MULTAN: Pakistan’s spinner Sajid Khan took three quick wickets, including centurion Ben Duckett, to put the hosts in a commanding position as England slumped to 239-6 by the close of play on the second day of the second Test in Multan on Wednesday.
England trail Pakistan by 127 runs, with Jamie Smith and Brydon Carse at the crease on 12 and two runs respectively.
England seemed in control at 211-2 before Sajid sparked a dramatic collapse, dismissing Joe Root (34), Duckett (114), and Harry Brook (9) in the space of just 10 deliveries.
His spell turned the game in Pakistan’s favor, with fellow spinner Noman Ali also joining the attack to remove England captain Ben Stokes for just one, leaving England reeling.
Sajid ended the day with impressive figures of 4-86 on a pitch that has offered significant turn throughout the match, while Noman picked up 2-75. The Pakistan spinners took full advantage of the Multan surface, which has continued to aid sharp spin, as England lost four wickets for just 14 runs.
Earlier, Duckett had been the standout for England, playing a fluent knock of 114 that included 16 boundaries. He reached his fourth Test century off just 120 balls, having earlier brought up his fifty in just 47 deliveries.
Duckett shared crucial partnerships with Zak Crawley (27), Ollie Pope (29), and Root, adding 73, 52, and 86 runs for the first three wickets respectively.
Sajid’s breakthrough came when he bowled Brook with a turning delivery, before dismissing Root off an inside edge as the England batter attempted a sweep. Duckett’s aggressive innings ended when he edged a drive to the slip fielder off Sajid, where Salman Agha took a sharp catch.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan’s tail wagged as they added 107 runs to their overnight total of 259-5. Mohammad Jamal (32) and Noman Ali (32) put on an invaluable 49-run partnership for the ninth wicket, frustrating England’s bowlers.
Brydon Carse (3-50) and Jack Leach (4-114) eventually wrapped up the innings as Pakistan were bowled out for 366.
With England leading the three-match series 1-0 after their innings win in the first Test, Pakistan will be hoping to capitalize on their advantage and push for a series-levelling victory.
