PAK vs. ENG 2024/25, PAK vs. ENG 2nd test match report, October 15th – 19th, 2024

Pakistan 259 for 5 (Ghulam 118, Ayub 77) vs England

Although he failed for 118 late in the day and was bowled by Shoaib Bashir for trying to remain proactive at the end of the game, Ghulam's debut attempts helped take Pakistan to 259 for 5 – hardly riches by the standards with which England faced Exactly the same thing appeared last week, but still the beginning of a score.

All these considerations can be put to rest for now thanks to the efforts of Ghulam, who at 29 became the second oldest Pakistani to record a century debut. He achieved the feat with a joyful strike through the leg side of Joe Root, after an anxious wait in the 90s that included the evening drinks break. However, a few more moments of delay failed to faze him, after more than a decade of service in Pakistan's Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, during which he might have assumed his tally of more than 4500 runs would be at 49 would remain unnoticed forever.

His innings had started at 19 for 2 in the tenth over after Leach – who bowled the ball early after Stokes quickly assessed the surface – became the first English spinner to strike twice so early in a Test match since Johnny Briggs in 1889. His impact threatened another collapse comparable to Pakistan's collapse on the fourth evening in the first Test, but Ghulam proved his mettle from the start, demonstrating his familiarity with the dry conditions and his confidence in the methods that had finally gotten him attention.

His first boundary was a confident six-ball delivery over Leach's head, and when he reached his maiden half-century off 104 balls, he reached a milestone equal to his more famous compatriot Babar Azam in the 18th form innings that led to his omission had led.

However, Ghulam had only experienced fast bowling twice in his first 120 when Stokes entered the attack mid-afternoon and the challenge immediately became even greater. In his first over, Stokes found a fat edge that flew through the free slip chain at a catchable height, and when a second edge fell short soon after, Root donned a helmet four meters from the bat to make the chance count.

However, the breakthrough came at the other end. Ayub's reputation had suffered in this series, largely as a result of his hopelessly unsuccessful opening partnership with Abdullah Shafique, which reached at least double figures for the first time in nine innings. However, it didn't get much further as Leach bowled Shafique for 7 to reduce Pakistan to 15 for 1 before Shan Masood fended off Zak Crawley for 3 at mid-wicket.

In his own right, however, Ayub was a qualified success at the helm of the Pakistan team and this was his third half-century in four first innings, following his double fifty against Bangladesh last month. But as tea approached and England began to make the ball do the talking, Matthew Potts threatened his outside edge with a diet that saw him hit outswingers over the wicket before Stokes delivered a powerful jab through the line in a very straight, silly middle line shot (168 for 3).

After tea, Brydon Carse, energetic as ever, felled Saud Shakeel with an excellent short ball and then took advantage with an even better delivery of 140km/h/87mph which cut through to Jamie Smith behind the stumps for 4th place. And England's position could have been even stronger had Ben Duckett latched on to a loose slap from Ghulam in the 79th minute when he decided to pass the attack to the returning Leach and almost paid the price in the middle .

The value of Stokes' economy with his seamers during a morning session came to fruition in the evening when Carse helped keep Rizwan under control for 19 balls without scoring before Potts took over and nearly landed an innings-changing blow. His first delivery to Rizwan, back in the 6th, whizzed past the outside edge and into Smith's gloves, but England refused to review it – even though replays showed the ball had grazed the joint of his bat.

England's efforts deserved another breakthrough before the end and although he was once again the weaker link in the attack, Bashir equalized with a crucial goal late in the day. Armed with the second new ball, he flicked a long delivery past Ghulam's weary charge and hit leg for a crucial opening that could make the difference in Pakistan's quest for a useful first innings.