England finished the second day of the first Test in Multan solidly placed at 96-1, in response to Pakistan’s imposing total of 556, bolstered by Agha Salman’s fiery century.
Pakistan had a strong outing, highlighted by Salman’s unbeaten 104 and Saud Shakeel’s 82, adding to the runs set up by Shan Masood’s 151 and Abdullah Shafique’s 102 on Monday. The tourists faced an early setback when stand-in skipper Ollie Pope was dismissed for a second-ball duck, caught smartly by Aamer Jamal off the bowling of Naseem Shah. However, Zak Crawley and Joe Root steadied the innings with scores of 64 and 32, respectively, at stumps.
England needs another 261 runs to avoid a follow-on, a target that appears achievable on a pitch providing little assistance to the bowlers.
Salman, who celebrated his third Test century, reached his milestone shortly after the tea interval with a single off spinner Jack Leach. He also completed 1,000 Test runs during this innings. Salman played aggressively, hitting 10 boundaries and three sixes in his quickfire 119-ball knock. He survived a close call when a catch by Chris Woakes was ruled out after the third umpire confirmed the fielder’s foot had gone beyond the boundary rope.
“It’s always satisfying to hit a century and contribute to the team’s total,” Salman remarked, expressing optimism about the pitch’s potential to aid spin bowlers as the match progresses. “I think cracks will open on this pitch and that will help spinners; I see this as a result-oriented pitch as both teams will go for a result.”
In partnership with Shakeel, who added 57 runs for the seventh wicket before being dismissed by Root off Bashir, Salman also showcased excellent chemistry at the crease. Shakeel’s innings included eight boundaries.
Leach was the standout bowler for England, taking 3 wickets for 160 runs, while Gus Atkinson contributed with 2 wickets for 99 runs. Chris Woakes, Shoaib Bashir, and Root each claimed a wicket. Debutant Brydon Carse took 2 wickets for 74 runs, marking his first Test wicket by dismissing Naseem, caught at leg slip by Harry Brook for 33 runs.
“It’s been tough going,” Carse noted, acknowledging the challenging conditions for bowlers. “The last two days were immensely tough conditions for everyone out there. To be able to pick up a couple of wickets today is rewarding. Credit to the players for continuing to fight back.”
The remaining Tests are scheduled to be played in Multan from October 15-19 and in Rawalpindi from October 24-28.