Salman Ali Agha’s brilliant unbeaten century has placed Pakistan in a commanding position as England trail by 460 runs with nine wickets remaining at the close of the second day’s play in the first Test at Multan Cricket Stadium.
England’s Response
After Pakistan posted an imposing first-innings total of 556 all out, England began their response with 96 for 1 in 20 overs by the end of the day. England’s captain Ollie Pope was dismissed for a duck after a stunning catch by Aamir Jamal off the bowling of Naseem Shah. However, Zak Crawley (64 not out off 64 balls, 11x4s) and Joe Root (32 not out off 54 balls, 2x4s) steadied the innings, putting together an unbroken 92-run partnership for the second wicket.
Pakistan’s First Innings
Resuming from an overnight score of 328 for four, Pakistan added 228 more runs to their tally in 149 overs. The highlight of the innings was Salman Ali Agha’s remarkable century, his third Test ton, scoring an unbeaten 104 off 119 balls, decorated with 10 boundaries and three sixes.
Saud Shakeel (82 off 177 balls, 8x4s) played a crucial role earlier in the day, forming important partnerships, including a 57-run stand with Salman for the seventh wicket. Naseem Shah chipped in with a vital 33 runs off 81 balls, while Shaheen Shah Afridi contributed a useful 26 off 49 balls, sharing an 85-run ninth-wicket partnership with Salman.
For England, Jack Leach was the most successful bowler, finishing with 3 wickets for 160 runs, while debutant Brydon Carse and Gus Atkinson claimed two wickets each.
Scores in Brief:
Pakistan 1st innings: 556 all out in 149 overs (Shan Masood 151, Salman Ali Agha 104*, Abdullah Shafique 102, Saud Shakeel 82, Naseem Shah 33, Shaheen Shah Afridi 26; Jack Leach 3-160, Brydon Carse 2-74, Gus Atkinson 2-99)
England 1st innings: 96-1 in 20 overs (Zak Crawley 64*, Joe Root 32*; Naseem Shah 1-29)
England will resume on Day 3 trailing by 460 runs with nine wickets in hand.
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