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    England's Uphill Battle
England's Uphill Battle
England vs Pakistan. Source: x.com

England's Uphill Battle

On day two of the first Test in Multan, Pakistan posted an imposing 556, with significant contributions from Masood (151), Salman (104), and Shafique (102). In response, England finished the day at 96-1, trailing by 460 runs. Zak Crawley remained unbeaten on 64, alongside Joe Root on 32, as England faced a daunting task ahead.

England faced early setbacks, including Ben Duckett injuring his thumb while catching the final wicket of Pakistan’s innings. This led to Ollie Pope stepping in as the opener, but his stay was brief as he was caught off his second ball by a stunning one-handed grab from Aamer Jamal at mid-wicket.

Despite the pressure, Crawley and Root steadied the ship with a solid partnership, as the visitors aimed to recover from a gruelling six sessions in the field under the scorching heat. During Pakistan’s innings, Salman Ali Agha became the third batter to reach a century, capitalising on a missed chance when Chris Woakes’ spectacular boundary catch was ruled out. TV umpire Chris Gaffaney deemed Woakes had stepped on the boundary while attempting to relay the ball back to himself, saving Salman’s wicket at 15.

At that moment, Pakistan could have been reduced to 420-7, but instead, Salman made England pay for the missed opportunity, adding crucial runs and punishing the exhausted bowlers. England had earlier shown grit by taking four wickets for 76 runs, including dismissals of Saud Shakeel (82) and nightwatchman Naseem Shah (33), but Pakistan's late surge put them firmly in control.

On a more positive note for England, captain Ben Stokes was seen bowling during the tea break, signalling that he might recover from his hamstring injury in time for the second Test.

A Missed Opportunity: Caught, But Not Out

England’s hopes for an easier chase took a hit when Woakes’ brilliant catch attempt was overruled. With Jack Leach bowling, Woakes’ effort to backpedal and catch Salman mirrored techniques seen in white-ball cricket, but his momentum carried him over the boundary. Salman had begun walking off, only to be saved by Gaffaney’s review. Due to grainy footage and the lack of a clear close-up, the benefit of the doubt went to the batter, leaving Woakes visibly frustrated as Salman went on to grind England down.

Interestingly, under head coach Brendon McCullum, England has twice conceded over 500 runs and still managed to win, including a memorable first Test victory on this very ground two years ago. However, facing a stronger Pakistan team in these conditions makes repeating that feat seem even more challenging.

As the third day approaches, England will need an extraordinary performance to turn things around and keep the match within reach.

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