Thu Oct 17 08:02:15 UTC 2024: ## England’s Day of Disaster in Multan: Duckett Injured, Pope Out for Duck as Pakistan Dominate
**Multan, Pakistan:** England’s tour of Pakistan got off to a disastrous start on the second day of the first Test, with a series of unfortunate events leaving them in a precarious position.
Following a strong start from Pakistan, who amassed a mammoth 556 runs, England’s response was hampered by a worrying thumb injury to opener Ben Duckett. The injury occurred while catching Pakistan’s last batsman, Abrar Ahmed, and the left-hander is now a doubt for the remainder of the match.
Adding insult to injury, England captain Ollie Pope, who bravely volunteered to bat despite Duckett’s injury, fell for a duck in a sensational one-handed catch by Aamer Jamal. Pope’s dismissal came just two balls after coming to the crease, leaving England reeling at 1-0.
The day was marred by several controversial decisions, most notably a six awarded to Salman Agha despite strong evidence that Chris Woakes had taken a spectacular one-man relay catch at long-off. Replays were inconclusive, but the third umpire ruled in favor of Agha, who subsequently went on to score a crucial century.
Despite a spirited innings by Zak Crawley (64 not out), England remain behind in the match, facing a daunting task to salvage their position. The team will need to produce a remarkable performance to turn the tide and avoid a heavy defeat in the first Test.
The third day promises to be crucial, with Joe Root, just 71 runs away from surpassing Sir Alastair Cook as England’s leading Test run-scorer, needing a strong innings to help England claw their way back into the game.
First Piper 