Pakistan 366 all out against England in second Test

On Day 2 of the second Test in Multan, Pakistan were bowled out for 366 in their first innings against England. Kamran Ghulam, making his debut, top-scored with an impressive 118, while Saim Ayub added 77 runs. England’s bowlers Jack Leach (4-114) and Brydon Carse (3-50) were the key performers, helping their team stay ahead in the three-match series, which they currently lead 1-0.

Pakistan had shown some fight earlier, reaching 358-8 by lunch thanks to a solid effort from Aamer Jamal and Noman Ali. Mohammad Rizwan, who began the day on 37, was soon dismissed for 41 by Brydon Carse, with Jamie Smith taking a sharp catch behind the stumps. Rizwan had narrowly survived an lbw appeal by Matthew Potts just moments before.

Salman Agha made 31 but couldn’t build on his start. He was caught behind after Potts found extra bounce, leading to an edge that Smith grabbed. Jack Leach then removed Sajid Khan for two, but Aamer Jamal’s determined innings kept England at bay, even though Jamal needed on-field treatment during his stay at the crease.

Jamal, Pakistan’s only specialist fast bowler in this match, is key to their chances of leveling the series, as they rely heavily on spin. Earlier, Kamran Ghulam had anchored Pakistan’s innings on Day 1 with his debut century, stepping in for an out-of-form Babar Azam. Ghulam’s 118 helped Pakistan recover after a poor start at 19-2. He shared a 149-run partnership with Saim Ayub and later a 65-run stand with Rizwan.

Ghulam reached his hundred by hitting a boundary off Joe Root, taking 280 minutes to get there. He became the 12th Pakistani to score a century in his first Test. His innings, lasting over five hours, was full of patience and featured 11 boundaries and a six before he was bowled by Shoaib Bashir just before the end of Day 1.

Ghulam was delighted with his century, calling it a reward for his long wait. He admitted he felt nervous when Ben Duckett dropped a difficult catch when he was on 79, but he was grateful to have survived.

England used an aggressive field setup after lunch, but the Multan pitch gave little assistance to the bowlers. Ben Stokes bowled five overs without showing any signs of the hamstring injury that had kept him out of the first Test.

Earlier in the game, Abdullah Shafique was bowled by Jack Leach for seven, and captain Shan Masood was caught at short mid-wicket for just three.

Pakistan’s Playing XI: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (captain), Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Aamer Jamal, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Zahid Mehmood

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