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England Need 261 Runs, Pakistan Eye 8 Wickets for Victory in Second Test

England lose both openers after being set 297 to win the second Multan Test

England, at 291 (Duckett 114, Sajid 7-111) and 36/2, need 261 more runs to chase down Pakistan’s 366 and 221 (Salman 63, Bashir 4-66).

Pakistan’s resilience fell short on Thursday, with England dismissing them for 221 in their second innings by the 60th over on the third day in Multan.

England’s bowlers, led by Shoaib Bashir and Jack Leach, dismantled Pakistan’s batting lineup, securing control of the match.

After lunch, Pakistan pinned their hopes on debutant Kamran Ghulam, but he was dismissed in the 21st over when Leach claimed his first wicket of the innings. A ball tracking review showed Ghulam’s middle stump was in danger, sealing his fate.

Mohammad Rizwan followed soon after, nicking a delivery from Brydon Carse to Joe Root in the slip cordon. Saud Shakeel also fell to an lbw decision in the 43rd over, initially denied by the umpire but reversed on review to show the ball hitting the middle stump.

England continued to dominate, with Aamer Jamal bowled by Leach’s quicker delivery, taking out the off stump. In the 47th over, Shoaib Bashir struck again, dismissing Noman Ali after the ball spun away and caught the edge, flying into the safe hands of England captain Ben Stokes at slip.

Salman Agha, Pakistan’s top scorer, was the last significant stand, making 63 off 89 deliveries before falling in the 59th over. A mistimed shot pulled straight to Stokes at mid-wicket off another Carse delivery.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan’s struggles began when Abdullah Shafique was dismissed for just four runs. Bashir’s delivery found the edge, confirmed by Ultra-Edge, with wicketkeeper Jamie Smith taking the catch. Shafique scored only 11 runs across both innings.

Captain Shan Masood fared no better, managing just 11 runs before being caught by Ollie Pope at slip. Masood’s dismal total of 14 runs in the match compounded Pakistan’s woes. Saim Ayub’s promising start ended at 22 runs, with Bashir once again finding the edge and Pope collecting his second catch of the innings.

At the close, England trailed by 296 runs, leaving Pakistan’s hopes dwindling in the face of a formidable English attack.

Saman Siddiqui

I am a freelance journalist with a Master’s Degree in Mass Communication and an MS in Peace and Conflict Studies. Since 2006, I have been involved in various capacities within the electronic media industry. At OyeYeah, I cover diverse genres ranging from journalism and fiction to fashion, including reviews and fact-finding reports.

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