England Stumbles as Pakistan Dominates Day Two of First Test
Pakistan’s Salman Ali Agha stole the show with a magnificent third Test century, propelling his team to a commanding total of 556 on the second day of the first Test against England at the Multan Cricket Stadium. England, facing a daunting task, stumbled to 96-1 at stumps, still trailing by 460 runs with nine wickets remaining.
The day began with Pakistan resuming their innings at 328-4, and Agha took center stage, unleashing a masterclass of batting. His unbeaten 104 off 119 balls, laced with 10 boundaries and three sixes, guided Pakistan past the 500-run mark. Saud Shakeel complemented Agha’s brilliance with a solid 82, while Shaheen Shah Afridi chipped in with 26 runs.
England’s response was lukewarm, losing captain Ollie Pope for a duck courtesy of Aamir Jamal’s stunning catch off Naseem Shah’s bowling. However, Zak Crawley (64* off 64 balls, 11 fours) and Joe Root (32* off 54 balls, 2 fours) steadied the innings with an unbroken 92-run stand for the second wicket.
For England, Jack Leach emerged as the most successful bowler, albeit expensive, with figures of 3-160. Debutant Brydon Carse and pacer Gus Atkinson claimed two wickets each.
Pakistan’s formidable total has put them in the driver’s seat, leaving England facing an uphill battle to avoid a significant deficit.
*Scoreboard:*
England 96-1 in 20 overs (Zak Crawley 64*, Joe Root 32*; Naseem Shah 1-29) trail Pakistan 556 all out in 149 overs (Shan Masood 151, Salman Ali Agha 104*, Abdullah Shafique 102, Saud Shakeel 82; Jack Leach 3-160, Brydon Carse 2-74, Gus Atkinson 2-99) by 460 runs.
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*SEO Title:* Pakistan Takes Commanding Lead as Salman Ali Agha Shines Against England
*Meta Description:* Salman Ali Agha’s brilliant century propels Pakistan to 556, leaving England trailing by 460 runs with nine wickets remaining after day two of the first Test.