pisilinuxworld.org

Here’s how we rated the England and Pakistan players out of 10 after the hosts’ 152-run victory in the second Test in Multan.

Zak Crawley – 5 out of 10

England’s opener notched scores of 27 and three across the second Test and was unable to provide the usual threat he does at the top of the order.

England’s combination of right-handed Crawley and left-handed Ben Duckett makes it difficult for opponents to bowl at them, but in Multan the Kent batter was twice removed by off-spinner Noman Ali allowing the hosts to make early inroads.

Ben Duckett – 7

The Nottinghamshire batter posted his fourth Test century on day two as he powered England to 291 during their first innings.

When Duckett last travelled to Pakistan during England’s tour in 2022, he was coming back into the red-ball set-up and scored three half-centuries and one ton.

His performance in Multan has been a continuation of that with Sky Sports’ Michael Atherton calling it a “love affair with Pakistan”.

In the second innings, though, he was removed for a two-ball duck by leg-spinner Sajid Khan as England struggled against Pakistan’s spin-heavy assault.

Ollie Pope – 6

Ollie Pope handed back the reins to Ben Stokes after captaining England during their first Test win in Multan where he was removed for a duck by the now dropped Naseem Shah.

The Surrey batter scored 29 and 22 and it could be argued that his release from captaincy duties has allowed him to focus on scoring runs for the team as he provided resistance in the top-order.

Joe Root – 7

England’s leading Test run-scorer had a high score of 34 in Multan. His ability to bat against spin was incredibly useful given the hosts had selected four spin options after also dropping Shaheen Shah Afridi for the second Test.

Root only managed 18 runs before he was trapped leg-before by Noman during the early hours of day four and did not pick up a wicket during his 10 overs in the south of Pakistan.

The Yorkshireman also dropped Salman Ali Agha (63) at slip on six with the Pakistan batter going on to hit a half-century and, in the context of England’s loss, it was a crucial error.

Harry Brook – 5

Brook has often been described as a ‘natural Bazballer’ but, after his sublime 319 in the first Test, his figures dropped significantly in the second, only notching nine and 16.

The Yorkshireman was one of four players in England’s second innings to depart in single figures as the visitors suffered an extraordinary collapse.

Ben Stokes (c) – 7

When England were left searching for a Multan miracle at the end of day three, Sky Sports’ Nasser Hussain said the scenario was “made for” captain Ben Stokes.

If there was one player that could get England out of trouble, it would be their skipper and while he was unable to rescue his side, that reputation alone is a pretty outstanding one to have.

Stokes captained well throughout the second Test. He used his spinners, Jack Leach (7-181) and Shoaib Bashir (5-151), with the new ball, waited for it to get old and reverse, before bringing himself and his seamers on to extract any swing that was on offer. There never seemed a point in the Test where he was not being proactive.

It was Stokes’ first Test since he sustained a hamstring injury that ruled him out of the Sri Lanka home series in the summer and he managed to bowl 10 overs on his return.

Stokes (37) hit England’s highest second-innings score before he was stumped by Mohammad Rizwan after missing a sweep shot with his bat flying out of his hand.

Jamie Smith – 6

Since Smith’s Test debut against West Indies in the summer, the Surrey wicketkeeper-batter has continued to shine.

“He has taken to Test cricket like a duck to water,” said Hussain earlier this year and it remains true.

The 24-year-old took five brilliant catches in the field and looks agile behind the stumps. However, he also dropped Salman on four, the only mistake he has made so far during his first overseas Test tour.

Smith added 21 and six with the bat and continues to embody head coach Brendon McCullum’s message of positivity and aggression.

Brydon Carse – 7

The Durham quick finished with figures of 5-79 and made vital breakthroughs against Pakistan’s middle order.

It was the third time he has dismissed Rizwan, one of the hosts’ best batters, across four innings and with the series now on the line, his performance may get him a spot in the third and final Test in Rawalpindi, live on Sky Sports Cricket.

Out of the 29 overs Carse bowled, seven of them were maidens. He also contributed in the field, taking a catch to dismiss Noman (32).

Matthew Potts – 5

The 25-year-old claimed three wickets across both innings, dismissing Saim Ayub (77) and Salman (31) in the first innings and Sajid Khan (22) in the second.

Potts was brought into the side to replace a rested Gus Atkinson and while he totals less wickets than any other bowler, he did make crucial breakthroughs to help the pendulum swing in England’s favour.

Jack Leach – 8

The senior Somerset spinner continues to shine in Pakistan. During England’s 3-0 whitewash two years ago, Leach picked up 15 wickets and looks on course for a similar figure this time round, finishing the second Test on figures of 7-181.

He made the most of Multan’s unpredictable wicket which started spinning more on its seventh day of use. His role in the team is also strengthened by his mentorship of fellow Somerset youngster Shoaib Bashir.

Shoaib Bashir – 7

The 21-year-old initially struggled for wickets, conceding 85 runs in the first innings for a solitary wicket, although it was the prized scalp of Pakistan’s centurion Kamran Ghulam (118).

Bashir was rewarded for his hard work in the Multan heat in the second innings where he finished with a four-fer as he rattled through Pakistan’s top-order leaving them 43-3.

Pakistan’s spinners star in Multan madness

Saim Ayub – 6

Pakistan’s opener Saim Ayub registered scores of 77 and 22 getting his side off to a positive start against England’s strong spin assault and ensuring the hosts had resistance up top.

The 22-year-old’s scores also vastly contrasted with fellow opener Abdullah Shafique who was dismissed in single figures both times.

Abdullah Shafique – 4

The 24-year-old scored a brilliant century in the first Test but in the second he looked far from his best with scores of just seven and four. He totalled 14 runs across the four days off 47 balls.

However, Shaifque regularly contributed to the fielding efforts, taking three catches in Pakistan’s 152-run victory.

Shan Masood (c) – 6

The Pakistan skipper has been disappointing with the bat since his 151 in the first Test. The 35-year-old scored three and 11 before he was dismissed by Leach and Bashir respectively.

Prior to the series starting, Masood gave a heartfelt plea to Pakistan’s fans, acknowledging his team needed to do better and he ought to lead from the front.

He put those words into practice during the first match and his brave spin gamble this time led Pakistan to their first home Test victory since beating South Africa in 2021.

His captaincy skills really came into play during day four when Pakistan were on the brink. He kept his faith in his spinners, Noman and Sajid, and in turn they rewarded him with his first Test victory as skipper.

Kamran Ghulam – 8

When the news came out that Babar Azam had been dropped from the team for the second Test in a radical shake-up, fans and pundits were shocked.

The former Test captain had been on a lean run of form which led to his exit and opened up a space for Kamran Ghulam, and the 29-year-old was not going to stay wondering, immediately staking his claim.

He scored a belligerent maiden Test century which contributed to a third of Pakistan’s 366 in the first innings. He also became the first batter at No 4 to score a Test ton on debut against England.

He posted 26 in the second innings but by then his skill had already been noted.

Saud Shakeel – 5

The left-handed batter shared a 37-run stand with Rizwan during the second outing, adding impetus to the middle order and breaking their curse of Pakistan faltering in the latter half of Test matches.

However, his combined score of 35 across the two innings was the lowest among Pakistan’s middle order.

Mohammad Rizwan – 6

Rizwan, known for his heavy hitting, did not pass a milestone but his scores of 41 and 23 were crucial in Pakistan’s victory.

His glovework was excellent too as he stumped Crawley (3) and England captain Stokes (37) en route to Pakistan’s victory, while also taking a couple of catches.

Salman Ali Agha – 7

When Pakistan needed a hero, the 30-year-old stepped up to the challenge.

He arrived at the crease late on day two with the hosts having a lead of under 100 and his stunning 63 stretched it to 279, a figure England could not keep up with.

Aamer Jamal – 5

The 28-year-old all-rounder was one of two players who fell for just one in Pakistan’s second innings after he was bowled by Leach.

His first innings score was much better, adding 37 runs to Pakistan’s tally, but the right-arm quick was unable to offer Pakistan much in the bowling department, going for 39 runs for no reward.

Noman Ali – 10

The left-arm spinner finished with an 11-wicket haul across the four days, eight of which were in the second innings as he punctured England’s batters, seeing them collapse to 88-6 before they sunk further.

All 20 wickets in the second Test went to the spinners, a stat that shows just how differently the wicket performed between the first and second Test.

Sajid Khan – 9

Pakistan’s off-spinner also did a lot of the work in the spin unit, finishing with figures of 9-104, and claimed the key wicket of Pope (22) with his second ball of day four.

Zahid Mahmood – 3

As Pakistan’s spinners stole the show, it forced the seamers to take a back seat. The 36-year-old quick bowled six overs, conceding 27 runs, but had nothing to show for it at the end as he was unable to take a wicket.

He was brought into the side to replace Naseem, the reward of which was difficult to see.

First Test: Multan – October 7-11 – England won by an innings and 47 runs

Second Test: Multan – October 15-19 – Pakistan won by 152 runs

Third Test: Rawalpindi – October 24-28

Watch the third and final Test between Pakistan and England live on Sky Sports Cricket and Main Event from 5.30am ahead of the first ball at 6am on Thursday October 24 as the sides head to Rawalpindi.