As Day 2 unfolds in the Multan Test, Pakistan gains the upper hand against England. Explore detailed coverage and key moments from this exciting encounter.
Introduction:
Day 2 of the first Test between Pakistan and England here at Multan saw the hosts consolidate their position further against the tourists. Centuries from Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafique, and Salman Agha helped the home side pile up 556 in the first innings. When stumps were drawn on Day 2, England had reached 96 for 1 and were still 460 runs behind. Zak Crawley (64*) and Joe Root 32*) remained not out, offering some glimmer of hope for the English. However, by then Ollie Pope had come and gone without scoring and things weren’t getting any easier for Ben Duckett, who also suffered an injury.
See also: Fatima Sana’s All-Round Display Leads Pakistan to WT20I WC Victory Against Sri Lanka
A Day Dominated by the Solo Century by Salman Agha
Pakistan had the highlight of the day in their innings as Salman Agha became the third centurion for them. When he came in, Pakistan had the same foundation as Masood and Shafique had already given on Day 1. Salman played a vital hand in taking the total over the 500 mark. His 104 not out off 108 balls was a classic example of controlled aggression, especially against England’s spinners.
See also: Joe Root Breaks England’s Test Record as They Roar Back Against Pakistan in 1st Test
The Meaning of Salman’s Century
Salman’s innings was as much a story of the runs as it was a tale of the time and the manner in which those runs were knocked out. After a fairly sedate morning session wherein Pakistan had managed only 69 runs, Salman came to bat after lunch with purpose. His battle against Jack Leach was the real highlight of the day. He took the attack to England’s most experienced spinner, hitting him for sixes and boundaries that not only brought up Pakistan’s 400 but also kept the scoreboard ticking at a brisk pace.
Salman had very crucial moments where he kept the momentum going when England were trying to get back into the game, as well as at a stage where Pakistan might have played a bit more aggressively. He maintained calculated aggression, and this put his opponents’ bowlers in trouble all the time.
England Struggled with Bowling
England’s bowling, led by Jack Leach and Brydon Carse, found little by way of succor through the pitch as it struggled for regular breakthroughs. Leach was expensive, and the most obstinate batsman to Salman, during his onslaught, revealed that he could be a handful as well.
Carse grabbed his first Test wickets, and important scalps – Saud Shakeel and Aamer Jamal – fell to him. Nothing came of the wait England had been forced to experience since Salman’s hundred. Pakistan’s tailenders, headed by Naseem Shah, batted on to leave a sizeable amount of runs well over 500. Naseem, whose batting is quite a departure from his rather more than capable bowling, may have astonished everyone with a match-winning knock of 33 off 81 balls. But it was exactly that sort of partnership with Salman that bruised the hope of England trying to close the game out quickly.
Naqash’s positivity along with some careless fielding in England ensured that Pakistan’s tail end wagged almost effectively. Jamie Smith missed an easy stumping opportunity to send Abrar Ahmed back and then Gus Atkinson’s dropped catch allowed the Pakistani team to add valuable runs thereon.
England Reactions: Good Start but Blanks Lurk ahead
When they came to bat, England faced a hill to climb. Duckett was out with an injury to his thumb; but Ollie Pope opened for them instead, alongside Zak Crawley. Such a loss was a disaster for Pope, whose innings lasted only two balls before he was caught at midwicket by Aamer Jamal, one of the best catches made thus far in this series. Such a loss put England on the back foot almost the moment they began bating.
Crawley and Root’s Association: A Silver Lining
It was very early days gone, but Zak Crawley and Joe Root showed fight in the evening session. Crawley in particular looked pretty fluent at the other end, scoring at a good rate, and even managed his fifty off just 55 balls. His attacking mode, more so against spinners helped England stitch up some decent number of runs and assisted in presenting an important stability with Root in the middle.
Although Root was more defensive himself, he supported Crawley pretty well; both made sure that England didn’t lose another wicket before the close of play. The unbroken stand of 92 has given England a fighting chance, but the task in hand remains daunting with Pakistan’s formidable total looming large.
England suffered a jolt too as Ben Duckett walked into the dressing room for scans after sustaining an injury. The loss of Ben Duckett in the last stages of Pakistan’s innings proved crucial for England. Duckett injured his left thumb while taking a catch to dismiss Abrar Ahmed. His availability for the remaining part of the match is still in doubt, which may further force England to shuffle their batting order. Losing Pope early and also being under a cloud of injury, England top order remains vulnerable.
Pakistan’s Control Over the Match
At the close of the second day, Pakistan are in total control of the game. Their aggregate of 556, fashioned around centuries by Masood, Shafique and Salman has put them in a commanding position. Multan had been careless and offered no resistance to the bowlers, but with the game elongating ahead, the Pakistani spinners are likely to play a significant role now. Here, Pakistan should use as much aggression and spinners they have in the bank to make sure England never wants to stand up to the follow on.
The Road Ahead: England’s Long Haul
England’s focus on Day 3 will be to limit the damage and create a big partnership for Crawley and Root. The wicket is only going to get worse as the game progresses, and a comeback over Pakistan’s total seems impossible. Duckett’s absence has been challenging for the team, but Crawley and Root’s form at least offers some hope.
However, if Pakistan can break this alliance early on the Day 3, they are going to be in a position to enforce their supremacy and drive home a victory. England’s bowlers have already been in the field for more than 149 overs now, and with the Multan heat tolling up as the match progresses, Pakistan’s spinners will come into the game more. England’s ability to withstand the pressure will be tested to the fullest.
Conclusion: Day 3 Akin to Decisive in Multan
Day 2 could not be any poorer for England. While Pakistan have firmly been in the driver’s seat, yet a gallant fight back in the last session of play for England may still hold a flicker of hope. Crawley has ensured that England were still in the game with his positive half-century. However, with Duckett injured, and Pope getting out quickly, the team will have to dig deep into their batting skills to eventually come back into contention. Pakistan would look to capitalize on their strong position and press for a result that could sway the course of the series.