Sajid Khan forces Pakistan’s comeback after Ben Duckett’s Century

• Pakistan’s off-spinner Sajid Khan led the second day, leaving England struggling at 239-6.
• The second day of the Test ended with England scoring 239/6.
• Pakistan made four changes to their lineup, while England made two adjustments.

MULTAN: Pakistan off-spinner Sajid Khan took charge on the second day of the ongoing second Test against England, leaving the visitors struggling at 239-6 by the close of play, despite a century from Ben Duckett.

England’s opening duo, Zak Crawley and Duckett, got off to a strong start, amassing 69 runs in the first ten overs. However, Noman Ali dismissed Crawley for 27, breaking the 73-run opening partnership just before tea.

Duckett then formed a 52-run partnership with Ollie Pope (29) before Sajid Khan struck again, cleaning up Pope with a well-pitched delivery. Joe Root joined Duckett, and together they launched an aggressive assault on the Pakistani bowling attack, scoring 86 runs off 108 balls for the third wicket.

Pakistan was bowled out for 366 in their innings, with Jack Leach taking the last wicket of Noman Ali, who contributed a vital 32 runs from the number 10 spot. Leach led England’s bowling attack with four wickets, while Brydon Carse and Matthew Potts added three and two wickets, respectively.

After resuming on 259-5, Pakistan lost wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan for 41 runs in the third over of the day, while Salman Ali Agha managed to score 31 before being dismissed by Potts. Aamir Jamal, returning from lunch, provided some resistance with a quick 37 runs.

Previously, Kamran Ghulam had provided stability to the Pakistani innings, scoring 118 runs from 224 balls, including eleven boundaries, before being bowled by Shoaib Bashir. He and Rizwan had added crucial runs to help Pakistan recover after a shaky start at 19-2.

Pakistan captain Shan Masood had opted to bat first after winning the toss, but the decision backfired as the hosts struggled early on. The match is part of a three-match series, with England currently leading 1-0 after a dominant victory by an innings and 47 runs in the first Test at the same venue. Pakistan made four changes to their lineup, while England made two adjustments, bringing in captain Ben Stokes and Matthew Potts.

Pakistan’s Playing XI: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (c), Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel (vc), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Zahid Mahmood.

England’s Playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Brydon Carse, Matt Potts, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir.