Multan: The third session of the second Test witnessed a remarkable performance by the Pakistani team, particularly the batting prowess of Agha Salman, who has been a formidable force in the right-hand batting lineup for over half a century, alongside the exceptional spin bowling skills of Sajid Khan and Noman Ali. This trio's outstanding contributions significantly tipped the scales in favor of Pakistan against England on the third day of the match at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Thursday.
By stumps on the third day, England found themselves at 36/2 with Ollie Pope and Joe Root both scoring unbeaten half-centuries. The English team now faces the daunting challenge of securing a victory in the match, as they are required to accumulate 261 runs in the remaining two days to clinch the three-match series.
In pursuit of a grand total of 297, the English team was met with an unexpected setback when they lost the wicket of the opening batsman, Ben Duckett, for just 0 runs, setting the stage for a challenging chase.
Following Duckett's dismissal, Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley took to the crease together. Despite their efforts, the duo was unable to add to the total, with Crawley being dismissed for three runs, leaving the team at 11.
As the match progressed, Pope and Root, who were batting together, managed to build a partnership of 25 runs for the third wicket. The Shan Masood-led Pakistani team capitalized on this opportunity, with the spin duo of Sajid Khan and Noman Ali each taking a wicket in their respective overs.
The match began on the third day with England batting at 239 runs in their first innings, having lost six wickets. At this point, Jamie Smith and Brydon Carse were the only batsmen on the scorecard, with Smith scoring 12 runs and Carse contributing two.
The English team struggled to maintain their momentum, managing only nine runs in the first over before Carse was dismissed for four runs. This set the stage for a challenging chase, as England lost the next two wickets within 14 runs. First, Matthew Potts was dismissed for six runs, followed by Jamie Smith's dismissal for 21 runs, leaving the team at 262.
