Sunday in Multan was the halfway point of this historic Test series and an hour after lunch, as a bumper crowd sat silenced by a trio of dismissals usually associated with fast bowlers from these parts, England appeared to be surging towards an unassailable 2-0 scoreline.
Set what would be a record 355 for victory on Pakistan soil after Harry Brook’s second century of the tour – a masterful 108 from 149 balls – the home side were 83 for three and looking bereft. Jimmy Anderson had vaporised Mohammad Rizwan with a delivery to rank among the best of his 674 Test wickets, while Ollie Robinson and Mark Wood picked up collectors’ items of their own.
