The pitch has been recycled and it feels like a familiar story is developing in Multan. England pegged back Pakistan with the ball on day one and will believe their batsmen can press the accelerator and make the running again.
It was a hard slog for England as Pakistan piled up 259 for five with wickets hard to fashion, but their heads never dropped and they showed doggedness and tenacity with each cog in the wheel doing its bit. The fielders chased down everything, the seamers put in a real shift in the heat and humidity, while Jamie Smith kept expertly in difficult conditions for a keeper.
Kamran Ghulam’s 118 after coming in on debut at 19 for two spread calm to a panicky Pakistan camp and it was a day that ended with both teams relatively content.
Ben Stokes went to each player to give them a slap on their sweaty backs at the end of a day in the dirt. Through their hard work, Pakistan never got away, batting at under three an over.
It could have been better for England too. A hard chance was dropped off Ghulam when he 79 and England failed to review a thin edge off Mohammad Rizwan when he had six but with his inventive fields and the tenacious spirit he has hammered into his players, Stokes kept his team in the mix.
No sport offers contrasts like Test cricket. Just ask Brydon Carse and Matthew Potts. Brought up on the green seamers of Durham, here they were with sleeves rolled up, bending their backs on a dust bowl only to see the ball go through to Smith on the half volley.
It did not matter. They were outstanding, sharing two for 70 from 33 overs, maximising the reverse swing caused by an abrasive square, and giving very little away.
Carse was outstanding, recording eye-opening figures of one for 14 off 11 overs, bowling with pace and skill across three spells on a boiling hot day. Potts backed him up and Stokes too was energetic and dangerous with the ball in his first game back.
Stokes partnered the reverse swing with catchers in front of the bat, hypnotising batsmen with his constant tinkering. His brain buzzes in these conditions, always alive to any clue to eking out a wicket. The belief translates to his players.
The slow turn may worry Pakistan, who picked a team of spinners and just one seamer, but how this pitch will map out is a complete unknown given the unprecedented nature of reusing an old surface.
The England spinners did their bit but took a backseat after a good start. Jack Leach dropped into a holding role while Shoaib Bashir struggled with his line again but was better in the final session, buoyed by a wicket with the second new ball when Ghulam’s resistance ended with a rush of blood.
Ghulam was in Barnsley playing for Hoylandswaine in the Huddersfield Premier League last summer, averaging 244 before he had to go home early, recalled for Pakistan’s A team. He has also had stints in the Lancashire league and the North Staffordshire and South Cheshire league too.
It has been a long road at the age of 29 and this series might be his only chance. Perhaps being a jobbing pro with nothing to lose helped him take in his stride replacing one of the giants of Pakistan cricket, Babar Azam. He looked unable to take in becoming the first Pakistan batsman to score a hundred on debut against England, and the second oldest in history.
Attacks of cramp in his hands revealed the anxiety lurking beneath, but overall he took to Test cricket like a natural. He was far more comfortable against spinners on a day one pitch than he was against England’s seamers, and was clinging on for dear life in Stokes’s fiery spell.
England switched to spin at both ends after seven overs of the day, eying turn off the cracks and dusty footmarks. Leach struck in his second over, bowling Abdullah Shafique with a ball fired in quicker. Shan Masood was guilty of a lazy poke to midwicket, making Leach the first England spinner to take two wickets in the first 10 overs of a Test since 1889.
Jack Leach and England have their second wicket 🏴
Pakistan captain Shan Masood departs for three after a smart catch from Zak Crawley 🙌 pic.twitter.com/WlxtVur3aR
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) October 15, 2024
At that stage, it felt like a raging turner, a Pakistan version of the red crumbly ones in India that England have died a thousands deaths on but Stokes realised quickly this was not the case.
He played a holding game, waiting for the ball to scuff up and start reversing. He piled overs into Leach and Bashir for an hour after lunch so the seamers could rest.
One over from Carse, the 47th of the innings, signalled the shift with a hint of reverse sparking Stokes to start warming up. He whipped off Carse, holding his ace back for later, and grabbed the ball himself, immediately making things happen and should have had a wicket in his five over spell with 12 of the 20 runs off him coming from edges.
Ghulam and Saim Ayub put on a restorative 149 for the third wicket but as the dots added up, their patience was tested. Stokes told Potts to hang it out wide to Ayub, packed the off side with short catches and waited. Ayub plopped a catch straight to Stokes at short mid off.
Saud Shakeel was caught behind off Carse finding extra bounce with Smith taking an instinctive catch to his right. Rizwan played a horrible innings, hacking at everything and somehow survived while Ghulam fell to his knees to give thanks for his hundred.
He had done everything right until in the home straight and with five overs to go he went after Bashir once too often. Two wickets in the final session gave England the edge on the day given the form of both sides. Now we wait to see which one has read the pitch.
01:41 PM BST
More from Hussain on centurion Kamran Ghulam
“He has had to wait his turn. He has been scoring prolific runs in the last three years.
“He got the right balance between attack and defence. They lost a couple of early wickets – on debut you want to get out there and that will have helped him.
“Pakistan players generally love the sweep shot, he’s got that in his locker. He used his feet as well. He has got a bit of Steve Smith about him when he defends the ball and charges. He has got a bit of swagger about him.”
01:40 PM BST
Century on debut for Ghulam
“He’s grabbed the opportunity by the scruff of the neck” 👏
Urooj Mumtaz on Kamran Ghulam’s selection and his performance today 🇵🇰 pic.twitter.com/jUpBrZNoC1
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) October 15, 2024
01:38 PM BST
Nasser Hussain on Sky
“It was a much more watchable day when there’s reverse swing or a bit of spin. Without sitting on the fence, I honestly think both sides will walk off going ‘We’ve done ok there’.
“For the turmoil you say about Pakistan cricket and the few weeks they’ve had, losing six in a row. Picking people on debut like Kamran [Ghulam] immediately getting a hundred replacing Babar Azam one of the all-time greats of Pakistan cricket – the selectors will breathe a sigh of relief with that one.
“It was bouncing shin-high, there was no pace and it was still a lot of hard work to get five wickets on that surface. Stokes and McCullum will look at that dressing room and say, ‘You did pretty well today’.”
01:37 PM BST
Steven Finn on BBC Test Match Special
“Brydon Carse bowled beautifully. He had great intent and he did it in the first Test match with not much reward.
“Everyone in between the games has appreciated the effort and gusto that he bowls.
“He looked in great rhythm and he hit a nice line and length at the beginning. Then with the reverse swing he caused problems for the batter.”
01:30 PM BST
The thoughts of Saim Ayub
“You can see that it is a slow pitch. A lot of balls keeping low. It makes it difficult to bat on and you have to keep an eye on the ball. Every run is important. No score is ever enough for me and I just try to do my best.
“When Kamran [Ghulam] came to the crease we said we would watch the ball and play to the conditions. Ultra focus was required with the ball keeping low. The partnership was important for the next batsmen.”
01:26 PM BST
Pakistan close day one 259/5
Leach will have the honour of the last over of day one. Can he make one final breakthrough? Rizwan gets to a delivery on the full and drives down the ground for four.
The final ball is a dot and that is the end of day one in this second Test in Multan. A pretty even day but, having lost the toss this morning, I do not think Ben Stokes will be too disappointed with his team’s position after the first day. England’s seamers in particular bowled really well today and deserved more. They have kept control of this innings and a couple of early wickets in the morning will put England in a commanding position.
A memorable day for debutant Kamran Ghulam, scoring his maiden Test century.
01:23 PM BST
OVER 89: PAK 255/5 (Agha 5 Rizwan 33)
Bashir gets one to slide past Agha’s outside edge. A tidy over costs just the one run and we head towards the final over of the day.
01:20 PM BST
OVER 88: PAK 254/5 (Agha 5 Rizwan 32)
Leach nearly gets one under the bat of Agha but he just manages to get his bat down in time. Just two runs from the over. Two overs left.
01:17 PM BST
OVER 87: PAK 252/5 (Agha 4 Rizwan 31)
A single into the legside brings up the 250 for Pakistan. It has taken them a while to get there.
01:13 PM BST
OVER 86: PAK 249/5 (Agha 2 Rizwan 30)
It will be spin from both ends now as Leach is on. Rizwan cuts away when Leach drops short and offers width outside the off stump, taking two runs.
Four overs or 17 minutes remain, whichever comes first.
01:10 PM BST
OVER 85: PAK 245/5 (Agha 1 Rizwan 27)
Salman Ali Agha is the new man and gets off the mark straight away with a single down to long-on. No nightwatchman.
01:07 PM BST
Wicket
Ghulam b Bashir 118 Two threatening overs from Carse with the new ball but Bashir is on to replace him. That change pays dividends for England as the centurion falls. He comes down the ground but misses and it clips the bails. A big wicket towards the end of the day but cap off to Ghulam on debut. A day he will never forget. FOW 243/5
01:04 PM BST
OVER 84: PAK 243/4 (Ghulam 118 Rizwan 26)
Into the extra half hour we go. England appeal for a caught down the legside but it came off the thigh so England smartly opt against a review, especially having recently wasted one.
Ghulam drives through the covers for three off the last ball to deny Potts a maiden.
12:59 PM BST
OVER 83: PAK 240/4 (Ghulam 115 Rizwan 26)
Just the one over from another tight Carse over.
12:54 PM BST
OVER 82: PAK 239/4 (Ghulam 114 Rizwan 26)
Potts will take the new ball from the other end. His first ball with it is a beauty. It nips in and beats the inside edge of Rizwan, but it goes just over the stumps. So close!
The next ball beats the outside edge. Rizwan has certainly rode his luck today and had England reviewed when they should have done he would be back in the pavilion.
Rizwan then resorts to charging at Potts and misses. Potts will be wondering how none of those three balls have resulted in a wicket.
Maiden over.
12:50 PM BST
OVER 81: PAK 239/4 (Ghulam 114 Rizwan 26)
England do take the new ball and it will be in Carse’s hands to begin with.
Ghulam drives past the stumps and not only can Leach not get across but he cannot prevent it from running away for four.
Carse gets one to go past the outside edge of Ghulam’s bat but no edge taken.
12:45 PM BST
OVER 80: PAK 235/4 (Ghulam 110 Rizwan 26)
Root will bowl the final over before the second new ball is available. Ghulam sweeps away for four.
Root then drops short, which allows Ghulam to punch into the covers for two.
The new ball is now available.
12:42 PM BST
OVER 79: PAK 228/4 (Ghulam 103 Rizwan 26)
Bashir thinks he has Rizwan caught down the legside but Chris Gaffaney shakes his head. Stokes considers and then decides to review. You can put that in the category of an ‘Ollie Pope review’ (sorry Ollie!). Rizwan missed it by a country mile and no wonder he looked so relaxed as the review was ongoing. Was that a reaction to England not reviewing the one earlier on Rizwan off Potts’ bowling.
Brilliant fielding from Carse at point denies Ghulam a boundary from a reverse sweep. The 50 partnership is brought up by these two.
12:37 PM BST
OVER 78: PAK 226/4 (Ghulam 102 Rizwan 25)
Rizwan is hogging the strike at the moment and will retain it with a single off the final ball of Root’s fifth over.
12:35 PM BST
OVER 77: PAK 225/4 (Ghulam 102 Rizwan 24)
England keeping it tight as they edge towards the new ball. How will Stokes use it? You would presume he will take it but who knows.
12:31 PM BST
OVER 76: PAK 224/4 (Ghulam 102 Rizwan 23)
The second new ball is just a few overs away now for England. Just the one run comes from that Root over.
12:27 PM BST
OVER 75: PAK 223/4 (Ghulam 102 Rizwan 22)
It will be spin from both ends as Bashir is on. Straight away Rizwan attacks him, sweeping him away for four.
He goes again and it is the same result, despite the best efforts of Duckett running around from long-on.
12:23 PM BST
OVER 74: PAK 214/4 (Ghulam 102 Rizwan 13)
Root is brought into the attack. A single into the covers takes Ghulam to 98.
A few balls later Ghulam smacks into the legside and that four takes him to his maiden Test century on debut. Pakistan made a big call to replace Babar Azam with Ghulam but he has rewarded that faith. He becomes the 13th player to score on his Pakistan Test debut.
Really fine hundred from Kamran Ghulam – and gets there in style. Tough gig, coming in at No 4 in place of a legend like Babar Azam and batting ahead of some far more experienced players in the order. He’s got a fine first-class record, so it should not be a surprise, but it still is, really. Nice that he is out there with Rizwan, who gave him his cap earlier today.
12:20 PM BST
Just over an hour remaining
In theory we have 17 overs left today but whether we get them all in today depends on how many overs of spin we have. Pakistan are only just over 200 more than 70 overs into the day so they have not got away from England, who have bowled really well today. At this point England would be on a lot more than this, as shown in the last match when England score more than 250 runs more than Pakistan in one more over in the first innings.
12:16 PM BST
OVER 73: PAK 208/4 (Ghulam 97 Rizwan 12)
That was pretty ugly from Rizwan. He charges at Potts and tries to whack him out of Multan but it goes all of about ten yards for no run.
Potts then bowls a beauty, which keeps very low and misses both the inside edge and the stumps.
Maiden over from Potts. Time for drinks.
12:12 PM BST
OVER 72: PAK 208/4 (Ghulam 97 Rizwan 12)
A good, testing over from Leach yields just the one run. Ghulam is still just the three runs away from a Test century on debut.
12:08 PM BST
OVER 71: PAK 207/4 (Ghulam 97 Rizwan 11)
Ghulam does really well to dig out a full ball from Potts and squeezes it down to long-on for three to move to 97.
12:03 PM BST
OVER 70: PAK 203/4 (Ghulam 94 Rizwan 10)
You would not believe it! We have just seen the UltraEdge from that previous over and it shows that there was an edge from Rizwan and England should have gone for a review. Root said no but Potts and Crawley wanted it. Wasted opportunity for England.
Leach spins a beauty to Rizwan, which turns and bounces past the outside edge. Rizwan then resorts to sweeping away for a couple.
12:00 PM BST
OVER 69: PAK 200/4 (Ghulam 93 Rizwan 8)
Carse’s brilliant five-over spell after tea has come to an end and he gets a deserved rest. His Durham teammate Potts replaces him. We have just heard on the stump mic captain Stokes praising Carse for that spell.
Ghulam uses his feet and clips one down to fine leg for a single.
Rizwan’s problems against seam continue as Potts sends one past the outside edge. A few appeals from a few England players but Stokes is not convinced to review. Joe Root is shown on the replays saying no.
Potts finds the edge this time and it runs down to third man for two, which brings up the Pakistan 200.
11:55 AM BST
OVER 68: PAK 197/4 (Ghulam 92 Rizwan 6)
Rizwan is off the mark on the 20th ball of his innings with a drive through the covers for two after Leach offered up some width that he could tuck into.
That gives him some confidence to sweep his next ball away for four.
11:51 AM BST
OVER 67: PAK 190/4 (Ghulam 91 Rizwan 0)
Carse finds a thick outside edge of Rizwan’s bat but, despite Root being up much closer than he normally would, it still falls just short of Root. Carse is all over Rizwan here as he gets another to go past the outside edge.
Quite an incredible umbrella field in place in front of square at the moment. Another maiden from Carse, who is bowling brilliantly. Rizwan has now faced 18 balls and is still yet to get off the mark.
11:45 AM BST
OVER 66: PAK 190/4 (Ghulam 91 Rizwan 0)
Ghulam charges Leach and smashes it down the ground for four. He wants to get to his maiden hundred as quickly as possible, even if it means taking plenty of risks.
He goes again and gets it over Duckett’s head again at mid-on for four more.
11:42 AM BST
OVER 65: PAK 182/4 (Ghulam 83 Rizwan 0)
Ghulam flicks one off his pads down to fine leg for two.
For a second successive over Ghulam is lucky. He charges Carse and spoons it into the air, but it lands safely over Duckett’s head for a single. The ball follows you does it not!
Rizwan does not look comfortable here, into double figures of balls faced without getting off the mark.
11:38 AM BST
OVER 64: PAK 179/4 (Ghulam 80 Rizwan 0)
Interestingly, Stokes has brought on spin in the shape of Leach. Intriguing move! And it nearly pays off as Ghulam comes down the ground and does not get great contact on it. Duckett dives to his right at mid-on and, like a goalkeeper diving to make a save in the top corner, he cannot quite keep hold of it. If he had say been Zak Crawley height that would have been an easy take but at Duckett’s height not a simple grab. A goalkeeper would have been happy with that as he would have tipped it over the bar but for Duckett he could not hold on.
11:34 AM BST
OVER 63: PAK 178/4 (Ghulam 79 Rizwan 0)
Carse gets one to nip back into Rizwan and an appeal goes up but Chris Gaffaney shakes his head. It looked high and England did not really consider a review there. This is a really terrific spell of bowling from Potts and Carse and the extra movement as a result of the reverse swing is causing Pakistan’s issues. The run-rate has stalled and England look very threatening. A fourth maiden in six overs now after tea.
11:30 AM BST
OVER 62: PAK 178/4 (Ghulam 79 Rizwan 0)
Potts really tests Ghulam in that over and another maiden is bowled; I make that three of the first five overs after tea. Taking wickets does not only require bowling special balls, but also building pressure.
11:25 AM BST
OVER 61: PAK 178/4 (Ghulam 79 Rizwan 0)
Mohammad Rizwan joins Ghulam in the middle. A fantastic over from Carse, who now has figures of six overs, 1-6, which includes three maidens. England’s seamers have bowled really well today and remember Pakistan have just one frontline seamer. One of the things the seamers have done really well is setting up the batsmen and then striking.
11:23 AM BST
Wicket
Shakeel c Smith b Carse 4 That is terrific bowling from Carse. He is running in hard and putting pressure on Shakeel, which pays off. He gets a little movement away from Shakeel and finds the edge. Smith takes a good catch to his left and England have an important breakthrough early in this session. FOW 178/4
That was a fine catch from Jamie Smith, who is having another pretty good day. In these conditions, the wicketkeeper is expected every ball to scoot through low, but that one reared quickly up and flew sharply to his left.
11:18 AM BST
OVER 60: PAK 177/3 (Ghulam 79 Shakeel 4)
Ghulam uses his feet and, despite not the cleanest contact on the ball, he manages to force it down to the long-off boundary for four. Potts follows that up with an attempted yorker that Ghulam digs out.
Kamran Ghulam is rather reminiscent of Kavem Hodge, the one West Indian batsman of last summer, especially in his grip. More relevantly, where Babar Azam has radiated tentativeness, Ghulam has been assured – in spite of cramp and uncertainty against reverse swing. Whatever happens from here, Ghulam on his Test debut has made a game of it.
11:14 AM BST
OVER 59: PAK 173/3 (Ghulam 75 Shakeel 4)
Before the match, Fakhar Zaman got in trouble with the PCB for comments on X about the decision to leave Babar Azam out of the squad for this match.
It’s concerning to hear suggestions about dropping Babar Azam. India didn’t bench Virat Kohli during his rough stretch between 2020 and 2023, when he averaged 19.33, 28.21, and 26.50, respectively. If we are considering sidelining our premier batsman, arguably the best Pakistan…
— Fakhar Zaman (@FakharZamanLive) October 13, 2024
The man who has replaced Babar, Ghulam, is still at the crease on his debut. Brydon Carse will bowl from the other end. Back-to-back maidens to start the session.
11:09 AM BST
OVER 58: PAK 173/3 (Ghulam 75 Shakeel 4)
A probing maiden over from Potts to start this final session of the day.
11:06 AM BST
Final session
The players are back out in the middle and we are ready for the evening session on day one. Pakistan resume on 173/3 and Matthew Potts will bowl the first over after tea with a number of fielders close in in the mid-on/ midwicket area.
11:01 AM BST
A word on Kamran Ghulam
He has batted very well but is suffering from cramp. Still, he is three-quarters of the way to a Test century on debut and, should he get there, he would join his compatriots Billy Ibadulla, Javed Miandad, Salim Malik, Mohammad Wasim, Ali Naqvi, Azhar Mahmood, Younus Khan, Taufeeq Umar, Yasir Hameed (who did it on both innings), Fawad Alam, Umar Akmal and Abid Ali.
10:49 AM BST
Tea verdict: Stokes worms his way into batsmen’s brains
A doughty third wicket stand of 149 between Saim Ayub and Kamran Ghulam continued the chess game going on out there. Pakistan’s session, they gradually upped the run rate but with the ball reversing, England’s seamers made life very difficult. Stokes bowled without luck, finding the edge and troubling both batsman and Potts deserved his wicket and also induced several false strokes. Stokes is worming his way into the batsmen’s brains with his inventive, constantly changing fields and Pakistan are so desperate not to throw away the hard work. There is low bounce, with a couple of pea-rollers today, and Pakistan must cash in on batting first.
10:44 AM BST
Tea in Multan
Saud Shakeel joins Ghulam at the crease and there will be one more over before tea, so Stokes will have one more shot at Ghulam before the interval. Another probing over from Stokes and he nearly gets the fourth wicket as he finds the edge of Shakeel’s bat, which runs away to third man for four. That will be tea on day one and Pakistan are 173/3, with England breaking that partnership between Ayub and Ghulam just before the tea break.
10:38 AM BST
Wicket
Ayub c Stokes b Potts 77 Potts is now coming over the wicket to Ayub and pushing it across him, with a packed offside field. The plan works as Potts gets Ayub to chip it to Stokes at short mid-off. Finally a just reward for England’s seamers. FOW 168/3
Excellent tactics from Stokes. Instructs Potts to slant it outside off stump for an over with a packed off side field. He bowls five wide and then one straighter which Ayub drives into the hands of Stokes in the catching position at short mid off. Different game with the seamers on. England always in the game.
10:32 AM BST
OVER 55: PAK 168/2 (Ghulam 74 Ayub 77)
England will feel here on the stroke of tea that a wicket is coming. Just one from that Stokes over, his fourth in this spell.
Fourth over for Stokes. How long will this go on for? Knowing him, it could be one of those marathon spells despite the heat, humidity and the fact it is his first game since July. He has Kamran in all sorts of bother.
10:27 AM BST
OVER 54: PAK 167/2 (Ghulam 74 Ayub 76)
One of the best shots of the day. Ayub drives past Potts and away for three down to long-on. The only reason it did not go for four was because of a superb Superman-esque dive from Brook just before the boundary rope. Superb fielding and the the tone that sets is fantastic, exactly what Stokes and Brendon McCullum want.
That is a spectacular save from Harry Brook. His fielding has improved a lot this year. In unforgiving conditions, England have been outstandingly committed in the field on this tour.
10:22 AM BST
OVER 53: PAK 164/2 (Ghulam 74 Ayub 73)
Stokes is all over Ghulam like a rash. He is squaring him up and forcing him into a ‘S shape’ after the stroke. Stokes finds the outside edge again but, with no pace in the pitch, it falls short of Root, who will surely have to come closer.
Play is stopped again for Ghulam with his cramp and this is getting a little ridiculous. This is now the third time in 20 minutes we have had a delay due to cramp. He either has to continue with it or go off. We cannot keep having these stoppages.
Brook is in at gully now but will it even carry to him? Root has a helmet on now having moved closer. Two more fielders are in close as well on the offside. Stokes will be disappointed though as he strays too straight and allows Ghulam to get off strike.
10:16 AM BST
OVER 52: PAK 162/2 (Ghulam 74 Ayub 72)
Ghulam has received more assistance for cramp. Obviously you have sympathy for that, but part of the challenge of Test cricket is the physical hurdles of playing in conditions like these. One of the things that made the innings of both Harry Brook and Joe Root in the first Test so special was their fitness, both physical and mental. Their ability to continue churning out runs in sweltering conditions was so impressive and that is why this format is challenging but hugely rewarding.
Anyway, back to the cricket. England find the edge again as Ayub swings his hands at a wider delivery from Potts and it flies off the outside edge for four, with no slips in place. Now Stokes brings in Root at about a third or fourth slip.
Ayub flicks off his pads and, with Bashir square of the wicket, it runs away for four down to fine leg.
Ayub is very lucky to still be at the crease. He gets an inside edge and you think the ball will crash into the stumps as he tried to push it away into the offside but somehow it misses the stumps. I think England have been very unlucky here as they are bowling well, just not getting the rewards they deserve.
10:08 AM BST
OVER 51: PAK 152/2 (Ghulam 74 Ayub 63)
Definitely some movement for England here. Stokes gets one to move away from Ghulam, who is having some issues against England’s seamers and the hint of reverse swing.
Stokes decides it is time for a slip, so Root goes in. The edge of Ghulam’s bat is found again but it runs away for four and that brings up the Pakistan 150.
Ghulam flicks off his pads for two behind square on the legside to finish off the over.
10:05 AM BST
OVER 50: PAK 145/2 (Ghulam 68 Ayub 62)
Before that Stokes over, Ghulam had only faced a handful of balls against seam in over 100 balls faced at the crease.
It is now seam from both ends with a bit of reverse swing as Potts returns to the attack. It should have been a maiden over but for a poor piece of fielding from Crawley at short mid-on, who lets one through his legs for a single.
10:00 AM BST
OVER 49: PAK 144/2 (Ghulam 68 Ayub 61)
Just one over from Carse before the drinks break and now captain Stokes brings himself on for the first time today. We saw a hint of reverse swing in Carse’s over, which may explain Stokes’ timing of bringing himself on to bowl.
His first ball gives Ghulam some width and, despite keeping a little low, he pushes through the covers for two. He then squares Ghulam up with the next delivery.
We have a short stoppage in play as Ghulam has some pain in his wrist or lower arm, perhaps some cramp, so the physio is on. There did not seem to be much in terms of medical assistance so the umpires should really be telling them to get on with it. This is part of the challenge of TEST cricket, hence the name!
Off the final ball Stokes squares up Ghulam again and finds the outside edge. No slip in place though and it slowly creeps to the third-man boundary for four. Not a great, dedicated effort from Leach in the field, unlike Potts earlier.
Carse’s over was merely a canary down the mine for Stokes. There’s a hint of reverse, so on he comes.
09:51 AM BST
OVER 48: PAK 138/2 (Ghulam 62 Ayub 61)
Ghulam comes down the ground to Leach and it is an ugly shot that is squeezed into the legside, bringing him three runs.
The average spin in this session is slightly down on the first. An appeal for England for LBW against Ayub but it clearly pitched outside leg stump.
Ayub then uses his feet and hits over mid-off for four. Really good cricket from Ayub and a nice shot.
09:42 AM BST
OVER 47: PAK 131/2 (Ghulam 59 Ayub 57)
Stokes has decided now is the time for a change of pace and Carse is into the attack, replacing Bashir.
Carse’s first ball back into the attack moves in and beats the inside edge of Ayub’s bat. The ball did die on its way through to Smith, who did well to take it on the bounce.
There is a hint of reverse swing here.
The last ball goes down the legside and Smith cannot prevent it running away for four byes.
Time for drinks.
09:37 AM BST
OVER 46: PAK 127/2 (Ghulam 59 Ayub 57)
With no point in place, Ghulam chops away for two. Bashir had just been moved from point to square leg, which opened up that space.
09:34 AM BST
OVER 45: PAK 125/2 (Ghulam 57 Ayub 57)
Ghulam utilises the reverse sweep for the first time today and gets four. Will England turn back to seam soon? The question then will be will it reverse swing?
09:31 AM BST
OVER 44: PAK 120/2 (Ghulam 52 Ayub 57)
Ayub goes the aerial route with a sweep and it is not an entirely convincing shot. It lands safely and Bashir, who had been moved slightly further behind square, cannot get round in time to take the catch.
That two brings up the 100 partnership off 206 balls.
09:26 AM BST
OVER 43: PAK 115/2 (Ghulam 50 Ayub 54)
Bashir is bowling around the wicket and now has a leg slip in place. Ghulam needs to be really careful here.
But he gets one that he can tuck into the legside for a single and he reaches his first Test fifty on debut. The Pakistan squad are on the balcony giving him a round of applause. Plenty of smiles from the dressing room.
Solid fifty for Kamran Ghulam on debut. He looked straight at the dressing room as he raised his bat. He was a bit fidgety at first but settled nicely into filling Babar Azam’s shoes. England will be content though that Pakistan are not getting away from them here.
09:22 AM BST
OVER 42: PAK 114/2 (Ghulam 49 Ayub 54)
Ayub tries to sweep away and is struck on the pads. Leach appeals but that hit him outside the line of off stump.
Leach then gets one to turn past Ghulam’s outside edge but again does not take the edge. The spin in general is not excessive but there has been encouragement for England’s spinners.
Time for a bit of Stokes? Golden arm, all the skills, including reverse? Or could he be not quite as ready as he’s let on, and wanting to use himself very sparingly?
09:19 AM BST
OVER 41: PAK 112/2 (Ghulam 48 Ayub 54)
Ghulam uses his feet again and pushes into the covers for two. He is just two runs away now from a fifty on Test debut.
09:16 AM BST
OVER 40: PAK 110/2 (Ghulam 46 Ayub 54)
Ayub slog sweeps Leach away for four. A bit more intent being shown now by this pair, putting the pressure back onto the England bowlers.
09:13 AM BST
OVER 39: PAK 106/2 (Ghulam 46 Ayub 50)
Bashir tosses it up and Ghulam sweeps over deep midwicket for a one-bounce four. England may not be too disappointed to see him playing his shots and potentially offering up opportunities.
Bashir tosses it up again and gets Ghulam driving unconvincingly. That is what England want to see. The final ball is too full and Ghulam pushes into the covers for a couple.
09:09 AM BST
OVER 38: PAK 100/2 (Ghulam 40 Ayub 50)
Ghulam goes for a big heave and misses by a mile as Leach gets turn and bounce. As Nasser Hussain says on the TV commentary, Ghulam is lucky it did turn and bounce quite significantly as he would have been bowled.
A single from Ghulam brings up the Pakistan 100.
We have just seen a sign in the stands wishing Babar Azam a happy birthday; he turns 30 today but obviously is not in the Pakistan team. Ghulam has replaced him.
09:07 AM BST
OVER 37: PAK 99/2 (Ghulam 39 Ayub 50)
In the last five years Pakistan have the highest average against spin of any team in Test matches.
Just one run comes from Bashir’s 13th over, which have cost him 34 runs.
Pakistan’s run-rate is 2.68 and one of the criticisms of them in the first Test was the lack of intent and positivity. These two are building nicely but things are not getting away from England here.
09:04 AM BST
OVER 36: PAK 98/2 (Ghulam 38 Ayub 50)
Leach appeals for a caught behind off Ayub but not many of the England players seemed convinced there! Ben Stokes certainly not inclined to review. If it had been Ollie Pope in charge, that may well have been reviewed and ultimately wasted!
Off the last ball Leach bowls a beauty that narrowly misses the outside edge and the off stump. Leach inquires again but Stokes does not think there is any edge.
08:59 AM BST
OVER 35: PAK 97/2 (Ghulam 37 Ayub 50)
Ayub pushes down the ground and comes back for two which brings up his third Test half century. He is yet to register a Test hundred and Pakistan will be hoping the changes today. Ayub then leaves one from Bashir that goes straight on and does not turn. It is not far off clipping the off stump but as know there are only two types of leaves; good ones and bad ones. This was the former.
Pope displays sharp, smart fielding at short-leg which kept Ayub honest to stay in his crease.
08:56 AM BST
OVER 34: PAK 95/2 (Ghulam 37 Ayub 48)
Before the over begins, Joe Root has used a great away to shine the ball; use Leach’s head!
Ayub cuts Leach away for four through point. More running in the outfield for Potts to do, who puts in a great shift and charges towards the boundary but cannot quite keep it in. He receives plenty of applause from his teammates for the effort. As a seamer that is not really what you want to have to do but England make a big thing of dedication and commitment to whatever they are doing and that is exactly what Potts did there.
Ayub is closing in on his half century here, just two runs shy.
08:54 AM BST
OVER 33: PAK 90/2 (Ghulam 37 Ayub 43)
Ghulam uses his feet and it looks like it is going to run away for four but Potts does really well to come across from long-on to prevent boundary and keep them down to two. It was not too far away from Bashir’s outstretched hand either.
Bashir drops too short at the end of the over and pulls aerially through midwicket for two. Potts again is on hand to make up the ground to stop the four.
08:49 AM BST
OVER 32: PAK 85/2 (Ghulam 33 Ayub 42)
Leach turns one past the outside edge of Ghulam’s bat. Beautiful bowling. He just needs to keep hitting that area and his next ball takes a bit out of the surface.
08:47 AM BST
OVER 31: PAK 84/2 (Ghulam 33 Ayub 41)
Shoaib Bashir, who went wicketless in his nine overs before lunch, will open the bowling from the other end. Plenty of school children are now in the stands.
Bashir bowls a beauty to Ayub, which pitches on middle and leg and turns. It takes the outside edge and runs away to third-man for a single. Ayub did play that with soft hands.
Off the final ball Bashir offers width to Ghulam and he drives through the covers for four. A good shot but Bashir should not be disheartened by that. His captain gives him a clap as that is what they want Ghulam to do to bring multiple modes of dismissal into play; a catch or bowled.
08:43 AM BST
OVER 30: PAK 79/2 (Ghulam 29 Ayub 40)
A testing over from Leach results in a maiden over. Ghulam just needs to be a little cautious about going back as the ball is at times keeping a little low and he could get trapped LBW or bowled if he is not careful.
08:40 AM BST
Afternoon session
The players are back out in the middle and we are ready for the afternoon session. Saim Ayub will resume on 40 and Kamran Ghulam on 29. Jack Leach will bowl the first over after lunch.
08:36 AM BST
Sky’s Mike Atherton on the state of play at lunch
At 19-2, I would imagine that [Pakistan] dressing room was a pretty nervy place.
Change can be unsettling and they have made three big changes from the first Test – probably the three biggest-name players from Pakistan have gone out of the side – and then you lose two early wickets, with a debutant coming in…
So I thought these two batters played especially well in the last hour before lunch… the partnership is well over fifty now, it has been forged under pressure and the debutant played particularly well.
08:28 AM BST
Ben Stokes talks to Mike Atherton
I worked hard back at home and made the call late for that first Test match. It just wasn’t quite right. I had quite a few injuries over my career. It’s a pretty brutal thing we put ourselves through. It’s part of the job. I always try to make sure I come back fitter which puts me in a really good headspace in terms of recovery and rehab. I have a goal and it keeps me in track.
It’s the first time I’ve ever been involved ion back-to-back Tests on the same wicket. Concerned, no? We’re just going to have to wait ans see what happens and play accordingly.
Being stand-in captain is harder than being captain. You’re only doing it for a set amount of games and you’re trying to push forward what the captain is doing. [Ollie] put his own stamp on things which was encouraged massively by myself and Baz. He’s played a lot but he’s still a young player and having that exposure will be really, really good in the long term. He should be very proud of what he’’s achieved in my absence.
Watching the game unfold, Pakistan putting on 550 for the first innings. What put a smile on my face was the understanding of what needed to be down to win the game. We didn’t look too far ahead. We could have pressed the accelerator too hard [too soon]. Had we been only 100-150 ahead [it would have been easier for Pakistan, the pressure on them less intense]. It was another sign that we are progressing as a team.
[Joe’s] selflessness [is what makes him truly special]. I’ve grown up playing against him. To be as good as he is and always put the team first. He takes his individual stuff and puts it second to what the team requires. He’s very humble. He doesn’t want too many claps in the dressing room [for his achievements].
There’s no chance [Harry Brook won’t fulfil his potential]. He is incredibly committed to what he wants to do. He’s always trying to get better and better.
08:10 AM BST
Mike Atherton on contrasting make-up of two attacks
Pakistan have three frontline spinners, four spinning all-rounders and one medium pace all-rounder while England have two quicks, Stokes, two spinners plus Root. ‘It’s rather like turning up to a party and you’re in black tie and clocking someone in fancy dress,’ says Atherton. ‘Someone’s got something wrong.’
08:07 AM BST
Lunch verdict: Pakistan recover
Good recovery by Pakistan from 19 for two to 79 for two at lunch led by debutant Kamran Ghulam and Saim Ayub on the controversial recycled pitch. But they are not scoring quickly, hitting only two boundaries in a 60 run stand at a time when the pitch is behaving at its best. They may regret not hurting England a little more in that session after winning what felt like an important toss given the pitch will deteriorate from day two.
It is not a raging turner, more slow spin than anything else. The odd ball is keeping low and one from Jack Leach spat and bounced out the rough, but while it is a test for the batsmen it is not a dirt track just yet. Leach became the first England spinner since 1889 to take two wickets in the first 10 overs of a Test – bowling Abdullah Shafique with a lovely delivery that turned past the outside edge before Shan Masood gave his wicket away, chipping a lazy shot to midwicket. England will be eager to see if it reverses after lunch.
08:01 AM BST
Lunch on day one
This could be the final over before lunch. Potts bangs one in short and Ayub goes for the pull shot. It comes off the toe of the bat but bounces short of Smith. A wry smile from Potts, who knows he was close there. Ayub defends the final ball and that will be lunch on day one with Pakistan 79/2. England thought there may have been time for one more over but not to be. Pakistan have recovered from those two early wickets but you would say it has probably just been England’s session, having lost the toss.
07:56 AM BST
OVER 28: PAK 78/2 (Ghulam 28 Ayub 40)
It is now going to be seam from both ends as Carse is back on. He bowled just two overs at the start of the session as Stokes turned to spin very quickly and to good effect.
Ayub wants a single to Leach at mid-off but a loud ‘No!’ from Ghulam tells Ayub what he thought of that suggestion. Ayub quickly scampers back to his crease. Carse nearly finds the inside edge of Ayub’s bat but just misses. A maiden over from Carse and if England’s seamers continue to hit this probing line and length, they will be rewarded.
07:51 AM BST
OVER 27: PAK 78/2 (Ghulam 28 Ayub 40)
With 15 minutes until lunch, Stokes has turned back to seam with Potts returning. His first three overs went for just five runs. Will we see some reverse swing?
Ayub clips off his pads for two just behind square. Potts is bowling a test line and length. With the ball keeping a little low, Ayub gets an inside edge and comes through for a single down to fine leg. Potts knows he was close to a wicket there.
The tactics for Stokes will have to be a little like those on the last tour of Pakistan. After a very short burst for the seamers with the new ball, he is turning back to Potts here in search of reverse swing, and all out attack. The spinners will do the bulk of the work.
07:45 AM BST
OVER 26: PAK 75/2 (Ghulam 28 Ayub 37)
Root came back on for his second over but, for the second time, only bowls the one over in that spell and Leach is back on. With England’s spinners bowling the majority of the overs in this morning session, the over-rate is good, which is a rare positive as so often we complain (and rightly so!) about poor over-rates.
07:41 AM BST
OVER 25: PAK 73/2 (Ghulam 27 Ayub 36)
Exactly what Pakistan do not need; a run out. Ayub pushes into the covers and wants a single but that is never on. Ghulam sends him back correctly and Ayub gets back in with a dive after the throw from Crawley. That would have been an absolute gift for England.
Bashir gets Ghulam driving outside off and finds the outside edge but it runs away down to third-man for three.
Ghulam does average nearly 50 in 60 first-class matches so comes in with some pedigree.
07:36 AM BST
OVER 24: PAK 69/2 (Ghulam 24 Ayub 35)
Stokes is keeping the batsman on their toes with a change in the bowling as Root, having bowled just one over a few overs back, is back on.
A single down to long-off from Ayub brings up the 50 partnership in 85 balls.
07:33 AM BST
OVER 23: PAK 67/2 (Ghulam 23 Ayub 34)
Ayub goes back to a Leach delivery and he gets his bat down just in time as the ball kept a little low. Had he missed, the dreaded umpire’s finger would have been raised.
The first real time Ayub has shown attacking intent this morning as he sweeps Leach in front of square for a convincing four.
Ayub and Ghulam are going along well here but they know that they have to cash in on what is a good surface to bat on. With just under half an hour to go until lunch, I wonder if we will seem seam come back into the attack perhaps hoping to see some reverse swing.
07:29 AM BST
OVER 22: PAK 61/2 (Ghulam 23 Ayub 28)
That Root over was used in order to allow Leach and Bashir to swap ends and Bashir is not back on from the end Leach took the two wickets to fall. Ghulam gets down to sweep and gets a couple with Potts moving round from deep backward square leg to prevent the boundary.
Bashir comes around the wicket last ball to change things up, with Root positioned at short fine leg for the top edge.
07:25 AM BST
OVER 21: PAK 59/2 (Ghulam 21 Ayub 28)
Now we know why Leach came out of the attack; he has switched ends, replacing Bashir. He has the two wickets to fall so far this morning and he is back on from the other end. He finds the inside edge of Ayub’s bat but it goes past short-leg.
Ghulam gets onto the back foot and punches away through the offside for three. These two are starting to build a solid partnership but they will know still a long way to go and more runs to be had as they are both in now.
07:21 AM BST
OVER 20: PAK 55/2 (Ghulam 18 Ayub 27)
Joe Root was going through some warmups and he is now into the attack, replacing Leach. Root has a slip, short-leg and two short covers in place for the left-handed Ayub, who gets a single first ball.
Root then gets too full to Ghulam, who drives through cover for three to bring up the Pakistan 50.
Root is full again and this time it is Ayub who drivers through the covers, coming back for two. Not necessarily Root’s best over ever.
07:17 AM BST
OVER 19: PAK 48/2 (Ghulam 15 Ayub 23)
Bashir is trying to find that perfect spot to a right-hander, pitching it outside off stump and trying to find the gap between bat and pad. Ghulam is lucky as Bashir bowls a dangerous delivery outside off, which fortunately for Ghulam does not come off the inside edge and loop into the hands of Pope at short-leg.
Ghulam then follows that up with an unconvincing sweep into the legside that yields a couple.
07:15 AM BST
OVER 18: PAK 46/2 (Ghulam 13 Ayub 23)
Be careful there Ghulam. He goes back to a delivery from Leach and just gets his bat down in time. Had that ball kept slightly lower he would have been in trouble there. The England fielders let out an audible gasp there as they thought they might have had him.
Good bowling from Leach; he aims for the footholes outside Ayub’s off stump and gets him driving. It comes off the inside edge but just evades Pope at short leg. Exactly what Stokes will want to see from Leach to the left-hander.
07:11 AM BST
OVER 17: PAK 45/2 (Ghulam 12 Ayub 23)
Bashir is a little fortunate as he drops short but Ghulam can only find the cover fielder. Ghulam will be so annoyed at himself there as had it gone either side it would probably have been four.
Ghulam gets a single off the final ball down to long-on to move onto 12.
07:09 AM BST
OVER 16: PAK 44/2 (Ghulam 11 Ayub 23)
Two runs from the first over after drinks.
07:01 AM BST
OVER 15: PAK 42/2 (Ghulam 10 Ayub 22)
Bashir finds the outside edge of Ayub’s bat but it goes past Stokes to his left at slip for two. Bashir then drops too short and Ayub cuts away behind square for three.
Time for drinks at the end of a good first hour for England.
Fascinating first hour, two wickets for Jack Leach but starting to wonder if England should have picked Rehan Ahmed. Are they a spinner short? Joe Root offers good back up, and can expect some work. Rehan can be expensive, perhaps that was in England’s thoughts in what will be a low scoring game but it feels one of Potts or Carse may be a bit of a passenger.
06:59 AM BST
OVER 14: PAK 37/2 (Ghulam 10 Ayub 17)
Ayub gets his hands through the ball quickly and punches away for three into the covers.
Off the final ball of Leach’s over, Ghulam uses his feet and powers it over Leach’s head for six, the first in his Test career. A bit of intent from Pakistan.
06:55 AM BST
OVER 13: PAK 27/2 (Ghulam 3 Ayub 14)
Ayub goes for the sweep but misses by an absolute mile as Bashir gets one to turn and bounce. Already this pitch is looking more interesting than the one for the first Test.
Bashir then drops too short and Ayub punches into the offside for a couple. Interestingly I have spotted Ghulam when down at the non-striker’s end is standing very close to the stumps, perhaps to be of use if Ayub needs to review a LBW decision. With this being his Test debut, something else for Ghulam to get his head around; the DRS system. He has played in the Pakistan Super League so will have some experience of DRS but not a lot.
Ghulam goes for a hard sweep into the legside and picks up just a single with Carse out in the deep.
How does Ben Stokes do it? Within the hour he has completely reasserted his authority and is master of all he surveys. Standing at first slip for the spinner obviously helps so that he is at the centre of the action, but he is not there all the time and there is rather more to it than that. He is some leader.
06:51 AM BST
OVER 12: PAK 23/2 (Ghulam 2 Ayub 11)
An absolute ripper from Leach that nearly brings England their third wicket. He gets one to turn and bounce on Ayub and an inside edge off the shoulder of the bat just evades Pope at short-leg.
Testing over from Leach, who is looking in good rhythm at the moment.
It is as if Pakistan have never studied English cricket. This is a Taunton turner that made Jack Leach’s career. Also, Pakistan crumbled against spin when they played Bangladesh. I feel for Jason Gillespie, this is not what he wants as Pakistan coach.
06:49 AM BST
OVER 11: PAK 22/2 (Ghulam 2 Ayub 10)
Two singles from Bashir’s third over. A lot of pressure on Ghulam on debut, not only coming into bat with his side under pressure but also replacing someone like Babar Azam, who may not have been in good form at all but still one of Pakistan’s best players.
06:45 AM BST
OVER 10: PAK 20/2 (Ghulam 1 Ayub 9)
Debutant Kamran Ghulam is in at number four and gets off the mark first ball with an outside edge to point for a single.
The 29-year-old, who became the first cricketer to score 1,000 runs in a single season of the Quaid-e-Azam trophy in the 2020-21 season, is in for Babar Azam in this game.
06:42 AM BST
Wicket
Masood c Crawley b Leach 3 Two quick wickets and the Pakistan captain is gone. He had tried to show some intent early in his innings but he is heading back to the pavilion. He clips one into the air and Crawley takes a great diving catch at short midwicket. It did not go far off the ground but, diving forward, Crawley pulls off a good grab. Dream start for England. FOW 19/2
The early efforts of Leach an Bashir have got me thinking back to the India tour earlier this year, and Tom Hartley. Remember him? Nine-fer on debut, a decent tour thereafter, an unused squad member at the T20 World Cup and then… nothing. Barely a wicket for Lancashire all summer, and not on any of England or the Lions’ tours this winter.
Jack Leach and England have their second wicket 🏴
Pakistan captain Shan Masood departs for three after a smart catch from Zak Crawley 🙌 pic.twitter.com/WlxtVur3aR
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) October 15, 2024
06:39 AM BST
OVER 9: PAK 17/1 (Masood 2 Ayub 8)
Two left-handers for Bashir to get stuck into. Just one run comes from his second over.
06:36 AM BST
OVER 8: PAK 16/1 (Masood 1 Ayub 8)
Pakistan captain Shan Masood, who is under huge pressure on and off the field at the moment, is in at three. Off his first ball he goes to sweep hard but misses. It strikes him on the pads and England appeal but Kumar Dharmasena shakes his head. That hit him outside the line.
A mis-field from Carse at short mid-wicket gifts Masood a single to get off the mark.
06:32 AM BST
Wicket
Shafique b Leach 7 The first breakthrough for England. Leach pitches it on middle and off and gets it to turn past the outside edge of Shafique’s bat, crashing into off stump. There was not a huge amount of spin but just enough. Perhaps Shafique should not be getting out to a ball that did not turn significantly. Stokes’ decision to turn to spin quickly is rewarded. Pakistan’s issues with their opening pair continues. FOW 15/1
That has to be one of the better balls Jack Leach has bowled in Tests, pitching middle to hit off stump – and almost certainly the best he has bowled in the 8th over of a Test.
06:30 AM BST
OVER 7: PAK 15/0 (Shafique 7 Ayub 8)
After short bursts from Potts and Carse, it is now spin from both ends as Shoaib Bashir comes into the attack for the first time today. It was two Durham seamers in tandem, now two Somerset spinners in tandem. I wonder how often two bowlers from one county have been replaced by a duo from another for England. Answers on a postcard!
A maiden over to start from Bashir, which ended with him spinning one past the edge of Ayub’s bat. It has been quite a conservative start for Pakistan this morning.
06:27 AM BST
OVER 6: PAK 15/0 (Shafique 7 Ayub 8)
Stokes has decided it is time for a change and spin is into the attack. Jack Leach is the first one deployed. His first ball goes past the edge of Ayub’s bat as he attempted a cover drive. Ayub does then get off strike with a single into the covers.
To the right-handed Shafique, Leach has a slip, short leg and two short covers. But then you do not want Leach to bowl a full toss outside leg stump, which Shafique clips away through midwicket for four. That is really poor bowling and one of Leach’s biggest weaknesses; his tendency to bowl bad balls more frequently than he should do.
06:23 AM BST
OVER 5: PAK 10/0 (Shafique 3 Ayub 7)
As has been the case under Stokes’ captaincy, there is plenty of flexibility and versatility in the field placements. Knowing that slips are not in the game that much in these conditions, Stokes has plenty of fielders in front of square in catching positions ready to take advantage of any Pakistan mistake.
A probing maiden over from Potts and it has been a tight start from Potts and Carse.
06:18 AM BST
OVER 4: PAK 10/0 (Shafique 3 Ayub 7)
Carse finds the inside edge of Shafique’s bat and it goes down to fine-leg for a single. Just the one run from the over.
06:13 AM BST
OVER 3: PAK 9/0 (Shafique 2 Ayub 7)
There is the first boundary of the match. Ayub gets onto the back foot and pushes it through backward point for four.
Off the last delivery Potts finds the outside edge of Ayub’s bat but it dies and bounces well short of Smith.
I take that back. Scuttler from Potts with the last ball of the third over fails to get above ankle height.
06:10 AM BST
OVER 2: PAK 5/0 (Shafique 2 Ayub 3)
Pott’s Durham teammate Brydon Carse will open from the other end. Carse made an impressive Test debut last week, taking four wickets. England’s three-man seam attack is entirely made up of Durham players; Carse, Potts and captain Stokes.
England have a leg slip in place and Shafique flicks off his legs in the air but it is safe. He needs to be careful there as that is exactly the type of shot England want him to play.
Ayub gets off the mark with a pull towards the deep midwicket boundary. With a slow outfield it does not reach the boundary and Duckett gets to it to restrict them to three.
The final ball keeps a little low and an inside edge off Shafique’s bat is all that saves him from being bowled.
06:04 AM BST
OVER 1: PAK 1/0 (Shafique 1 Ayub 0)
As is customary, the Barmy Army belts out ‘Jerusalem’ at the start of the day’s play, something the England players certainly appreciated it.
Potts is hitting a good line and length. Shafique gets off the mark with a single off the inside edge down to fine-leg for the first run of the Test.
That is a good start from Potts.
I’m old enough to remember thinking what a shocking toss England had lost in the first Test, so there’s no need for the heart to sink too much this time. The presence of Stokes and all his tactical ingenuity gives this game an extra edge and helps England no end.
England down to one regulation slip in the first over, plus a leg slip. Stokes is already playing with his fields. Fair enough given we didn’t have a single slip catch off a seamer in the first Test. No demons in the pitch so far.
06:01 AM BST
Time for action
The England side, led by Ben Stokes, have made their way out to the middle on another hot day in Multan. Abdullah Shafique and Saim Ayub are out in the middle for Pakistan. Matthew Potts, who is into the England team today as one of two changes, has the new ball in hand and will get us going in this Test match.
Winning the toss and batting first gives Pakistan a better chance but this is still England’s game to win. If this turns out to be a tense, low scoring game it is hard to back a Pakistan team that has lost six in a row, forgotten how to win and dropped their only world class batsman. Compare that to an England side that does not fear losing. Pakistan’s three new frontline spinners are all well into their 30s and have not played red ball cricket in a year because the domestic first-class season has not started yet.
05:59 AM BST
Muddled thinking?
Pakistan have made four changes to their side and have left out some senior players. The Pakistan selection committee, which includes former umpire Aleem Dar, has been well-documented and Ramiz Raja has been having his say on Sky:
“From an optics point of view, it does not look great. There is no denying the fact that Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah are not the same bowlers, maybe because of fitness issues or injury issues, I am not sure.
“But with this kind of osculation, it’s a cocktail of confusion. It does not look well. It needs settling down.
“If mid-way through a Test match you have people jumping the queue… they’re trying their best to win at any cost.”
05:55 AM BST
Sky’s Nasser Hussain on the return of Stokes
“It was a no-brainer to bring Stokes back into the side when he was fit and this pitch obviously helps his side, I don’t think he could have played as the third seamer on the last pitch, he would have had to been the fourth.
“But on this surface, a used surface, Stokes can play as the third and also fresh legs. Atkinson rests those legs and Potts is a good, strong bowler. There is emphasis on spin but there are cracks which will help the seamers.”
05:52 AM BST
Ben Stokes at the toss
“All good. We would have batted as well [if we had won the toss]. It was an amazing victory last week. Getting put in the field straight away and bowling the way we did in the first innings set the tone.
“Rooty [Joe Root] and Brooky [Harry Brook] played some unbelievable knocks and the way the bowlers set the game up for us in the first day-and-a-half allowed us to bat really big.
“We feel we have all bases covered, we have three spinners in Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir and Joe Root, and then the three seam options.”
05:50 AM BST
The thoughts of Pakistan captain Shan Masood at the toss
“I think firstly playing a Test match for Pakistan is a huge opportunity for anyone who wants to be a cricketer so we are all excited and there is some rejuvenated energy in the camp.
“There is stuff we cannot control but we can control what we do on the field. We are very positive about this.
“We are happy the spinners have some conditions were we can show we have some decent options in that department.”
05:48 AM BST
A little information on Pakistan Test debutant, Kamran Ghulam
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29-year-old right-handed batsman
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Became first cricketer to score 1,000 runs in a single season of the Quaid-e-Azam trophy
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Was first called up to Test squad in January 2021 during series against South Africa but did not make debut
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Made an ODI appearance in January 2023 against New Zealand
05:44 AM BST
The pitch
This game takes place in Multan once again, the venue for the first Test and will be played on the same surface as for the first. It is very unusual to see the same pitch used for consecutive Tests but Pakistan assistant coach Azhar Mahmood believes that is the best chance his side of winning this Test match and keeping the series alive.
“To use an already used pitch the idea is to get 20 England wickets. If we go with spinners and dominate then we have a good chance to get 20 wickets. We left a lot of grass on the pitches, we want the ball to turn. We felt we could have the home advantage. Let’s see if it works to our advantage or not. Time will tell.”
England have gone with a balanced bowling attack, with three seamers and three spinners, including Joe Root. Pakistan have opted for just one frontline seamer and plenty of spinners, with potentially seven options in that department. The pitch came in for criticism during the first Test and Pakistan have decided that using the same surface is the right way to go rather than beginning on a fresh surface.
05:38 AM BST
Changes in both camps
Both sides announced their sides ahead of time. England make two changes with captain Ben Stokes back from injury and his Durham teammate Matthew Potts also comes in, with Gus Atkinson and Chris Woakes making way.
Pakistan are under huge pressure at the moment and, unsurprisingly for a team in some turmoil, they have resorted to making numerous changes in attempt to change their fortunes. There are four in total, with Kamran Ghulam, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan and Zahid Mahmood coming in for Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed. Ghulam makes his Test debut. Some huge names missing out for Pakistan, including former captain Babar Azam, who just a few years ago was one of the best batsmen in the world. Just one frontline seamer for Pakistan in the form of Aamir Jamal.
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wk), Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir.
Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood (captain), Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammed Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Zahid Mahmood.
05:33 AM BST
Pakistan win the toss
Ben Stokes calls heads but it comes down tails. Shan Masood, under quite a significant amount of pressure, decides to bat first on the same pitch as the first Test. More on that to come.
Wry smile from Ben Stokes as he loses the toss on his return to the team and captaincy. It feels like a vital toss, batting last on this pitch is going to be very difficult. Also it may only be sound for batting on day one. We will know more soon about how it will play. But Pakistan are expecting it to be very difficult from day three (or day eight in reality).
05:31 AM BST
Toss incoming
Both captains, Shan Masood and the fit-again Ben Stokes, are out in the middle in Multan and we are ready for the toss…
05:27 AM BST
Just some of England’s records from first Test
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Joe Root became England’s leading Test run-scorer of all time and registered his highest Test score, 262, of his career
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Harry Brook’s triple century was the first for England in 34 years
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Brook and Root’s partnership of 454 was England’s highest in Test history
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England’s highest Test score of all time
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No team in Test history has ever conceded as many as the 556 as England did in Pakistan’s first innings then gone on to win by an innings.
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England have now won on three successive occasions when they have leaked totals in excess of 500
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Only England’s second Test win by an innings in Asia, and first since 1976
05:14 AM BST
The return of Stokes as England look to wrap up series
England are aiming to go 2-0 up and win the series in Multan as they take on Pakistan in the second Test. In the first Test, despite Pakistan scoring 556 in the first innings, England scored 823-7 in reply and won by an innings and 47 runs, only their second Test win by an innings in Asia. It was a truly historic Test match for England, both individually and collectively; from Joe Root becoming England’s leading Test run-scorer of all time, to his partnership with Harry Brook being the best ever for England.
Today marks the return of captain Ben Stokes, who has been out of action since August with an hamstring injury suffered during The Hundred. He is one of two changes for England from the first Test, with his Durham teammate Matthew Potts also coming in for Gus Atkinson and Chris Woakes. Stokes and Potts will form an all-Durham seam attack with Brydon Carse, who impressed on debut in the first Test taking four wickets. Stokes has spoken about his preparations for returning from injury this week.
“I’ve put myself through quite a lot of high-intensity stuff: sprints, batting for long periods of time, then bowling in the first Test and these two days. I needed to make sure I ticked every box, to make sure I was confident within myself and confident over the rest of my body. I’ve done everything I need and we’re good to go.”
Whilst everything is rosy in the England camp, the pressure is piling on Pakistan and their captain Shan Masood; they are now winless in 11 home Tests and they became the first side in Test history to score over 500 in the first innings and lose by an innings. They have not won a home Test since 2022 and Masood, who was already under pressure going into this series having lost 2-0 at home against Bangladesh in August, has lost all six Tests in charge.
They have plenty of questions to answer and, as a result, they have made plenty of changes to their squad including dropping Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah for this Test. In total Pakistan make four changes from the first Test as Noman Ali, Zahid Mahmood, Sajid Khan and Kamran Ghulam come into the team. Ghulam will make his Test debut, replacing Babar. Pakistan have loaded up on spinners, meaning they have named just one specialist seamer in the shape of Aamir Jamal. Abrar Ahmed has been ruled out due to illness.
Toss to follow at 5.30am UK time.
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