England register maiden Test win in Multan, clinch series: Stats
England beat Pakistan by 26 runs to register a clinical win in the second Test on Monday. Middle-order batter Saud Shakeel (94) stood out in the 355-run chase but it wasn't enough. Mark Wood got crucial scalps of Shakeel and Mohammad Nawaz (45) to put England in a winning position. England have registered their maiden Test win in Multan. Here are the key stats.
How did the second Test pan out?
England posted 281/10 after electing to bat. Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope scored fifties each, with the lower-middle order putting up a fight too. Debutant Abrar Ahmed (7/114) scripted history for Pakistan. In reply, the hosts managed 202, riding on Babar Azam and Shakeel's half-centuries. England were bundled for 275, setting a 355-run target. Pakistan looked set for the chase but fell short (328/10).
Imam clubs his fifth Test fifty, breaches 1,200 runs
Imam-ul-Haq, who was dismissed for a duck in the first innings, frustrated the visitors later with a sublime 104-ball 60 (4s: 7). The southpaw clocked his fifth half-century in the format. Also, the effort saw him get past 1,200 Test runs (1,202) at 37.56.
10th Test fifty for Pope
Pope put up a blistering show in the first innings, smashing 60 off 61 deliveries. He struck five fours before Abrar pulled curtains to his stay. It was Pope's 10th Test fifty and second against Pakistan. He now has 1,675 runs at 32.21. Notably, Pope hammered his third Test ton in the previous match in Rawalpindi.
A dream debut for Abrar!
Abrar clocked mouth-watering figures worth 7/114 and 4/120 in the concluded Test. The leg-spinner became just the 13th Pakistani bowler to register a fifer on his Test debut. According to ESPNcricinfo, Abrar became the first player since Alf Valentine (1950) to take a five-fer on debut in the opening session of a men's Test. Charlie Turner (1887) and Fred Martin (1890) are the others.
Babar, Shakeel shine in Multan
Skipper Babar scored a fine 75 off 95 deliveries (4s: 10, 6s: 1), piloting Pakistan past 200. Babar clubbed his 24th Test fifty and fourth against England. He was dismissed cheaply later. He now has 3,338 runs across 44 Tests at 47.68. Meanwhile, Shakeel missed out on his maiden Test ton. His scores in the format read 37, 76, 63, and 94.
Brook slams his second Test ton
Although Harry Brook scored a paltry nine runs in the first innings, he made up for it later by scoring his second Test ton (149-ball 108). The middle-order batter blasted 14 fours and a six. Brook has steered to 369 runs at 73.80. Notably, he struck 153 and 87 in Rawalpindi. The ongoing tour of Pakistan is turning out to be fruitful for him.
Joint-most sixes in Tests for Stokes
England skipper Ben Stokes managed scores worth 30(38) and 41(51). He slammed four fours and two sixes. He now has the joint-most sixes by a player in Test cricket, equaling the tally of England's Test coach Brendon McCullum (107). Stokes unlocked the feat in his 160th innings, while McCullum featured in 176 innings for New Zealand. Stokes owns 5,541 runs at 35.98.
Twin fifties for Duckett
Duckett, who slammed his maiden ton in the last Test, blasted twin fifties in the second Test in Multan. He followed up his 49-ball 63 in the first innings with a 98-ball 79. The southpaw has raced to 359 runs in six Tests at 32.63. He boasts a strike rate of 80.13 (100s: 1, 50s: 3).
England's maiden Test win in Multan
England registered their maiden Test win in Multan, having lost by 22 runs in the 2005 series. Meanwhile, it was England's only fourth win in Pakistan (L4 D16), with two of those in the series underway.
