1st Test
Day-2 Evening Session Highlights:
Agha Salman’s century has propelled Pakistan before England’s resilient reply
At The Stumps of Day-2:
Pakistan scored 556 (1st Innings), where as England scored 96/1 (1st Innings).
So, finally Pakistan lead by 460 runs.
Pakistan piled on the runs, thanks to a century by Agha Salman and a half-century by Saud Shakeel, on Day 2 of the first Test against England in Multan.
Their efforts were supported by crucial contributions from Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi with the bat, as Pakistan posted a formidable 556 in their first innings.
In response, England raced to 96 for 1 in just 20 overs by the end of the day’s play.
Salman reached his century off just 108 balls, drawing applause from around the stadium during the final session.
His valuable partnership with Shaheen Afridi further frustrated England, as the duo rotated strike comfortably after Tea, capitalizing on a flat pitch that offered little assistance to the bowlers.
Both batters took the attack to left-arm spinner Jack Leach, hitting him for two sixes.
However, Afridi, attempting to accelerate with a slog sweep, was bowled by Leach shortly after.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan adopted a more cautious approach.
Nightwatchman Naseem Shah batted for nearly an hour and a half in the morning, allowing Shakeel to gather runs.
Naseem eventually fell to a fine-leg glance, and soon after, Mohammad Rizwan was dismissed for a duck, caught at mid-off.
Salman, however, shifted gears after Lunch, launching a counterattack on the English bowlers by hitting a couple of boundaries in the opening over.
He survived a scare while attempting to clear the ropes when Chris Woakes caught him but stepped over the boundary line, allowing Salman to continue.
England then struck twice in quick succession, with Shakeel departing for 82 and Aamer Jamal trapped lbw by Brydon Carse.
When Shaheen Afridi was dismissed, Pakistan had the option to declare but opted to bat on, wary of their recent collapse against Bangladesh from a similar position.
No. 11 batter Abrar Ahmed survived two chances, first with a missed stumping by Jamie Smith and then when Gus Atkinson dropped him at mid-wicket.
However, Joe Root eventually had him caught by Ben Duckett, who appeared to injure his thumb while taking the catch.
England’s response began aggressively, despite a reshuffle in the batting order due to Duckett’s injury.
Zak Crawley and captain Ollie Pope opened the innings, with Crawley driving Afridi for a boundary off the very first over.
However, Pope was dismissed for a duck after a brilliant one-handed catch by Aamer Jamal at mid-wicket.
England’s aggressive intent continued unabated, with Crawley and Joe Root keeping the scoreboard moving with regular boundaries.
Crawley, in particular, punished Abrar Ahmed, hitting him for multiple fours, and soon brought up his half-century.
Root was also fortunate when an edge off Abrar fell short of slip, allowing the batters to take three runs and push England’s total further.
Despite a scare when Root nearly chopped a ball onto the stumps, England ended the day strongly.
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