Pakistan’s off-spinner Sajid Khan, on October 17 (Thursday), registered the best bowling figures at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Test cricket. Sajid Khan , The 31-year-old scalped 7/111 in 26.2 overs against England to better Abrar Ahmed’s record of 7/114 against the same opposition in 2022.
Making his comeback to the Pakistan Test team after more than nine months, Sajid Khan single-handedly broke the back of England’s batting line-up in the second Test of the three-match series. After Pakistan lost the first Test by an innings and 47 runs in Multan, they decided to roll out the same surface for the second Test. Considering it was a used surface, there was enough assistance on offer for the spinners, and Sajid Khan made the most of it.
With a twinkle in his eye and a twirl of his moustache, Sajid Khan helped turn the Multan rematch Pakistan’s way. A first-innings seven-for was followed up by crucial lower-order runs to help set England a daunting target of 297 to win the second Test.
Day 3 : Morning Session : Sajid Khan’s stellar act puts Pakistan on top
Sajid Khan’s second best figures in Test cricket – 7 for 111 – ensured a quick end to England’s innings as the visitors were bowled out for 291 on Day 3. Starting the day at 239/6, they managed to add some useful runs thanks to 20s from Jamie Smith and Jack Leach but Pakistan picked up a handy lead to 75. The hosts stretched the lead to 118 at Lunch but lost three wickets in the process as they went into the break at 43/3.
Brydon Carse had a couple of lucky breaks early in the day, with Sajid Khan putting down a tough chance off his own bowling and then surviving a Pakistan review for leg-before off the same bowler. Sajid eventually bagged the wicket of Carse, who became the spinner’s fifth victim after miscuing one to long-on. In his next over, the spinner picked up his sixth as he had Matthew Potts bowled after being swept for a four.
Smith didn’t last long, becoming another batter to be dismissed looking to play a big one, as he handed a catch to long-off to give Noman Ali his third wicket. Leach and Shoaib Bashir struck a few boundaries in a last wicket partnership that kept Pakistan waiting. Sajid Khan finally ended the stand, having Bashir caught at short mid wicket as England’s innings ended inside the first hour of the day’s play.
England started with spin straightaway, with Leach and Bashir bowling in tandem. They found some help from the wicket but the Pakistan openers were up to the task, negotiating them for the first five overs. But Bashir provided the breakthrough, having Abdullah Shafique caught down the leg-side, with England having to use the DRS to get the decision in their favour.
Shan Masood struck a boundary off Bashir but was soon caught at gully off the same bowler, having closed the face of his bat early. Bashir bagged his third, off the last ball before Lunch, when he found the outside edge of Saim Ayub’s bat.
England’s prospect had been undermined by the four-wicket burst from Sajid on the second evening, and he did not have to wait long for his second Test five-for when play resumed. Carse holed out to long-on before Potts got in a tangle trying to work off his pads to be bowled between his legs. Noman then claimed his 50th wicket in Tests as Smith, looking to hit out in the company of the tail, could only miscue high to long-off.
A last-wicket stand of 29 between Leach and Bashir cut into the lead, before Sajid’s seventh brought the innings to a close. It was then Pakistan’s turns to get the jitters, as the top three all departed in the space of 15 overs before lunch.
Pakistan’s recent issues in the third innings have been well-documented, failing to capitalize on positions of varying promise against Australia and Bangladesh, and it seemed as if they were primed for another stumble after losing three wickets to Shoaib Bashir to be 43 for 3 at lunch. Saud Shakeel helped steady things, although he too had a life off Carse as Root couldn’t get his hands up to a flashed cut at slip.
Day 3 : Post Lunch Session : Pakistan strengthen their grip in Multan
Pakistan continued to tighten their grip on the second Test in Multan, extending their lead to 209 in another dominant session on Day 3. Pakistan added 91 runs on the third afternoon for the loss of two wickets, one of them being that of Mohammad Rizwan on 23. It was Brydon Carse, running in with a dodgy left leg, who had Rizwan’s number for the third time in three innings in this series, the mode of dismissal this time being a simple catch to slip.
Carse came close to dismissing Agha Salman twice in the same over, but Jamie Smith and Joe Root put down both chances. Jack Leach needed no such support fortunately, pinning Kamran Ghulam in front to deliver the first breakthrough for England in the afternoon session.
Earlier in the morning, Sajid Khan’s second best figures in Test cricket – 7 for 111 – ensured a quick end to England’s innings as the visitors were bowled out for 291. Starting the day at 239/6, they managed to add some useful runs thanks to 20s from Jamie Smith and Jack Leach but Pakistan picked up a handy lead to 75. The hosts stretched the lead to 118 at Lunch but lost three wickets in the process as they went into the break at 43/3.
Brydon Carse had a couple of lucky breaks early in the day, with Sajid Khan putting down a tough chance off his own bowling and then surviving a Pakistan review for leg-before off the same bowler. Sajid eventually bagged the wicket of Carse, who became the spinner’s fifth victim after miscuing one to long-on. In his next over, the spinner picked up his sixth as he had Matthew Potts bowled after being swept for a four.
Smith didn’t last long, becoming another batter to be dismissed looking to play a big one, as he handed a catch to long-off to give Noman Ali his third wicket. Leach and Shoaib Bashir struck a few boundaries in a last wicket partnership that kept Pakistan waiting. Sajid finally ended the stand, having Bashir caught at short mid wicket as England’s innings ended inside the first hour of the day’s play.
England started with spin straightaway, with Leach and Bashir bowling in tandem. They found some help from the wicket but the Pakistan openers were up to the task, negotiating them for the first five overs. But Bashir provided the breakthrough, having Abdullah Shafique caught down the leg-side, with England having to use the DRS to get the decision in their favour.
Shan Masood struck a boundary off Bashir but was soon caught at gully off the same bowler, having closed the face of his bat early. Bashir bagged his third, off the last ball before Lunch, when he found the outside edge of Saim Ayub’s bat. Saud Shakeel helped steady things, although he too had a life off Carse as Root couldn’t get his hands up to a flashed cut at slip.
Bashir had not enjoyed much success on tour to date but rose to the occasion after being thrown the new ball by Ben Stokes. His third over produced the breakthrough, with Abdullah Shafique adjudged to have feathered a catch behind down the leg side – although it took some lengthy deliberations by the third umpire, Sharfuddoula, after England had gone to the DRS. Shafique’s dismissal brought an end to Pakistan’s opening stand at 9 – the ninth time in ten innings that he and Saim Ayub have failed to reach double-figures together.
Shan Masood did not last long, squared up by one that ripped away off a length to hit the splice for a sharp catch to Pope, in close under the helmet at second slip. There was turn and bounce aplenty for England’s spinners and with the final delivery before the break, Bashir dislodged Ayub, who propped forward to provide a simpler chance to Pope.
Day 3 : Afternoon Session : Sajid Khan, Salman put Pakistan in pole position to achieve series parity on Day 3
A total of 16 wickets fell on the third day in Multan – the third-most in a single day’s play in Pakistan – as the hosts strengthened their hold on the second Test. Heading into the fourth day, England need 261 runs with eight wickets in hand on what is effectively an eighth-day pitch, aiding consistent spin, uneven bounce, and reverse swing.
It all began with Sajid Khan adding three more wickets to his overnight tally, finishing with a seven-wicket haul to bowl England out for 291. As a result, Pakistan secured a valuable 75-run lead, overcoming a frustrating 29-run last-wicket stand between Shoaib Bashir and Jack Leach. Noman Ali, who got the important wicket of Jamie Smith by having him caught in the deep, returned three wickets.
Batting for the second time, Pakistan extended their lead to 118 in the morning session but lost three wickets along the way, with England opting to open the bowling with spin from both ends. It was Shoaib Bashir who provided key breakthroughs, dismissing Abdullah Shafique caught down the leg-side and Shan Masood at gully. He struck again with the final ball before Lunch, removing Saim Ayub via an edge to put England firmly back in the contest.
Jack Leach got into the act early in the final session, dismissing Saud Shakeel (lbw) and Aamer Jamal (bowled) in back-to-back overs. Bashir then doubled down with his fourth wicket in the innings, getting Noman Ali edging to Ben Stokes at slip.
Pakistan looked a bit uncertain at 156/8, their lead only 231 at the time, but Agha Salman (63 off 89) took the attack to England and helped add 65 runs for the ninth wicket.
Salman was on 4 when Carse came close to dismissing him twice in the same over, but Jamie Smith and Joe Root put down both chances. Carse finally had the batter with a short ball but Pakistan by then were well on the way to set a target of 297 runs for England.
England’s chase got off to the worst possible start as Ben Duckett, the centurion from the first innings, fell for a two-ball duck to Sajid Khan. The very sweep shot that had brought him success earlier proved his undoing, the extra bounce from the new ball making the shot difficult to control on this occasion.
Noman soon had Zak Crawley stumped and England were left picking up the pieces a bit at 11/2 on a pitch where run-making now looks difficult. Joe Root and Ollie Pope steadied the ship and will be key for the visitors going into what’s likely to be the fourth and final day of the Test.
Having claimed three of the four England wickets to fall during the first hour on day three, securing a 75-run lead for Pakistan and personal figures of 7 for 111 – the best for an innings in Tests at Multan – Sajid Khan came to the crease during the evening session with the scoreboard reading 156 for 8. England were eyeing up a chase in the region of 230-240, only for Sajid Khan to join Salman Agha in putting on a bristling stand of 65, by far the highest of a day on which 16 wickets fell and the spinners prospered.
Salman did the bulk of the scoring, making his third 50-plus score of the series to steer the target up towards 300, and England’s pain in the field was only increased by the knowledge that he could have been dismissed twice in single-figures. Brydon Carse was the unlucky bowler, as two chances went down in the space of three balls: Jamie Smith failing to hold a regulation nick behind the stumps before Joe Root shelled another to his right, the fact he was wearing a helmet and standing in close only partial mitigation.
When Shakeel was trapped lbw by Jack Leach, the first of three wickets to fall in the space of five overs after tea, England had hopes of wrapping up the innings quickly. But Salman immediately countered, hitting three fours from his next seven balls and going on to his half-century by lofting Leach clean over long-off for six. The ninth-wicket pair took less than eight overs to raise the 50 stand, as England’s target rose rapidly – eventually leaving them needing the second-highest successful chase in Pakistan, and by far their highest overall in Asia.
Sajid Khan survived being caught at long-on, when Duckett was forced to throw the ball back in as he crossed the rope, then overturned being given out lbw to a Matt Potts full toss when UltraEdge detected an inside edge; he might have been out on 20, but with the DRS momentarily down, England couldn’t review for caught behind.
Carse eventually broke through when Salman spliced a pull to midwicket, belated reward for the fast bowler’s perseverance and skill in demanding conditions, and Potts then bounced out Sajid Khan. But the spinner was only just getting warmed up and he took centre stage again, eyes bulging like a cartoon supervillain after Duckett had top-edged a sweep straight up to depart for a two-ball duck in the first over of the chase.
Noman Ali then produced a beautifully flighted delivery to have Zak Crawley stumped by a distance, the opener collapsing to his knees even as he turned to see Mohammad Rizwan break the bails, as England slipped to 11 for 2. Ollie Pope and Joe Root saw them through to the close but there was plenty of work still to be done on a pitch that has increasingly taken spin if England are to extend their winning run in Pakistan.
It was all a far cry from the first Test at this ground, when only 13 wickets fell across the first three days – the count now up to 32 at the same stage in the pitch second’s incarnation. Pakistan needed solidity and they got it in the form of three dogged stands in the 30s featuring Shakeel.
The debutant Kamran Ghulam provided further signs of his ability, following his first-innings hundred, before being trapped plumb lbw by Leach. Rizwan then resumed his battle with Carse, eventually falling to him for the third innings in a row after England got the ball to reverse swing. Whether they can reverse the course of this Test may depend on keeping Sajid Khan from top billing on day four.
Day 4 Road Ahead for England and Pakistan
With a twinkle in his eye and a twirl of his moustache, Sajid Khan helped turn the Multan rematch Pakistan’s way. A first-innings seven-for was followed up by crucial lower-order runs to help set England a daunting target of 297 to win the second Test. Sajid Khan then struck with his third ball to remove Ben Duckett, England’s centurion on day two and a key man in their hopes of a successful chase.
Sajid Khan may be an unassuming offspinner on paper, and something of an afterthought in selection – he described himself as “always the first to be kicked out” after taking four England wickets during the second evening to put his side on top. But with his shaved head, luxuriant facial hair and colorful celebrations he has brought some much-needed character to Pakistan’s attempts to break a winless run at home that stretches back to 2021.
Pakistan were bundled out for 366 in the first innings, and in response, England raced to 120/1 in 23 overs. However, that’s when Sajid stepped up and knocked over Ollie Pope with a peach of a delivery. The off-spinner then dismissed Joe Root, Ben Duckett and Harry Brook in the space of a couple of overs and reduced England to 225/5. Sajid ended day two with four wickets and returned on day three to claim three more.
The offie got rid of Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts and Shoaib Bashir to complete his seven-wicket haul and become the ninth Pakistan bowler with multiple seven-wicket hauls in red-ball cricket. Sajid took 8/42 against Bangladesh in Mirpur in 2022. England were eventually bowled out 291 in 67.2 overs, conceding a first-innings lead of 75 runs.
Another fantastic day of Test match cricket. This pitch despite it being used again which means it’s effectively a day 8 pitch now, has made up for the drudgery in the first game. This Test has been interesting from day 1 and today was no different. Starting the day at 239/6, England made 291 in their first innings to give Pakistan a handy 75-run lead with Sajid Khan the star with a seven-fer.
The last-wicket pair added 29 crucial runs for England as all 10 wickets fell to the spinners. In reply Pakistan lost three quick wickets – all to Bashir as England tried to fight back. After that there were handy contributions from Ghulam, Shakeel and Rizwan but England through a mixture of reverse-swing and spin chipped away at the wickets.
Agha Salman was on 4 when he gave two chances in one over off Carse which was dropped by Jamie Smith and Root respectively. That proved to be costly as the ninth-wicket stand added 55 with Agha Salman and Sajid Khan frustrating England. That pushed the overall lead to 296 before Pakistan were bowled out.
And things got better when Sajid Khan got Duckett third ball of the innings. Soon Crawley was done in by a beauty from Noman and England were facing the heat. Root and Ollie Pope though saw off the remaining overs and have taken their side to stumps without any further blows.
This game is set up beautifully. The ball is spinning, keeping low at times, reversing and batting is not easy. England though know only one way to play and will attack whenever they can. Their hopes rest majorly on Root who has looked good so far. It is advantage Pakistan going into day four. They will be confident of levelling this series tomorrow with the way the pitch is assisting them.