PAK VS ENG: Pakistan set 297 target in second Test against England

Salman Agha stood out as the top scorer with 63 off 89 balls. England's Shoaib Bashir took 4 wickets

Pakistan’s second innings came to a close at 221 on day three of the second Test, with Salman Agha standing out as the top scorer with a well-crafted 63 off 89 balls.

Despite Agha's efforts, Pakistan struggled to build momentum as England’s Shoaib Bashir dominated the bowling, taking 4 wickets for 53 runs, playing a pivotal role in restricting Pakistan's total.

England require 297 runs in their second innings to win the match and clinch the three-match series

Pakistan's second innings began earlier on shaky ground, with Abdullah Shafique falling for just 4 runs, followed by captain Shan Masood and Saim Ayub, leaving Pakistan at 43/3. Salman Agha’s steady knock, supported by Saud Shakeel (31) and Mohammad Rizwan (23), helped to push the score to a respectable 221.

England's bowlers, particularly Jack Leach (3/55) and Matthew Carse (2/44), contributed significantly to Pakistan's collapse. Shoaib Bashir’s impressive four-wicket haul was key in dismantling Pakistan’s batting order, with his spin proving difficult for the hosts to handle.

The fall of Salman Agha at 221 marked the end of Pakistan's innings, as England now look to chase down their target.

Sajid Khan's earlier seven-wicket haul proved vital in securing a lead for Pakistan, but England’s spinners, led by Jack Leach and Bashir, ensured the match remained evenly poised. Saim Ayub, who was starting to settle, was caught off Bashir for 22, while Shan Masood and Abdullah Shafique fell cheaply.

The match continues to be an enthralling contest as both teams wrestle for control. With 58 overs remaining in the day, the afternoon session will be pivotal in determining the direction of the match.

Pakistan’s spinners took full control on the third day of the second Test in Multan, bowling England for 291 in their first innings.

Sajid Khan delivered a standout performance, bagging seven wickets, dismantling England's batting order with sharp turn and variation.

His celebratory Kabaddi-style pose, often followed by a moustache twist, became a signature moment as England’s collapse against spin intensified.

Noman Ali provided valuable support, claiming three wickets, including the key dismissal of Jamie Smith, who top-scored for England with 21 before holing out at long-off.

Jack Leach, battling with the tail, remained unbeaten on 6 as England’s lower order struggled against Pakistan’s spinners.

Sajid’s accurate and consistent line restricted England’s scoring, leaving them to rely on sporadic boundaries to push the scoreboard forward.

Pakistan will be confident heading into day four with the opportunity to build on their 93-run lead.

England, meanwhile, faces an uphill battle to salvage anything from the Test, as spin continues to dominate proceedings in Multan.

England had dominated the earlier sessions of the day bowling Pakistan out for 366 runs. Their batsmen continued to score runs at a rapid pace before the Pakistani spinners struck in quick sucession, slowing down their run rate.

At the loss of 6 wickets, England stand at 239 runs after 53 overs with wicketkeeper Jamie Smith and Brydon Carse on the crease.

Sajid Khan leads the Pakistani bowlers with 4 wickets in a fine bowling display. His wickets included Englad centurian Ben Duckett who scores a brisk 114 off 129 deliveries. Khan also bowled out Ollie Pope, Joe Root and Harry Brook.

Spinner Noman Ali also chipped in taking the wickets of England opener Zak Crawley and captain Ben Stokes.

Pakistan were earlier bowled out for 366 runs in their first innings during the second Test match against England.

The Green Shirts had resumed their innings today at 259-5, and lost their sixth wicket early in the day, with wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan dismissed for 41 runs after just five more runs were added to the total.

Sajjid Khan was then dismissed for just 2 runs, while Aamir Jamal scored 37 runs. Meanwhile, Noman Ali added 32 runs before being bowled out.

Another wicket that fell before the drinks break earlier during the day was of Salman Agha. Salman Agha edged an extra bounce outside off, caught by Smith off Mathew Potts, ending his innings at 31 runs from 53 balls.

Day One Recap

On the first day of the Test, Pakistan's opening batsmen struggled, losing Abdullah Shafique for just 7 runs. Captain Shan Masood (3) and Saud Shakeel (4) also fell cheaply, leaving the team in a precarious position at 19-2.

However, debutant Kamran Ghulam and opener Saim Ayub mounted a strong recovery, adding 149 runs for the fourth wicket. Ghulam went on to score an impressive 118 runs, while Ayub contributed 77 before losing his wicket.

England’s Jack Leach led the bowling with two wickets, while Shoaib Bashir, Matthew Potts, and Brydon Carse picked up a wicket each.

Toss and Teams
Pakistan's captain Shan Masood won the toss and elected to bat first, aiming to build a solid score and put pressure on England. England, led by Ben Stokes, entered the match with high confidence following their victory in the first Test.

Stokes returned to the lineup after recovering from injury, replacing Chris Woakes and Gus Atkinson.

Pakistan Squad:
Shan Masood (c), Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Agha, Kamran Ghulam, Nauman Ali, Zahid Mahmood, Sajid Khan

England Squad:
Ben Stokes (c), Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir