England suffered a chaotic second day in Multan, watching Pakistan pile up 518 to take management of the primary Check earlier than their response was undermined by a worrying thumb damage for opener Ben Duckett.
It was a day the place virtually all the pieces that would go mistaken did go mistaken for the vacationers, who misplaced captain Ollie Pope for a duck to a world-class catch moments after he volunteered to move up the innings in Duckett’s absence.
Zak Crawley’s run-a-ball 64 not out allowed them to achieve stumps in higher form at 96 for one however there may be a lot nonetheless to do to salvage their place.
A pivotal umpiring determination went towards them as they have been preventing onerous within the afternoon session, Chris Woakes finishing a one-man relay catch at long-off just for his efforts to be dominated out amid suspicions that he had nudged the boundary as he reclaimed the ball.
Replays have been inconclusive however third umpire Chris Gaffaney sided with batter Salman Agha, who compounded English frustration by going from 15 on the time to make a significant 104 not out.
When Pakistan’s innings lastly got here to an in depth after 149 gruelling overs underneath the Punjabi solar it ought to have been a second of hard-won reduction however as a substitute it was marred by extra ill-fortune.
Duckett Harm
Within the act of catching quantity 11 Abrar Ahmed at slip, Duckett took the preliminary affect instantly on his left thumb – gamely hanging on to the ball however instantly signalling an damage that raises alarm bells.
Most infuriating for England was the truth that Duckett ought to by no means even have been uncovered, Abrar surviving a botched stumping by Jamie Smith and a dropped catch from Gus Atkinson in the previous couple of minutes.
With the left-hander struggling a doable fracture and in no place to start strapping on his pads, Pope stepping up from quantity three and lasted simply two balls as occasions continued to spiral.
Second Innings
Opting to go on the offensive, Pope middled a pull off Naseem Shah and would have counted on 4 morale-boosting runs till Aamer Jamal produced a sensational one-handed catch leaping up at midwicket.
The stand-in skipper departed for the pavilion ruefully, having failed to attain on the identical flat pitch that gifted centuries to Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood and Salman.
England will not be in uncharted territory – they’ve gained twice after conceding 500 within the ‘Bazball’ period – however it is going to take a particular efficiency to show the tide right here.
Morning Session
Pakistan had managed the primary day of the sequence because of a double-century stand between Shafique and Masood, however three wickets within the night supplied their opponents a measure of optimism.
Neither actually superior their trigger in a cagey morning session, price 69 runs and two wickets, although nightwatcher Naseem occupied the crease for 81 infuriating deliveries and helped himself to a few sixes towards the English spinners.
He went on to turn into Brydon Carse’s first Check wicket, springing a entice at leg-slip, and Jack Leach added Mohammad Rizwan for a duck.
Afternoon Session
At 420 for six, Woakes thought he had produced the second of inspiration wanted to show the tables. Diving backwards and arching his again he intercepted Salman’s massive hit down the bottom, launched the ball as he landed out of bounds and gathered his personal flick up on his approach again.
It was a superb piece of labor from the 35-year-old however the footage was not conclusive sufficient to influence Gaffaney it was clear.
Salman, awarded a six moderately than paying together with his wicket, cashed in gleefully with 10 fours and two extra sixes as he motored to a fluent century.
England have been fading quick however chipped away, Carse getting Jamal lbw with one which saved low, Shoaib Bashir taking out Saud Shakeel’s off stump and Leach bowling Shaheen Shah Afridi.
However the chaos was about to start. First Smith juggled a stumping that he might have taken in sluggish movement, then Atkinson fluffed an easy probability at midwicket.
The misses didn’t price many runs nevertheless it did hold them within the subject lengthy sufficient for Duckett to come back a cropper as Abrar slashed at an sudden bouncer from Joe Root.
Hope for Day Three
Pope ought to be recommended for volunteering to face the brand new ball after greater than 5 periods main within the subject however his brief keep, and the brilliance of Jamal’s handiwork, merely continued a painful passage of play.
Issues have been easier for Crawley as he flourished on his return from his personal damaged finger.
He confirmed fantastic timing in his first innings for over two months, reached his half-century in 55 balls and hitting 11 boundaries.
He was joined by Root, who scored 32 of the 71 he must overtake Sir Alastair Prepare dinner as England’s main Check run-scorer and is effectively positioned to take the document on day three.
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