37*) and Noman Ali (29*) put on an unbeaten 49-run stand for the ninth wicket, helping Pakistan reach 358-8 at lunch. However, Leach struck again, removing Sajid Khan for two to bring an end to Pakistan’s innings.
England, leading the three-match series 1-0 after an innings victory in the first Test, will look to capitalize on their strong start as they aim to build a significant first-innings total.
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