Test series: Great bowling by bowler Mark Wood, England won the Test series from Pakistan
Multan. Pacer Mark Wood (4/65) took three wickets with the new ball as England registered a thrilling 26-run win over Pakistan in the second Test here on Monday to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Made it England had set a challenging target of 355 runs in front of Pakistan but their team was dismissed for 328 shortly after lunch on the fourth day of the match. This is the first time that England have won two consecutive Test matches in Pakistan.
England won the first Test match in Rawalpindi by 74 runs. The third Test match will be played in Karachi from 17 December. Pakistan’s power rested on Saud Shakeel who narrowly missed out on his maiden Test cricket century. Shakeel scored 94 off 213 balls and returned to the pavilion in the last over before lunch, caught behind off Wood’s bowling. After this, Pakistan’s hopes of achieving the highest target on their home soil also ended. Shakeel’s dismissal was controversial. Wicketkeeper Ollie Pope took the catch down the leg side.
On-field umpire Aleem Dar gave the batsman out but took the help of the third umpire to give the correct decision. The third umpire decided in favor of the bowler after watching several replays. Wood ended his 80-run partnership with Shakeel in the very first over with the new ball, dismissing Mohammad Nawaz (45) with a similar short-pitched delivery. Shakeel and Nawaz did not let wickets fall for almost 22 overs but after that Wood put Pakistan in trouble by taking two wickets in quick succession.
Pakistan started the morning at 198 for four and lost the wicket of Faheem Ashraf (10) in the sixth over of the day itself.Part-time spinner Joe Root caught him in the slip. England captain Ben Stokes had a spin attack from both ends but Shakeel and Nawaz faced the bowlers stoutly. When Pakistan needed 109 runs to win, England took the new ball after which Wood showed amazing. At lunch, Pakistan had scored 291 runs for seven wickets and were 64 runs away from the target.
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Agha Salman (20 not out) and Abrar Ahmed (17), playing on his Test debut, reduced the gap by playing some big shots. James Anderson (2 for 44) dismissed Abrar while Wood did not allow Zahid Mahmood to even open the account. Ollie Robinson (2 for 23) gave England the win by getting Mohammad Ali caught behind the wicket.
