The second day of the first Test in Multan quickly turned into a disaster for England, leaving their hopes of mirroring their previous series victory in tatters.
What began as an ordinary session after tea spiraled into a nightmare in just 30 minutes.
A Rough Break for Duckett
As Pakistan continued to bat, disaster struck when Ben Duckett, attempting to catch No. 11 Abrar Ahmed off Joe Root’s delivery, seemingly dislocated his left thumb.
England downplayed the severity of the injury, opting against a scan.
But the turmoil didn’t stop there.
Stepping in to fill Duckett’s shoes—a position he had never occupied in his 108-match first-class career—Ollie Pope faced a challenging situation right from his second ball.
In a moment of disbelief, he watched as Aamer Jamal, diving to his right, managed to snag the ball almost behind him.
With the England captain returning to the pavilion without scoring, the scoreboard now read a dismal four for one in response to Pakistan’s towering 556.
Missed Opportunities Lead to Chaos
What transpired was a series of blunders that could have been avoided.
England, worn down by nearly 150 overs in the oppressive heat, squandered two straightforward chances to end Pakistan’s innings earlier.
First, Jamie Smith failed to stump Abrar as he charged down the pitch, a major error for someone in his seventh Test behind the stumps.
Just six balls later, Gus Atkinson dropped an easy catch at midwicket off Jack Leach’s bowling.
These missed chances not only contributed to Duckett’s injury but also set off a chain reaction of calamity for the team.
The Struggle for Positivity
Even head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes, watching from the Inzamam-ul-Haq Enclosure, might have found it challenging to maintain a positive outlook.
Was Pope simply unlucky? Perhaps, but he opted to play an aerial shot that wasn’t fully justified, especially with a fielder nearby.
His dismissal only fueled criticism of his approach, especially since this marked his 50th Test match.
Since taking on the captaincy, his scores have been a rollercoaster: 6, 6, 1, 17, 154, 7, and now 0.
While he has shown he can score big, consistent failures are becoming too frequent.
Crawley’s Bright Spot
Amidst the chaos, Zak Crawley shone brightly, returning to form after missing the Sri Lanka series due to a broken finger.
He quickly found his rhythm, racing to a brisk 64, striking 11 well-timed fours.
With Joe Root still at the crease on 32—needing just 39 more runs to surpass Alastair Cook as England’s leading Test run-scorer—the team managed to finish the day at a healthier 96 for one, scoring nearly five runs an over.
A Mountain to Climb
Despite the glimmers of hope, England faces a monumental task ahead.
Having conceded over 500 runs in two previous matches during the Bazball era and managing to win both, this situation presents an even steeper challenge.
The pitch, while favorable for stroke play, won’t make the climb any easier.
England expressed optimism that Duckett’s injury would improve, but the reality is sobering: Chris Woakes is already batting at No. 7, a position too high for him, and moving to No. 6 would be pushing the limits.
Pakistan Sets the Stage
Earlier in the day, Woakes stood out as England’s most economical bowler, conceding just three runs an over.
His efforts, alongside an impressive 82 runs from Saud Shakil and an unbeaten century from Salman Agha, propelled Pakistan’s total to their highest at home since they scored 579 against England in Rawalpindi in December 2022.
Nightwatchman Naseem Shah set the tone, hitting three sixes before contributing to a catch for Harry Brook.
Though England had moments of success, including Leach catching Mohammad Rizwan for a duck, Pakistan’s batting proved resilient.
They narrowly escaped a potential collapse when TV umpire Chris Gaffaney ruled Agha was not out after what looked like a catch off Leach’s bowling.
With Pakistan finishing the day strong, England is left grappling with significant challenges ahead.
What Lies Ahead
As they regroup and assess the fallout from this day of calamity, England needs to rally quickly if they wish to salvage something from this Test match.
With the stakes higher than ever, all eyes will be on their next moves.
What strategies will they employ to turn this tide? Only time will tell.
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