MULTAN: Matthew Potts made a pivotal breakthrough for England by dismissing Saim Ayub, helping his team regain momentum after Pakistan’s strong second session on the first day of the second Test at Multan Cricket Stadium.
By the end of the second session, Pakistan had posted 173-3, with Kamran Ghulam on 75 and Saud Shakeel at 4. The hosts had a successful session, as Kamran and Saim effectively countered the England bowlers with their impressive strokeplay. The duo forged a 149-run partnership, both reaching their half-centuries before Potts struck just before Tea.
Saim Ayub was caught by England captain Ben Stokes at short mid-off, having scored 77 runs off 160 balls, which included seven boundaries.
At Lunch, Pakistan was 79-2, with Saim Ayub and Kamran Ghulam at the crease, having scored 40 and 29, respectively. After winning the toss, Pakistan captain Shan Masood opted to bat first, a decision that initially seemed to backfire as the team slumped to 19-2.
On a spin-friendly pitch in Multan, Jack Leach dismissed Abdullah Shafique for 7 and induced Shan Masood to play a risky shot, resulting in his catch by Zak Crawley for just 3 runs.
Debutant Kamran Ghulam, who replaced Babar Azam in the lineup, joined forces with Saim Ayub to stabilize the innings. They added an unbeaten 60 runs for the third wicket, lifting Pakistan’s total to 79-2 by the time Lunch was called.
It’s important to note that England leads the three-match series 1-0, having secured a commanding victory by an innings and 47 runs in the first Test at the same venue.
Pakistan’s Playing XI: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (c), Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel (vc), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Zahid Mahmood.
England’s Playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Brydon Carse, Matt Potts, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir.
