MULTAN, Pakistan (AP) — England’s top-order crumbled against spin-heavy Pakistan on a reused pitch after Ben Duckett hit a robust century in the second test on Wednesday.
The tourists slipped to 239-6 at stumps on Day 2 and still trail by 127 runs after Pakistan tailenders had resisted before being bowled out for 366 shortly after lunch.
Duckett’s 114 off 129 balls looked to have kept England in the driver’s seat before it lost four late wickets in a sensational collapse against spinners Sajid Khan (4-86) and Noman Ali (2-75).
Khan struck three times in 10 deliveries and got the big wickets of Joe Root (34), Duckett and Harry Brook (9). Ben Stokes, returning to test cricket from a torn hamstring, got caught close to the wicket of Ali’s left-arm spin after scoring just 1 off five balls.
Jamie Smith was unbeaten on 12 as Pakistan spinners exposed England’s long tail with Brydon Carse not out on 2 from 19 balls.
Duckett had dominated the spinners with his authoritative sweep shots and added 86 runs with Root before Khan struck late on a dry wicket, tailor-made to suit the home team’s all-out spin attack.
Root, who scored a memorable 262 in England’s massive innings and 47-run win in the first test, dragged Khan back onto his stumps and then Duckett edged the off-spinner to slip after the ball had spun enough from the rough.
Brook, the triple-century maker at the same venue last week, then paid the price of exposing his stumps to Khan’s length ball and got clean bowled as Pakistan sliced the strong England batting lineup with its spinners, who haven’t played first-class cricket for the last nine months.
Opening batter Zak Crawley made a shaky 27 and couldn’t capitalize on chances as Khan made a mess of a run-out chance when he broke the stumps before grabbing the ball at the non-striker’s end. Duckett later convinced Crawley to go for a successful lbw television referral before he finally got caught behind of Ali after contributing 73 runs for the first wicket stand.
Duckett had bossed the spinners for 16 boundaries with his strong sweep shots before Pakistan’s spinners hit back late.
Earlier, Jack Leach grabbed 4-114 and fast bowlers Carse (3-50) and Matthew Potts (2-66) shared five wickets in between them before Pakistan was dismissed shortly after lunch.
The tailenders batted around all-rounder Aamer Jamal’s 37 to frustrate England with Ali also playing a little cameo of 32 off 61 balls as Pakistan added 107 to its overnight 259-5.
Pakistan lost the overnight pair of Mohammad Rizwan (41) and Salman Ali Agha (31) before Jamal, who received treatment on his hip while batting, chipped away by adding 49 runs with Ali.
Rizwan’s scrappy knock ended in the third over of the day when Jamie Smith made a spectacular diving catch as Carse squared up the batter with his pace.
Jamal and Noman defied England in the latter half of the first session as Pakistan added 99 runs to its overnight 259-5 before Leach and Carse ended the frustration by dismissing the home team after lunch.
Debutant Kamran Ghulam made headlines on Day 1 with a resolute century as Pakistan looks for its first home win in 12 matches by packing its playing XI with three specialist spinners and only one fast bowler in Jamal.
Ghulam had been scoring well in Pakistan’s domestic seasons for the last four years, but got his chance after Pakistan rested its premier batter Babar Azam for the remaining two test matches of the series against England.