MULTAN: Pakistan racked up 556 in their first innings before England’s rejigged top order cruised to 96 for one on an eventful second day in the opening Test in Multan on Tuesday.
Salman Agha, who made an unbeaten 104, became the third Pakistan batter to smash a hundred in the match before they were all out in the final session on day two.
Forced into shuffling their top order after Ben Duckett injured his thumb while taking a catch, England began well with Zak Crawley leading their reply with a run-a-ball 64 not out.
Joe Root was on 32 at the other end needing another 39 to overtake Alastair Cook as England’s leading scorer in Test cricket.
England’s struggle with the ball was compounded by stand-in skipper Ollie Pope‘s poor reviews as he maintained his record of not getting it right even once in 13 attempts as captain of the side.
England were made to toil with little reward on Monday and it was more of the same when play resumed as Naseem Shah, a key cog in Pakistan’s new-ball attack, proved he could contribute with the bat as well.
Naseem smacked three sixes in his career-best 33, denying England a breakthrough in the first hour, despite suffering hits to the helmet and his bowling hand.
Naseem collaborated in a 64-run partnership with Saud Shakeel before his 82-ball defiance ended after he tickled Brydon Carse to Harry Brook at leg slip, giving the debutant seamer his maiden Test wicket.
Next man in Mohammad Rizwan fell for a 12-ball duck, stepping out against Jack Leach and spooning the ball to Chris Woakes at mid-off.
Saud (82) looked poised for a hundred but was caught in the slip off Shoaib Bashir.
Thanks to Salman’s free-scoring knock, Pakistan milked 118 runs from 26 overs in this session.
Salman swept Leach for a single to bring up his third Test hundred and kissed the turf in his celebration.
After spending five sessions in sapping heat, England looked sloppy in the field, dropping catches and missing regulation stumpings towards the end of the Pakistan innings.
Part-time spinner Root bowled a surprise bouncer to dismiss the last Pakistan batter Abrar Ahmed.
Duckett took the catch in the slip but injured his thumb in the process and could not come out to open the innings. The team expect him to bat in the match at some point.
Pope decided to lead by example and walked out as Crawley’s opening partner but the move did not pay off.
Pope pulled Naseem and Aamer Jamaal plucked a one-handed blinder at midwicket to dismiss the England captain for a two-ball duck.
Root initially did not look comfortable but gamely hung on and will be expected to anchor England’s reply.
