Pakistan’s Dominant Performance Against England in Multan Test
In Multan, Pakistan showcased a remarkable performance against England in the opening Test match. On Day 2, Salman Ali Agha’s impressive batting helped Pakistan reach a total of 556 runs. This was the second-highest total conceded by England since the ‘Bazball’ era began under head coach Brendon McCullum in 2022.
Salman Ali Agha, aged 30, was the last man standing for Pakistan, contributing significantly to the team’s commanding position. Pakistan became the first team to score over 550 runs twice against England in the Test format since McCullum’s appointment. They surpassed New Zealand’s previous total of 553 runs achieved in Nottingham in 2022, although they fell short of their own record of 559 runs set in Rawalpindi two years ago.
Pakistan’s strong performance was built on a historic 253-run partnership between captain Shan Masood and opener Abdullah Shafique. Shafique, under pressure, scored a century with 102 runs off 184 balls, while Masood was the aggressor, scoring 151 runs off 177 balls at a strike rate of 85.31.
Salman Ali Agha continued his aggressive yet defensive approach, scoring an unbeaten 104 runs with a strike rate of 87.39. This match marked the fourth time three Pakistani batsmen scored centuries in the same innings against England.
Doubts Revealed
Multan Test -: A ‘Test’ is a type of cricket match that lasts up to five days. ‘Multan’ is a city in Pakistan where this cricket match took place.
Brendon McCullum -: Brendon McCullum is a former New Zealand cricketer who is now the head coach of the England cricket team.
Salman Ali Agha -: Salman Ali Agha is a Pakistani cricketer who played very well in this match, scoring 104 runs without getting out.
Shan Masood -: Shan Masood is a Pakistani cricketer who, along with Abdullah Shafique, helped Pakistan score a lot of runs in this match.
Abdullah Shafique -: Abdullah Shafique is another Pakistani cricketer who played an important role in scoring runs with Shan Masood.
Centuries -: In cricket, a ‘century’ means a player has scored 100 or more runs in a single innings, which is a big achievement.