Match evenly poised after Pakistan bowl out England for 281 in second Test

MULTAN            -          Pakistan reached 107-2 on the opening day of the second Test against Pakistan in Multan on Friday. At stumps, the home side trailed by 174 runs with Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel unbeaten on 61 and 32 runs respectively. The Pakistan skipper took just 57 balls to reach his fifty and has already stroked nine fours and a six. On his home ground, Imam fell for a duck on the second ball he faced after edging one to wicketkeeper Ollie Pope on the bowling of veteran pacer James Anderson. Imam’s fellow opener Abdullah Shafique also went back to the hut after scoring 14 runs. The right-hander nicked one to Pope, on the bowling of spinner Jack Leach, after looking to defend with a straight bat. Earlier, England were dismissed for 281 in their first innings after deciding to bat first. Ben Duckett (63) and Ollie Pope (60) scored brisk fifties for the touring side, who are 1-0 up in the three-Test series. For Pakistan, mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed bagged 7-114 on his remarkable Test debut. The 24-year-old became the 13th Pakistan cricketer to bag a five-wicket haul on Test debut. England, who won the first match in Rawalpindi by 74 runs, are on their first Test tour of Pakistan since 2005. Pakistan have made three changes for the second Test as they look to level the series. The hosts are already without pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi, who misses the series following an appendicitis surgery, and further injuries have forced them to make three changes. Fast bowlers Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf are out, along with top-order batter Azhar Ali. The home side have replaced them with all-rounders Mohammad Nawaz and Faheem Ashraf and uncapped spinner Abrar Ahmed. England had announced their playing 11 on Thursday, bringing in fast bowler Mark Wood for injured allrounder Liam Livingstone.

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