Multan Test: England score 96/1 in response to Pakistan's 556 at end of day two

• Zak Crawley smashes fifty while Joe Root on crease with 32 runs.
• Day two play of 1st Test concluded with 20 overs delivered.
• Pakistan posted 556 runs at the conclusion of first innings.
  

Zak Crawley and Joe Root revived England's first innings after skipper Ollie Pope’s early departure by guiding their team to score 96 runs in reply to Pakistan’s 556 as day two play of the first Test concluded at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

Right-arm pacer Naseem Shah struck in his first over and sent England skipper Pope to the pavilion.

After the fall of the first wicket, Crawley, along with Root, took the charge and smashed 64 runs off 64 balls. Root stayed on the crease with 32 off 54 balls to lead his side scoring 96/1 till the closure of the day two play. The visitors are trial by 460 runs.

Earlier, Salman Ali Agha's unbeaten ton and Saud Shakeel's 82 guided Pakistan to 556 runs against England at the conclusion of the first innings within 149 overs on the second day of the first Test at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

The innings was over after Abrar Ahmed (3) was caught by Duckett while Salman Ali Agha stood till the end after making 104 runs off 119 balls.

The second day kicked off with Pakistan at 328/4 with Shakeel and Naseem Shah, on the crease. Shah (33) was dismissed after Harry Brook caught the ball in the 105.4 overs.

The right-arm fast bowler smacked three sixes, denying England a breakthrough in the first hour, despite suffering hits to the helmet and his bowling hand.

Shakeel's 82-ball defiance finally came to an end when he tickled Brydon Carse to Harry Brook at leg slip, giving the debutant seamer his maiden test wicket.

Aiming for a century, Shakeel ended up being caught by Joe Root after making 82 runs off 177 deliveries in the 125.2 overs.

The next man in, Mohammad Rizwan, fell for a 12-ball duck, stepping out against Jack Leach and spooning the ball to Chris Woakes at mid-off.

Additionally, with Brydon Carse delivering the fourth ball of the over, dismissed Aamer Jamal in the 128.4 over after he scored only seven runs for the team.

Following Masood, who made a century on the first day, Agha made 100 runs in the 145th over of the innings, after hitting 10 fours and three towering sixes.

The Men in Green standing at 549-9 witnessed Shaheen Shah Afridi heading towards the pavilion after making 26 off 49 balls.

Bowling first, England’s Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse bagged two wickets each while Chris Woakes and Shoaib Bashir took one wicket each.

Taking the most wickets, Jack Leach dismissed three players on Tuesday.

The match, first in the three-match series, is being played at the Multan Cricket Stadium and is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25.

England are being led by Ollie Pope in the first Test after the visitors' captain Ben Stokes was ruled out of the contest due to a hamstring injury in the Hundred League.

Moreover, James Anderson is not accompanying the team on their tour of Pakistan, as he is participating in Scotland’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

The last time England were in Pakistan for a red-ball series, they handed a 3-0 defeat to the national side back in 2022.

Before that, the visitors had played 24 Tests in Pakistan, winning just two out of them making the 3-0 win much more remarkable.

Playing XI

Pakistan: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmad

England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir