The second day of the Pakistan vs England 2nd Test ended with Pakistan having a slight upper hand after a dramatic day of cricket. Despite a solid start by England’s openers, Pakistan fought back brilliantly in the final session, led by Sajid Khan‘s impactful bowling. England finished the day at 239/6, trailing Pakistan by 127 runs.

England’s early dominance fades after strong start

After Pakistan was bowled out for 366 in their first innings, England’s openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett gave their team a solid start. The duo put together a 77-run opening stand, laying a good foundation for the visitors. Crawley, looking in fine touch, was dismissed for 37 after being trapped by Noman Ali. Duckett continued to dominate, forming a 52-run partnership with Ollie Pope before Sajid removed Pope for 27.

Duckett reached a well-deserved century, anchoring the innings and keeping the scoreboard ticking. He found support in Joe Root, and the pair stitched an 86-run partnership. However, Sajid turned the tide for Pakistan, dismissing Root for 34, which triggered a mini-collapse. From 211/3, England lost three quick wickets, finishing the day at 239/6. Sajid’s excellent spell left the visitors reeling, as he picked up crucial wickets and broke the momentum.

Pakistan’s morning session heroics

Earlier in the day, Pakistan started their innings at 314/6, adding 52 more runs before being bowled out. Mohammad Rizwan was the first to depart, caught behind off Brydon Carse‘s short-of-length delivery. However, Agha Salman shifted gears and scored fluently, finding the boundary at regular intervals. He received solid support from Jamal, and the pair added a steady 38-run partnership for the seventh wicket.

Salman’s aggressive stroke play, including boundaries off Matthew Potts, helped Pakistan surpass the 350-run mark. Potts, however, got his revenge by dismissing Salman with a delivery that had extra bounce. Pakistan’s lower order did not last long as Sajid was lured into a drive and fell to Jack Leach, chipping the ball to cover. The hosts were eventually bowled out for 366 in 123.3 overs, setting a challenging total for England.

Also WATCH: PAK vs ENG – Sajid Khan celebrates with a roar after bamboozling Ollie Pope

Key performances:

Ben Duckett (England): A commanding century, anchoring England’s innings despite the late-order collapse.
Sajid Khan (Pakistan): The standout bowler of the day, picking up crucial wickets and leading Pakistan’s comeback.
Agha Salman (Pakistan): Counter-attacked effectively in the morning session, adding crucial runs to Pakistan’s total.

Pakistan will look to capitalize on their late session success and bundle out England quickly on Day 3, while England’s lower order will aim to narrow the deficit and get closer to Pakistan’s total.

Here is how X reacted:

Two years too late but this is what Noman Ali & Sajid Khan were supposed to do to Australia in Pakistan #PakvEng

— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) October 16, 2024

Even the cameraman did the celebration of Sajid Khan, the vibe of Pakistan cricket and its fans is different. #PAKvENG #PakistanCricket pic.twitter.com/HLDqB9dat5

— Ahmad Haseeb (@iamAhmadhaseeb) October 16, 2024

It’s the passion which shows.
Eyes full of anger and pride and performance on field.
Sajid Changez Khan is dancing in Multan and making the Englishman tremble in fear.
What a spell this has been.
Bravo 👏 pic.twitter.com/fLCq9C02wR

— Abdullah (@abdullahhammad4) October 16, 2024

Sajid Khan removes Ollie Pope! Just look at his aggression 🇵🇰🔥🔥#PAKvENG #tapmad #DontStopStreaming pic.twitter.com/8xpXQVne1A

— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) October 16, 2024

Sajid Khan has become the first Pakistani bowler to bowl out numbers 3, 4 & 5 in a test innings 👀 #PAKvENG pic.twitter.com/X4n2IaolnC

— Aatif Nawaz (@AatifNawaz) October 16, 2024

Me to Sajid Khan:pic.twitter.com/CxzN2OnoTt

— N (@SaadonaBreak1) October 16, 2024

Noman Ali Sajid Khan pic.twitter.com/Bt1nx3Me7W

— iffi (@iffiViews) October 16, 2024

https://twitter.com/NajafAli56/status/1846523534907990087

Sajid Khan is TEARING through England lineup on spin-friendly track. Pakistan are roaring high. pic.twitter.com/zwlb3gd14f

— Himanshu Pareek (@Sports_Himanshu) October 16, 2024

Sajid Khan, Noman Ali in Multan Test reminded us of the decade where Pakistan ruled in test cricket playing on spinning pitches of UAE. #PAKvENG pic.twitter.com/oVtNFZFrYt

— Arfa Feroz Zake (@ArfaSays_) October 16, 2024

Also WATCH: Jamie Smith takes a sharp catch as Brydon Carse removes Mohammad Rizwan | PAK vs ENG 2024, 2nd Test

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