The tourists lost stand-in captain Ollie Pope for a second-ball duck, but Zak Crawley (64) and Joe Root (32) steadied the innings, guiding England to 96/1 at stumps.
It was another challenging day for bowlers as Salman Ali Agha’s unbeaten 104 and Saud Shakeel’s 82 helped Pakistan amass a strong total, building on Monday’s foundation set by Shan Masood (151) and Abdullah Shafique (102).
Pope, filling in for the injured Ben Stokes, was brilliantly caught by a leaping Aamer Jamal at mid-wicket off Naseem Shah after an uppish pull shot. Pope had opened the batting after Ben Duckett injured his left thumb while taking a catch during Pakistan’s innings.
England now requires another 261 runs to avoid the follow-on — a realistic target on a pitch offering little assistance to bowlers.
Salman continued Pakistan’s dominance in the afternoon session, reaching his third Test century shortly after tea with a single off spinner Jack Leach. Salman, who also crossed 1,000 Test runs during his innings upon reaching 71, shared a quickfire 85-run stand for the ninth wicket with Shaheen Shah Afridi (26). Salman’s 119-ball knock featured 10 fours and 3 sixes, surviving a close call when Chris Woakes caught him, but the third umpire ruled Woakes had stepped over the boundary.
“It’s always satisfying to hit a century and contribute to the team’s total,” Salman remarked, adding that he expected the pitch to take more spin in the coming days. “I think the cracks will open up, and that should help the spinners. I see this as a result-oriented pitch with both teams pushing for a win.”
Salman also added 57 valuable runs for the seventh wicket with Shakeel, who was smartly caught by Joe Root at slip for 82 off Bashir. Shakeel’s innings included eight boundaries.
For England, Jack Leach was the most successful bowler with 3-160, while Gus Atkinson finished with 2-99. Chris Woakes, Shoaib Bashir, and Joe Root each took one wicket.
Debutant pacer Brydon Carse claimed 2-74, dismissing Aamer Jamal for seven and taking his first Test wicket before lunch by having Naseem Shah caught at leg slip by Harry Brook for 33.
Carse acknowledged the difficulties England’s bowlers faced on a flat surface. “It’s been tough going over the last two days, but picking up a couple of wickets today was rewarding,” he said. “Credit to the team for showing resilience and continuing to push through the challenges.”
The remaining Tests are scheduled for Multan (October 15-19) and Rawalpindi (October 24-28).
