Fast bowler Mark Wood grabbed two Pakistan wickets in successive overs Monday to take England within sight of a series-clinching victory in the second test in Multan.
Pakistan, chasing 355 runs for an unlikely win, were 291-7 at Lunch with Agha Salman and Abrar Ahmed at the crease – both yet to score.
The home team needs 64 for victory – and England three wickets – on a Multan Stadium pitch that has slowed considerably.
England was frustrated by an 80-run sixth-wicket stand between Saud Shakeel (94) and Mohammad Nawaz (45) as the duo survived a second new ball taken after 80 overs.
But England skipper Ben Stokes brought in Wood and was instantly rewarded with Nawaz caught by wicketkeeper Ollie Pope.
In his next over Wood forced Shakeel to play a pull off a short ball that caught his glove, with Pope taking a diving catch to his left.
Resuming on 198-4, Pakistan lost Faheem Ashraf in the sixth over of the day for 10, caught at slip for spinner Joe Root’s 50th wicket.
England leads the three-match series 1-0 after winning the first test by 74 runs in Rawalpindi.
PAKISTAN: Babar Azam (captain), Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Saud Shakeel, Agha Salman, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Zahid Mahmood, Mohammad Ali, Abrar Ahmed
ENGLAND: Ben Stokes (captain), Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Will Jacks, Jack Leach, Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood, James Anderson
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