Rawalpindi, October 25,2024- Pakistan asserted their dominance over England through Saud Shakeel’s resilient 134, enabling Pakistan to reach a solid 344 after starting the day at 73/3. Shakeel’s composed knock was built on two essential partnerships: an 88-run stand with Noman Ali (who contributed 45) and a subsequent 72-run partnership with Sajid Khan, who remained unbeaten on 48. This lower-order resistance allowed Pakistan to recover from 177/7, frustrating England’s bowlers and helping build a lead.
England’s bowlers, particularly Rehan Ahmed, performed well initially, with claiming four wickets for 66 runs. Pakistan’s tail-enders capitalized on the weariness of England’s attack and stretched their total effectively. In response, England’s top order faltered, with openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett dismissed for 2 and 12, respectively, while Ollie Pope departed for just 1. By stumps, England were struggling at 24/3, still 53 runs behind. Spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan led the charge, taking three quick wickets between them and leaving Joe Root (5*) and Harry Brook (3*) to resume on Day 3 under mounting pressure to regain stability.
