Pakistan forced England to work hard for their wickets without scoring at a sufficient rate to significantly shift the momentum of the match and went into the tea break on day three at Multan on 136 for three, requiring another 219 to win with seven wickets remaining.
Ben Stokes had elected to introduce the extra seam option in Mark Wood in the only change to his team from their victory at Rawalpindi and was vindicated for his decision, with all three Pakistan wickets falling to the quick bowlers on the afternoon of day three.
The deck had turned from the outset, with debutant Pakistan leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed finishing England’s second innings with 11 match wickets, but it was seam that looked the most likely to bowl out the hosts’ batting line-up.
James Anderson made the first breakthrough after lunch with a perfect delivery that just moved enough off the pitch to clip the stumps and bowl Mohammad Rizwan for 30.
Ollie Robinson claimed the crucial wicket of Pakistan captain Babar Azam with a ball that jagged back onto the stumps, after the batter played an ill-judged leave.
Wood then claimed his first wicket of the session, sending Abdullah Shafique’s off-stump flying out of the ground.
The opener had made 45 before the skidding delivery which just kept low, to leave Pakistan struggling at 83 for three.
England’s switch to spin was met with a resolute Pakistan batting performance, with both Imam-ul-Haq – who returned from a hamstring scan earlier in the day to come in at number five – and Saud Shakeel looking comfortable against Joe Root, Will Jacks and Jack Leach.
Earlier in the day, Harry Brook became the first centurion of the Multan Test as England set Pakistan a target of 355 to win.
The Yorkshireman needed just 20 minutes of play at the start of the morning session to score his second Test ton in as many matches, from 137 balls after he started the day on 74.
Stokes – who resumed on 16 – was out for 41, but not before equalling Brendon McCullum’s record for the number of sixes in Test cricket, and was caught in the deep trying to edge past the current England head coach’s total.
