• Mohammad Rizwan scored a gutsy half-century to take Pakistan's score past 200 runs.

  • England are in search of just one wicket to bundle out Pakistan's first innings.

ENG vs PAK: Mohammad Rizwan’s gritty fifty frustrates England on Day 2
Mohammad Rizwan (Image Source: Twitter)

Pakistan started the proceedings on Day 2 of the second Test against England in Southampton 90 minutes later to the original timing as light showers delayed the morning session. Babar Azam (47) and Mohammad Rizwan dealt with top-quality swing and took the visitors to 155/5 on lunch.

The pair of Babar and Rizwan added 38-run stand before Stuart Broad produced the first breakthrough of the second day when he bowled an absolute jaffa to remove Babar.

During the 43rd over of Pakistan’s first innings, Broad pitched the ball on a good length just around off stump. The delivery squared up Babar who got the thin edge, and Jos Buttler grabbed an excellent catch behind the stumps.

After Broad’s successful attempt to dismiss Babar, James Anderson too joined the party as he sent Yasir Shah (5) back to the pavilion. The way Yasir was batting, it seemed like he was still in his second innings hangover from Old Trafford Test. He kept swinging at almost every ball and in the end gave a simple catch to Buttler. It was Anderson’s 593rd Test wicket.

Soon, Dom Sibley’s magical fielding produced a wicket out of nowhere. It all happened in the 75th over when Shaheen Afridi was caught wandering out of his crease, and Sibley managed to hit the bulls-eye at the bowler’s end to end Shaheen’s innings which lasted for 19 balls without a single run.

In the meantime, Pakistan’s wicket-keeper batsman Rizwan exhibited immense maturity and held his end. He kept the run flow going and frustrated the English bowlers. When Shaheen was dismissed Pakistan were struggling at 176/8, but Rizwan made sure that the tourists would cross the 200-run barrier.

During the 84th over, Rizwan’s hard work paid off as he completed his second Test half-century.

Along with Mohammad Abbas (2), the Peshawar-born stitched a crucial partnership of 39-runs, out of which 37 came from Rizwan’s willow. However, Broad ended Abbas’s innings by trapping the latter on the front to leave Pakistan on 215/9.

Just eight runs later, the bad lights which played its part throughout the third session, impacted the game once again as the match officials announced the stumps on Day 2 with Mohammad Rizwan and Naseem Shah not out on 60 and 1, respectively.

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CATEGORY: Pakistan

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AKSHAT GAUR
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