Agencies
Multan
England are staring at defeat following a terrible start to their run chase on the third evening of the second Test against Pakistan at the Multan CRicket Stadium on Thursday, reports BBC.com/sport.
Set a record-breaking 297 to win, England lost openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley to end on 36-2, leaving Pakistan on course to level the series 1-1.
The damaging losses came in the 11 overs England had to bat at the end of a demoralising day in Multan.
The tourists’ hopes of getting back into the match after giving up a first-innings lead of 75 evaporated through some costly dropped catches by Jamie Smith and Joe Root.
Wicketkeeper Smith and first-slip Root reprieved Salman Agha on four and six respectively, with the right-hander going on to make a priceless 63.
Salman tortured England in a ninth-wicket partnership of 65 with Sajid Khan, the off-spinner who had earlier finished with 7-111 to dismiss the visitors for 291 in their first innings.
Pakistan were eventually bowled out for 221, giving England what would be their joint-third-highest chase in an away Test and best by any visiting team in Pakistan.
And Sajid was again in the action with the new ball, enticing Duckett into a top edge before Crawley was stumped off Noman Ali.
England’s victory on this ground in the first Test was historic because of the scale of their run-scoring. This week the numbers are smaller, but the magnitude of a victory would be much greater given the conditions and weight of history.
Never before have they made so many runs to win a Test in Asia. This would dwarf the 208 they overhauled against the same opposition in Lahore in 1961.
This iteration of the England team has a habit of incredible chases, but success on a used Multan dust bowl with the ball regularly shooting along the ground would rank as one of the great overseas wins.
Their task is made all the harder by the loss of Duckett, one of England’s best players of spin and centurion in the first innings. The left-hander tried to sweep Sajid’s third ball of the innings and skied to wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan.
Crawley is not a comfortable starter against spin and was stranded by one left-armer Noman got to dip.
In fading light, high tension and Pakistani excitement, Root and Ollie Pope somehow fought into the fourth day.
Scores: Pakistan 366 (Ghulam 118) & 221: Salman 63, Bashir 4-66 vs England 291: Duckett 114; Sajid 7-111 & 36-2; England need 261 more runs
to win.
