Fri Oct 18 11:05:32 UTC 2024: ## Pakistan Clinches Thrilling Win in Second Test, Leveling Series Against England
**Multan, Pakistan:** Pakistan claimed a decisive victory in the second Test against England, winning by 152 runs and leveling the three-match series at 1-1. England, who were tasked with chasing a daunting 297 runs on a dust-laden Multan pitch, were bowled out for a meager 144 before lunch on day four.
The heroes of the victory were Pakistan’s spin duo, Noman Ali and Sajid Khan. Noman, a left-arm spinner, claimed seven of the eight wickets to fall on Friday for an impressive 8-46, finishing the match with a remarkable 11-147. Sajid, an off-spinner, also contributed significantly with nine wickets in the match. This marked only the seventh time in Test history, and the first since 1972, that two bowlers have shared all 20 wickets in a Test.
England’s hopes of chasing down a challenging target were further hampered by a disastrous collapse of 8-80 in their first innings and two crucial dropped catches in the Pakistan second innings. Despite the difficult conditions and the loss of the toss, England had shown resilience early on, reaching 211-2 in their first innings thanks to Ben Duckett’s century. However, their first-innings parity was undone by a disappointing collapse, culminating in a score of 291.
The match was played on a repurposed pitch from the first Test, which raised eyebrows due to its unusual nature. Despite the controversial pitch, Pakistan displayed impressive resilience and skill throughout the match. Kamran Ghulam, replacing the dropped Babar Azam, made a strong debut with a century, while Sajid and Noman consistently challenged the England batsmen.
England now face a crucial final Test in Rawalpindi, starting on October 24th, where they will need to adapt their strategy to counter the spin-friendly conditions. The outcome of this decisive match will determine the winner of the series.
First Piper 