England won the toss and elected to bat first in the second Test match being played at Multan Cricket Stadium and made 281 runs in their first innings. Mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed got record seven wickets on his Test debut.
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam completed his 50 before the Day 1 concludes.
Pakistan (28 ov) 107/2
A terrific achievement on debut 🙌
Adulations for Abrar Ahmed 🌟#PAKvENG | #UKSePK pic.twitter.com/kCRUF1QrEc
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 9, 2022
A part of history 🙌
Memorable first day of Test cricket for Abrar Ahmed 🌟#PAKvENG | #UKSePK pic.twitter.com/pD3qBd10iz
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 9, 2022
2️⃣2️⃣ overs
1️⃣1️⃣4️⃣ runs
7️⃣ wicketsMan of the moment Abrar Ahmed! ✨#PAKvENG | #UKSePK pic.twitter.com/zLaPtG5unr
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 9, 2022
Debutant Abrar Ahmed strikes in the first over and bowled out Zak Crawley. Abrar is mobbed by his teammates after ripping one through Crawley’s defence! Crawley lunges forward, not expecting this to turn much, but it jags back sharply, past his inside edge, and into the top of off stump. Pakistan’s newbie makes an immediate impact, flicking out the front of his hand.
What a ball to get your first Test wicket! 👏
Immediate impact by Abrar Ahmed 🎯#PAKvENG | #UKSePK pic.twitter.com/8tvnuGFzyo
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 9, 2022
Once again, it's Abrar! ☝️
Brilliant review.#PAKvENG | #UKSePK pic.twitter.com/KgGaB3kt3K
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 9, 2022
More magic from Abrar 🪄
Another superb review 👍#PAKvENG | #UKSePK pic.twitter.com/jxlIjxIi4B
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 9, 2022
Abrar Ahmed to Ollie Pope, THATS OUT!! Caught!! 🇵🇰 🏴 🔰 pic.twitter.com/vNPqPTDfnx
— Roshan Abeysinghe (@RoshanCricket) December 9, 2022
𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 🤩#PAKvENG | #UKSePK pic.twitter.com/l9LUdcLVgZ
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 9, 2022
🚨 T O S S A L E R T 🚨
🪙 England win the toss and elect to bat first 🏏#PAKvENG | #UKSePK pic.twitter.com/hekE8XfXIs
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 9, 2022
Pakistan: 1 Imam-ul-Haq, 2 Abdullah Shafique, 3 Babar Azam (capt), 4 Saud Shakeel, 5 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 6 Agha Salman, 7 Mohammad Nawaz, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Zahid Mahmood, 10 Abrar Ahmed, 11 Mohammad Ali
England: England: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope (wk), 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Will Jacks, 8 Ollie Robinson, 9 Jack Leach, 10 Mark Wood, 11 James Anderson
Ben Stokes wants to set the tempo again. “Have to wait and see what it [the pitch] offers but hopefully we can go out and set the same sort of benchmark with the bat,” he says.
England had named their XI in advance, with Mark Wood coming in for the injured Liam Livingstone.
Babar Azam says he too would have batted. “Pitch looks dry, we will have to bowl in the right areas.” Three changes confirmed: Naseem, Haris Rauf and Azhar drop out, with Abrar, Nawaz and Faheem coming in. Five genuine bowling options for them this time out.
We win the toss and bat first!
One change to our team.
🇵🇰 #PAKvENG 🏴
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) December 9, 2022
Abrar Ahmed becomes Pakistan’s Test cap no.252
Mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed became 252nd player from Pakistan to play Test cricketer as he was named in the XI announced by Pakistan captain Babar Azam at the toss for the second of the three Tests against England at the Multan Cricket Stadium.
Abrar had received maiden call-up in the Test squad ahead of this series following an impressive run in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2022-23. The 24-year-old right-arm spinner won the best bowler of the tournament award and topped the leading wicket-taker chart with 43 scalps in seven matches at an average of 21.95.
https://twitter.com/TheRealPCB/status/1601083844714582016b
Pakistan XI for the second Test: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (vc & wk), Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Zahid Mehmood, Abrar Ahmed and Mohammad Ali
Overall, Pakistan made three changes from the side that played the first Test at the Pindi Cricket Stadium with Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, who has a niggle in his bowling shoulder, and Azhar Ali being replaced with Abrar, Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Nawaz.