After suffering a crushing innings loss in the first Test match of the series, Pakistan is anticipated to play their second Test match against England in Multan on the same field. Pakistan has now dropped six straight Test matches and hasn’t won any of their last nine home matches.
Pakistan made history in the first Test match against England, but not in a good way. They were the first team to lose by an innings after making over 500 runs in their opening innings.
The pitch was thoroughly watered by ground personnel after the first Test ended, and large fans were positioned at both ends to aid in the pitch’s preparation for the second game. On Sunday morning, Pakistan’s coach Jason Gillespie and captain Shan Masood examined the pitch. Gillespie then had a long talk with Tony Hemming, the Australian head curator for the PCB.
When you reach 550 on the scoreboard, you should aim for 10 wickets: Shan Masood
The choice to repurpose the pitch is probably going to favour spin bowling, which may have an impact on England’s team composition. If circumstances allow, Ben Stokes, who has been increasing his workload as a bowler, might make a comeback to the side as a third seamer. With a 1-0 series advantage, the tourists may anticipate a low-scoring contest.
With 1599 runs scored for the loss of just 26 wickets, the first Test pitch provided little help to bowlers. Chris Woakes labelled it a “bowlers’ graveyard” on social media, and former England batsman Kevin Pietersen said it offered bowlers “bugger all.” In his reflections on the first Test defeat, Pakistan’s skipper, Shan Masood, emphasised the necessity for his bowlers to back the batting effort.
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“It’s crucial to support your 550 on the scoreboard with 10 wickets. That is not what we accomplished. These 220 runs on the fifth day become difficult if we take those 10 wickets and contain England within our total, possibly a little bit more,” Masood stated during the post-match press conference.