England’s promising start in the second Test against Pakistan was abruptly halted by the brilliance of Sajid Khan, whose incisive off-spin triggered a rapid batting collapse. After reaching a comfortable position of 211/2, England lost four wickets for a mere 14 runs, leaving them reeling at 225/6 at the end of Day 2 in Multan.
Sajid’s exceptional bowling performance proved pivotal, seizing control for Pakistan at a crucial juncture. The collapse began with the dismissal of England’s talisman, Joe Root, who had looked settled until Sajid deceived him with a well-flighted delivery. Root’s attempted sweep resulted in an inside edge onto his boot, sending the ball rolling into the stumps.
Sajid’s next victim was Ben Duckett, who had earlier anchored the innings with a fluent 114. Despite surviving multiple close calls, Duckett eventually succumbed to Sajid’s persistent pressure. An aggressive drive off a full-length delivery found a thick outside edge, which Agha Salman at first slip gratefully accepted.
With Duckett’s departure, England’s batting order crumbled. Harry Brook was bowled trying to punch a spinning delivery off the back foot, misjudging the sharp turn and allowing the ball to crash through the gap between bat and pad.
England’s woes were compounded by Noman Ali, who dismissed captain Ben Stokes for a mere 1. Stokes failed to adjust to Noman’s turn, edging a defensive push onto his pad, which Abdullah Shafique at short leg completed with an outstanding diving catch.
From a position of strength at 211/2, England were now in deep trouble at 225/6, leaving Jamie Smith and Brydon Carse to steady the ship before stumps. However, the pair managed to stabilize the innings and guided England to 239/6 by the end of the day.
Sajid Khan finished the day with figures of 4/86, his devastating spell turning the match on its head. With Pakistan’s bowlers firing on all cylinders and England trailing by 127 runs, Day 3 promises to be a pivotal chapter in this thrilling Test series at Multan.
