England dominate remarkable second day to set up famous series win in Pakistan

England are beginning to dream of a historic series win in Pakistan after taking control of the second Test on a remarkable day in Multan.

After four wickets for Jack Leach helped engineer an alarming collapse by Pakistan’s batsmen before lunch, half-centuries from Ben Duckett and Harry Brook underlined England’s advantage in the afternoon – despite 10 wickets in his maiden Test for the bewitching spin of Abrar Ahmed. At stumps, they were 202 for five, and led by 281.

Before this trip, England had won only two Tests in Pakistan – their first, at Lahore in 1961-62, and the Nasser Hussain-led heist in the Karachi gloom 22 years ago.

Harry Brook and Ben Duckett maintained their impressive series form – building England’s lead beyond 200

Now, they are eyeing up two victories in a series, on a Multan pitch that has provided a different challenge from Rawalpindi. If that was as flat as a roti, this one has turned from the start – not excessively, but enough to bring Abrar into the game and make England work for their runs.

By adding three wickets to his first-innings haul of seven, he confirmed the madness of his omission in the first Test, where England rattled along unchallenged by anything Pakistan could throw at them.

But his lack of support in this game may cost them dear, and England experienced only fleeting discomfort as they built on a first-innings lead of 79.

Brook was still there at the end with his skipper as England looked to secure a famous series win

Their first mishap was self-induced, as Zak Crawley – on three – set off for a non-existent single and was beaten to the punch by Abrar’s direct hit from mid-on.

With England opting to give Ollie Pope a breather after spending nearly 63 overs behind the stumps, Will Jacks came in at No 3, having not batted as high as No 4 in his first-class career. Nothing seems too unexpected from this dressing-room, but the move did not come off: when Jacks missed a sweep at Abrar, he was bowled for four.

Duckett and Joe Root now batted with unusual circumspection, as if England had twigged how much time remained in the game. Perhaps, too, they wanted to ensure Pakistan’s chase took place on a pitch closer to three days old than two. Either way, they added a careful 54 before Root was brilliantly caught for 21 by Abdullah Shafique at short leg, lunging to his left to intercept a paddle-sweep off that man Abrar.

The McCullum-Stokes axis continued to garner remarkable results for an England side full of confidence

Again, England gathered their thoughts, as Duckett and Brook put on 88, taking the lead past 200.

Abrar should have had his 10th, only for Babar Azam to spill a sitter at midwicket as Duckett toe-ended a pull on 69. But Pakistan’s mystery spinner was not to be denied. Duckett had added 10 when he made a hash of a pull against a short delivery that somehow evaded his grasp and hit off stump halfway up.

When Pope ran himself out for four, attempting to regain his ground after setting off for a single before the ball had beaten Mohammad Nawaz at cover, England were 155 for five, and led by 234 – useful, if not out of sight.

By stumps, Brook and Ben Stokes had unfussily put on 47, with Brook adding an unbeaten 74 to his fast-growing portfolio.

Earlier, Pakistan’s first innings unravelled more quickly than attempts by the Multan police to control the traffic. At 142 for two six overs into the second morning, with Babar moving effortlessly to 75, they might even have been thinking about overhauling England’s 281 and unleashing Abrar on a deteriorating surface.

Jack Leach (left) put in a dominant display as England bowled Pakistan all out for 202 runs

Ollie Robinson (right) played his part as he celebrates dismissing Pakistan captain Babar Azam

Pakistan’s Saud Shakeel was fighting hard amid a barrage of brilliant deliveries from England

But Stokes handed the ball to Ollie Robinson for the first time in the innings, and his second delivery was a beauty – tailing in to the right-handed Babar, then moving further off the seam to hit middle and off.

Babar’s dismissal spooked Pakistan, who first went into their shell, then imploded altogether. It was 158 for four when Saud Shakeel was superbly caught for 63 by Jimmy Anderson over his shoulder, running from mid-on towards midwicket – a 100th Test victim for Leach.

When Leach squared up Rizwan, who had failed to score from his first 27 deliveries, and hit the top of middle and off after the ball pitched on leg, Pakistan had subsided to 165 for five.

England have taken control of the second Test at lunch and the series as a whole, as well

Things were about to get worse. With the score refusing to budge from 169, Nawaz tamely chipped Leach to Anderson at mid-off, Agha Salman lifted Root’s first ball of the day to Stokes at short mid-on, and in the same over Mohammad Ali was caught by Crawley at slip via his pad.

Mark Wood pinned Zahid Mahmood with a yorker, and not even a last-wicket stand of 23 behind Faheem Ashraf and Abrar could paper over a shocking collapse. 

When Ashraf timed Wood into the hands of Duckett at deep backward square, they had lost eight for 60 in 28.3 overs – and quite possibly the series.

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