NEW DELHI: England‘s opener Ben Duckett played a brilliant innings, scoring a quick-fire century. However, Pakistan’s off-spinner Sajid Khan managed to take three crucial wickets in the final session, leaving the match delicately balanced on the second day of the second Test in Multan.
England, in response to Pakistan’s first-innings total of 366, raced to 211-2, with Duckett and Joe Root looking comfortable at the crease.
However, Sajid Khan (4-86) sparked a dramatic collapse, leaving England struggling at 239-6 by the end of the day’s play, still trailing by 127 runs. Jamie Smith (12) and Brydon Carse (two) remain at the crease.
Earlier in the day, England’s batting was aggressive, scoring at nearly seven runs per over in the first 10 overs.
Duckett (114) was the standout performer, forming partnerships of over 50 runs with Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, and Joe Root.
Crawley had a few lucky escapes before being dismissed by Noman Ali for 27. Pope (29) and Root (34) made valuable contributions but fell to Sajid Khan’s spin.
Pakistan’s lower order added crucial runs to their total after resuming at 259-5. Salman Agha (31), Aamer Jamal (37), and Noman (32) showed resilience, helping the hosts surpass the 350-run mark.
Jamal, the sole seamer in Pakistan’s attack, suffered a hip injury while batting and has been used sparingly.
England won the first Test convincingly, also played in Multan, to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
