Second Test beautifully poised as Pakistan chase big target

The hosts will need a further 157 runs to win on Monday after England's lower order collapsed to set up a tantalising run-chase for Pakistan

Multan: England 281 & 275, Pakistan 202 & 198-4 - Pakistan need 157 more runs to win with six wickets remaining

Scorecard

A fine partnership between Imam-ul-Haq and Saud Shakeel left the second Test beautifully poised after the third day in Multan, where Harry Brook struck his second hundred in as many games.

Imam (60) and Shakeel (54*) came together with Pakistan 83 for 3, chasing a victory target of 355 to keep the three-match series alive after England's seamers had produced early beauties on an increasingly benign pitch to dismiss Mohammad Rizwan (30), Babar Azam (1) and Abdullah Shafique (45).

James Anderson flicked Rizwan's off-stump with a delivery that nipped away off the pitch; Ollie Robinson bowled Babar for the second time in the match, this time with an off-cutter that cannoned into the Pakistan's captain off-bail as he shouldered arms; Mark Wood beat Shafique for pace to rattle his off-stump.

But otherwise, England were made to toil by the home side's left-handed pair, both of whom drove sweetly through the off-side and made hay against England's spinners on a pitch that appears to be spinning less than earlier in the game, until Imam edged Jack Leach to Joe Root, who took a superb slip catch.

^{James Anderson dismissed Mohammad Rizwan with a beauty (Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)}

Pakistan had played Leach expertly until then; he bowled 20 overs for 88, while Root and Will Jacks were also ineffective.

England did in fact have Imam caught down the legside off Wood but, after the decision was given not out on the field, Ben Stokes opted not to review the appeal. Earlier, Jacks had dropped him off his own bowling.

They were the occasional chances in a mostly untroubled stand worth 108 runs, which has tilted the tide marginally in Pakistan's favour as they look to chase down a total that would be the highest in the game and 12 more than what England set Babar's men at Rawalpindi a week ago.

Earlier, England's second innings subsided in the morning session. Though Stokes (41) and Brook (108) started the day in typically assertive fashion, both slog-swept to boundary-riding fielders.

^{Imam-ul-Haq made fifty despite having an MRI scan on a potential hamstring injury on the same day (Aamir Qureshi/AFP via Getty Images)}

Brook's century was his second in three Test appearances and followed up a remarkable performance in the first Test of this series. Once again, it was littered with classy shots off front and back foot, particularly brutal when picking up length early and pulling over midwicket.

He was the ninth wicket to fall, by which time Stokes had picked out Mohammad Ali in the deep off Mohammad Nawaz, Robinson had been bowled by an Abrar Ahmed googly as he looked to attack and Wood had guided Abrar's leg-break to Babar at slip. Anderson was last man out, lbw as he looked to sweep.

That collapse – England lost 5 for 19 – brought Pakistan into the game somewhat, however, and the hosts will need 157 runs to win when play resumes on Monday, with Faheem Ashraf alongside Shakeel.

Related Topics

• Pakistan collapse gives England control on second day at Multan