England win 2nd Test in Multan, seals series against Pakistan

MULTAN: England have won the second test match against Pakistan by 26 runs in Multan on Day 4, winning the series 2-0. Chasing the target of 355 runs, Pakistan were all out for 328 runs.

Saud Shakeel top-scored for Pakistan with a valiant 94, while Imam-ul-Haq made 60.

Mark Wood was pick of the England bowlers, claiming 4-65 as England registered their first series win in Pakistan since since 2000-01.

England have now won 8 out of the 9 Tests under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum. Only South Africa were able to defeat them. Both India and Pakistan haven’t been able to do so far

Pakistan have lost three Tests in a row on home soil for only the second time ever. The last time it happened was 63 years ago, Pakistan lost twice to Australia and once to West Indies in 1959. Have lost once to Australia and twice to England in 2022.

Experts say Pakistan are now virtually out of the race to reach the World Test Championship final. 

Earlier in the day, Pakistan resumed with a defensive approach at an overnight score of 198-4. Saud Shakeel (54*) looked in solid touch but Faheem remained shaky, ending up with a dismissal off Root. 

The left-handed batter managed to score just 10 runs before Zak Crawley took a comfortable catch in the first slip. 

Nawaz took hold alongside Saud and released the pressure off him so rightly. The left-handed batter smashed seven boundaries during his stay at the crease. 

Mohammad Nawaz boosted confidence in Pakistan’s camp with his quick knock but England bagged him to leave. Nawaz alongside already set Saud Shakeel raced Pakistan’s score after they were supposed to get 145 runs when he arrived. 

Shakeel and Nawaz stifled England for nearly 22 overs before Wood struck twice in quick succession to raise England’s hope of clinching the three-match series.

Pakistan lost Faheem Ashraf (10) in the day’s sixth over when Joe Root had the lefthander caught at slip as captain Ben Stokes chose to deploy spinners from one end.

But Shakeel, resuming on 54, and Nawaz, thwarted England’s seam and spin bowlers, rising in confidence even after England took the second new ball with Pakistan still needing 109 runs.

Fast bowler Ollie Robinson thrice went past Nawaz’s bat, but the lefthander showed aggression against Root and leftarm spinner Jack Leach with some crisp boundaries before Stokes turned to the pace of Wood late in the first session and gained two crucial wickets.