England’s hopes of securing the second Test against Pakistan were dashed as they were spun out for 144, losing by 152 runs. Chasing a daunting target of 297 on a challenging Multan pitch, which was reused from their first Test win, England faltered, falling short before lunch on day four.
Noman Ali’s Spin Masterclass
The Multan pitch, offering sharp turn and unpredictable bounce, proved too difficult for England’s batters. Left-arm spinner Noman Ali was the star of the day, taking seven of the eight wickets to fall on Friday, ending with impressive figures of 8-46 and match figures of 11-147. He was ably supported by off-spinner Sajid, one of four changes Pakistan made to their squad for this Test. Sajid finished the match with nine wickets, forming a deadly spin partnership with Noman.
Remarkably, this is only the seventh instance in Test cricket history where two bowlers have shared all 20 wickets, and the first time since 1972.
Missed Opportunities for England
Despite the testing conditions and losing the toss, England will reflect on a few missed chances. In their first innings, they collapsed from 211-2 to 291 all out, losing eight wickets for just 80 runs. Additionally, two crucial dropped catches off Salman Agha in Pakistan’s second innings, both in the same over bowled by Brydon Carse, proved costly. Salman, who was on single figures at the time, went on to score 63, putting the match beyond England’s reach.
Pakistan’s Bold Gambles Pay Off
Following a crushing defeat in the first Test, Pakistan made bold changes, dropping key players like Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi. The decision to reuse the same pitch from the first Test, while unconventional, was a calculated risk. Pakistan packed their team with three specialist spinners, and the strategy paid off handsomely.
Kamran Ghulam, filling Babar Azam’s spot, played a crucial role with a debut century, while the spinners were relentless in their pressure on England’s batters. This victory ended an 11-match winless streak at home for Pakistan, marking a significant turnaround.
A Chase Too Far for England
Resuming at 36-2 overnight, England faced an uphill battle to reach their target of 297, which would have been their highest successful chase in Asia and one of their top three overall in away Tests. However, their hopes were quickly dashed. Ollie Pope was the first to fall, caught and bowled by Sajid from the eighth delivery of the day.
From there, Noman Ali wreaked havoc. Joe Root was trapped lbw on the sweep, Harry Brook was dismissed leg before while attempting a hack to the leg side, and Jamie Smith spooned a catch to mid-on. Ben Stokes and Brydon Carse briefly counter-attacked, but their resistance was short-lived. Stokes was bowled after losing his balance while sweeping, and Carse edged Noman to slip shortly after. The rest of the innings crumbled, with England’s four-Test winning streak in Pakistan coming to an end.
Looking Ahead to the Decider in Rawalpindi
The final Test, which begins on Thursday, 24 October, will be played in Rawalpindi, offering a new surface after two matches in Multan. However, after this defeat, England will likely prepare for more spin-friendly conditions.
Despite the defeat, England captain Ben Stokes remained positive, stating, “It was a very difficult run chase even before we started today. It looks quite far off, but on that wicket, we have done a pretty decent job. Hopefully, we can get a win next week and go home with another series win.”
Pakistan captain Shan Masood praised his team’s efforts, saying, “The first one is always special and it’s come after some hard times, some rough times… to take 20 wickets and make it happen, that’s the most satisfying thing.”
England coach Brendon McCullum also acknowledged the challenging conditions: “Credit to Pakistan, they won quite a big toss. But they also played well in these conditions and took a big gamble with the pitch.”
While England will not dwell too much on this defeat, the final Test promises to be an intriguing decider.
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