MULTAN: On the first day of the second Test at Multan, debutant Abrar Ahmed mesmerised England by taking five wickets as the visitors reached 180-5 at lunch.
After England won the toss and chose to bat on a turning pitch, the 24-year-old, who has been dubbed “Harry Potter” by pals because he sports glasses resembling those of the legendary young wizard, worked his own kind of magic.
In the opening two hours, he fired Zak Crawley (19), Ben Duckett (63), and Joe Root (8) before letting Ollie Pope (60) and Harry Brook (9) go.
Ahmed became the thirteenth Pakistani bowler to record five or more dismissals in a single innings.
After the first session was delayed for Friday prayers, Ben Stokes and Will Jacks were at the bat with 14 and 0 runs, respectively, at the break.
It was totally different from the first Test, in which England destroyed it 174-0 by lunch on the first day.
Despite frequently losing wickets, England scored runs quickly, with Pope and Duckett each hitting five fours and a six.
Babar Azam, the captain of Pakistan, began to use spin in the ninth over, and Ahmed, bowling his fifth Test ball, struck Crawley with a crisp entering delivery.
After reviewing the on-field calls, Duckett and Root were both thrown out, but not before he had trapped them both leg-before.
Pope and Brook missed ambitious attempts and were caught, which allowed Ahmed to make it 167-5.
After losing the first Test by 74 runs, Pakistan included three spinners in their lineup in an effort to tie the series. This was done since paceman Naseem Shah was unable to play due to a shoulder injury.
Three changes have been made by the hosts due to additional injuries, who are already without pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi, who will miss the series after having surgery for appendicitis.
Along with top-order batsman Azhar Ali, fast bowlers Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf are out.
All-rounders Mohammad Nawaz and Faheem Ashraf, as well as untested spinner Abrar Ahmed, have taken their position on the home team.
On their first test trip of Pakistan since 2005, England defeated Pakistan in Rawalpindi by a score of 74 runs.
On December 17, the final examination is scheduled in Karachi.
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