Pakistan set a 297-run target for England after grabbing a handy lead of 296 runs with the help of Salman Agha’s 63 in their second innings on day three of the second test in Multan on Thursday.

Pakistan’s top order slumped after England’s Shoaib Bashir took three crucial wickets of Abdullah Shafique (4), Saim Ayub (22) and skipper Shan Masood (11), while he also removed Noman Ali (1).

Jack Leach also played his part for his side by sending off Kamran Ghulam (26), Saud Shakeel (31), and Aamer Jamal (1) which further dimmed the chances of resistance from the hosts.

However, Salman took the charge and responsibly brought Men in Green back to the game to stretch the lead by smashing 63 runs off 89 balls.

Brydon Carse ended Salman’s innings in 58th over, who also grabbed the key wicket of wicketkeeper-cum-batsman Mohammad Rizwan in 31st over.

After grabbing a crucial lead of 75 runs against England, Pakistan was hit with challenges, slumping to 77-4 in their second innings.

Pakistan Off-spinner Sajid Khan claimed seven wickets as the Green Shirts bowled out England for 291 as the visitors tried to chase Pakistan’s first-innings total of 366 in the spin-dominated contest.

Ben Duckett smashed 114 for England but several of their frontline batters failed to convert starts into big knocks.

On a track where the ball turned sharply and shot-making was difficult, England off-spinner Shoaib Bashir then delivered three huge blows to keep England in the contest.

Kamran Ghulam, who smashed a hundred in the first innings of his debut test, was batting on five having lost partner Saim Ayub (22) on the stroke of lunch but soon was knocket out at 26 by left-arm spinner Jack Leach.

England captain Ben Stokes began with spin from both ends due to the nature of the pitch, putting in off-spinner Bashir with Leach.

Stokes stayed with spin even when Leach had to be rested, pressing part-time off-spinner Joe Root into service.

Bashir drew first blood when he had Pakistan opener Abdullah Shafique caught behind for four. England successfully reviewed the original not-out decision and replays confirmed the faintest of edges.

Bashir dismissed Shan Masood for 11 after the Pakistan captain tried to flick a ball only to offer an edge to Ollie Pope at second slip.

Saim looked comfortable before falling to the same Pope-Bashir combination in the final delivery before the lunch break.

England had earlier resumed on 239-6 and lost their remaining four wickets in the first hour to concede a first-innings lead of 75 to the hosts.

Sajid dismissed Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts and Bashir to finish with impressive figures of 7-111.

Left-arm spinner Noman Ali claimed the remaining three as England lost all 10 wickets to Pakistan’s spin-heavy attack, which has Aamer Jamal as the lone seamer.

Previously, Ben Stokes’ squad had shown a strong response, particularly through Ben Duckett’s outstanding century, establishing a robust position against Pakistan.

Before that, the Shan Masood-led side got out for 366 with debutant Ghulam top-scoring for the hosts with a fluent 118 and Saim contributing 77.

England are 1-0 up in the three-Test series.

Pakistan Playing XI

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 and Zahid Mehmood

England Playing XI

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wk), Brydon Carse, Matt Potts, Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir

Captain Ben Stokes was named in the England team for the second Test against Pakistan starting in Multan on Tuesday after recovering from a hamstring injury.

Stokes suffered the injury two months ago and missed the three-match home series against Sri Lanka and last week’s first Test, which the visitors won by an innings.

Durham seamer Matthew Potts also returns to the side for the first time since the Lord’s Test against Sri Lanka at the end of August. Seamers Gus Atkinson and Chris Woakes are rested.

“Look, it’s obviously got to be sensible,” said talismanic all-rounder Stokes on Monday after he was declared fit, having been bowling in the nets since before the first Test.

“I’m obviously playing as a third seamer.

“I’m available to bowl and obviously when I sense the time is right for me to maybe come on and make an impact there won’t be any doubts in my mind that I can come on and bowl.”

Asked if he could have played as a batsman only, the 33-year-old skipper added: “Those were the sort of thoughts that went through my head at home before we came out.

“I’d written a few teams down with me not bowling, and it just didn’t work.”

England won the first Test, also in Multan, by an innings and 47 runs on Friday, with Ollie Pope leading the side in Stokes’s absence.

In a highly unusual move, the second Test will be played on the same pitch used for the first.

England rode on a brilliant 317 from Harry Brook and 262 from Joe Root for a stunning victory.

Pakistan became the first team in Test cricket’s 147-year history to lose by an innings after posting a 550-plus total in their first knock.

Under-pressure Pakistan, who have gone 11 Tests without a win at home, named three frontline spinners in their team as they chase a series-levelling win.

They have made four changes, including bringing in batsman Kamran Ghulam for his debut.

The 29-year-old has performed well in domestic cricket, having set a national record of 1,249 runs in the 2020-21 season.

The spin bowling will be handled by left-armer Noman Ali, leg-break bowler Zahid Mahmood and off-spinner Sajid Khan, all brought into the side.

Pakistan left out batsman Babar Azam along with the pace duo of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah, and spinner Abrar Ahmed. He is still unwell.

Playing XI
Pakistan: Shan Masood (captain), Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Agha, Aamer Jamal, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Zahid Mahmood

England: Ben Stokes (captain), Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir

Skipper Shan Masood lamented the team’s inability to secure a win after a disheartening defeat to England in the first Test in Multan, where they failed to capitalize on a strong first-innings total of 550. England triumphed by an innings and 47 runs.

The defeat marked Pakistan’s sixth consecutive loss in Test cricket.

It is worth noting that Pakistan is the first team in 147 years in the history of Tests to lose by an innings after scoring 500 runs.

Reflecting on the match, Masood noted, “We’ve spoken about the third innings or fourth innings, but at the end of the day, it’s a team game. Everything has its advantages or repercussions as a team. When you put up 550 on the board, it’s important to back it up with 10 wickets.”

Despite managing only 220 runs in their second innings, the hosts struggled to dismiss England’s batsmen, ultimately falling short.

With Abrar Ahmed sidelined on Day 5, Pakistan’s bowlers couldn’t find a way to penetrate England’s batting lineup.

Masood noted the need for his side to adapt and improve.

“England found a way to get those 20 wickets. We also have to find a way to do that. That’s the challenge a side has to go forward,” he stated in the post-match presentation.

The captain expressed frustration over the team’s performance, stating, “We’re obviously hurt by the results, hurt as a nation. I never try and shy away from responsibility. What hurts is that we’re not getting the results that Pakistan cricket deserves. We are trying to turn it around.”

As the fourth day concluded with Pakistan at 152 for 6, Agha Salman and Aamer Jamal faced the daunting task of avoiding an innings defeat.

The duo initially struggled but managed to score 39 runs, winning the first hour after the drinks break. However, the momentum shifted when Jack Leach struck, dismissing Salman for a low score.

Despite Jamal’s aggressive fifty, he was eventually caught by Ollie Pope after being given a reprieve.

Leach continued to shine for England, securing the final wickets of Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah to seal the victory and give the visitors a 1-0 lead in the series.