Pakistan vs England 1st Test, Day 2 review

Salman Agha emerged as Pakistan's third centurion, solidifying their strong position in Multan. However, the match took a chaotic turn as England faced setbacks, losing Ben Duckett to injury and their captain, Ollie Pope, for a duck. This left the touring side struggling to find their footing in the first match of the series. Duckett sustained a painful injury to his left thumb while taking a catch to dismiss Pakistan's last batsman, Abrar Ahmed, who had already received two reprieves. Consequently, when England began their innings, Pope walked out alongside Zak Crawley, but his time at the crease was short-lived; he lasted just two balls before Aamer Jamal made a stunning one-handed catch at midwicket, adding to Pakistan's momentum. This brought Joe Root, England's designated No. 4, to the middle early in the innings.

Crawley, returning to the squad after a broken finger kept him out of the Sri Lanka series, quickly responded with aggression. He hit boundaries off his sixth ball from Shaheen Afridi and followed up with more fours against Naseem in the next over. Crawley’s intent was clear as he punished Afridi for a couple of boundaries, prompting an early introduction of spin. Abrar Ahmed's first over saw Crawley continue to assert himself, scoring 11 runs and setting the stage for an intriguing contest.

Pakistan vs England: Zak Crawley and Agha Salman make merry of the flat conditions

Crawley reached England's 50 in the 11th over, driving Abrar through the leg side, and he continued to target Pakistan's legspinner, who had taken 11 wickets on the same ground in his debut against England two years prior. After striking two more boundaries down the ground, Abrar finished his opening spell with disappointing figures of 4-0-31-0. Crawley then clipped a ninth boundary through midwicket off Naseem, bringing up his half-century off just 55 balls.

Aside from a few speculative lbw appeals, Pakistan’s bowling attack struggled to find a breakthrough, mirroring England's challenges during their lengthy 149 overs in the field. Joe Root supported Crawley well, forming an unbroken partnership worth 92 runs as they approached the end of the session. While Duckett's potential to bat later in the innings remained uncertain, England's position appeared increasingly secure, with Crawley in commanding form and the partnership bolstering their chances in the match.

It was a day where Pakistan firmly asserted their dominance. Saud Shakeel anchored the innings, countering England's early mini-fightback, aided by Naseem's useful cameo as nightwatchman. Salman then capitalized on the solid foundation, reaching a 108-ball century—his third in Tests—allowing Pakistan to dictate the match's pace against Brendon McCullum's aggressive Bazball approach.

All six of England's bowlers managed to make an impact, with Brydon Carse claiming his first Test wickets and Jack Leach ending with figures of 3 for 160. Despite their efforts, signs of fatigue emerged after five-and-a-half sessions in the sweltering Multan heat. Jamie Smith missed a straightforward stumping opportunity off Abrar, and Gus Atkinson dropped the No. 11 after he skied a catch.

England managed to take two wickets in each session, but Shakeel and Salman ensured that Pakistan capitalized on the solid starts provided by centuries from Shan Masood and Abdullah Shafique on day one. While the innings progressed in fits and starts, Salman's measured aggression against England’s spinners helped maintain Pakistan's momentum, setting them up for a strong position in the match. Salman began the session scoreless but quickly signaled his intent by driving the first ball after lunch through the covers for four, bringing up Pakistan’s 400. He then advanced down the track to hit Jack Leach over long-off, clearly eager to accelerate the scoring after a modest 69 runs in the morning session.

His contest with Leach was a captivating spectacle, as England's veteran spinner conceded four fours and two sixes in just four overs. However, one of Salman’s sixes nearly led to his dismissal; Chris Woakes, backpedaling towards long-off, appeared to catch the ball before stepping out of bounds. After a lengthy review, third umpire Chris Gaffaney ruled that Woakes had touched the ground outside the rope, allowing Salman to continue.

Shakeel, content to play a supporting role, partnered with Salman for another fifty-run stand before falling to a sharp delivery from Shoaib Bashir, who found significant turn to edge the ball off Shakeel’s back leg to Joe Root at slip. Aamer Jamal fell cheaply to Brydon Carse, but with Shaheen Afridi at the crease, Salman shifted gears again. He reached his fifty off 71 balls, reverse-sweeping Bashir and striking Leach for more boundaries, bringing up Pakistan's 500. Meanwhile, Ollie Pope’s lbw appeal was reviewed and deemed to have pitched outside leg, adding to England’s frustrations.

At tea, Pakistan stood at 515 for 8, with Salman beginning the session cautiously before launching a powerful shot over long-on that brought him into the 90s. He completed his century with a swept single, having contributed 59 runs in a ninth-wicket partnership worth 85, before Aamer Jamal was bowled by Leach while attempting a slog. England appeared increasingly frazzled, their troubles starting in the morning against the unexpected resilience of Naseem. The young bowler scored his highest runs in any format, amassing 33 from 81 balls while holding off England's attack for over 90 minutes. His efforts included three sixes during a 64-run partnership with Shakeel, frustrating the tourists' hopes for a quick breakthrough.

With the ball just five overs old, England aimed to target the lower middle-order but found Naseem in a resourceful and spirited mood. Undeterred by a helmet hit from Gus Atkinson, he countered by targeting both Bashir and Leach, hitting an audacious inside-out six over extra cover. As the partnership exceeded 50, Naseem outscored Shakeel before ultimately falling to Carse, edging a delivery to leg slip in a round-the-wicket barrage, marking Carse's first Test wicket.