Debutant Brydon Carse claimed “you couldn’t write it” after watching England captain Ollie Pope fall to a jaw-dropping catch moments after volunteering to take one for the team as a makeshift opener in Multan.
England spent more than five sessions and 149 gruelling overs in the field as Pakistan cricket piled on 556 in the first Test, only for a pair of cruel blows to rub salt into their wounds either side of the changeover.
Opener Ben Duckett took the slip catch that finally ended the home side’s marathon innings but in doing so sustained a painful thumb injury that prevented him from strapping on the pads and kick-starting England’s reply.
Pope put his hand up to take on the new ball in Duckett’s place but was left cursing his luck as Aamer Jamal produced a stunning grab at midwicket to send him back for a two-ball duck.
“Unfortunately, you couldn’t write it… a screaming one-handed catch,” said Carse, who had earlier taken his first two Test wickets.
“That’s cricket. It can be a great leveller at times.”
Pope’s dismissal capped a day of mounting frustrations for the tourists, who would never have lost Duckett’s services had regulation chances not slipped through the fingers of Jamie Smith and Gus Atkinson in the preceding moments.
Earlier, they saw a toss-up of a decision go against Chris Woakes, whose difficult boundary-rope take was ruled out for a foot fault by the third umpire Chris Gaffaney.
Agha Salman had just 15 at the time of the marginal call but went on to punish England to the tune of 104 not out.
Carse insisted England did not allow themselves to wallow and were happy to put themselves through the ringer for the cause.
“It was a great bit of fielding by Chris, we all thought it was out at the time but it was probably one of those 50-50 chances that didn’t really go our way,” he said.
“Everyone kept trucking in after that. The guys are in good spirits, we keep smiling and joking and trying to give our best each session. The last two days have been immensely tough conditions for everyone, it’s been a tough graft and it was nice for me to pick up a couple. It felt rewarding.
“I had a conversation with Woakesy and Gus Atkinson and both those boys’ legs were hanging on. There are some tired bodies in the camp but the guys will rest up and come again.”
England hope Duckett is among those ready to engage once more. Initial fears of a fracture had waned by the close of play, with no X-rays taken and a dislocation understood to be the working prognosis. Providing the joint has settled overnight he is expected to take a slot in the middle order.
England closed day two on 96-1, with Zak Crawley hitting an unbeaten 64 at a run a ball and Joe Root on 32 not out – just 39 short of beating Sir Alastair Cook’s record as England’s leading Test run-scorer.
Squad member Olly Stone is set to return to England on Wednesday ahead of his wedding over the weekend and is not expected to be available for the second Test which begins next Tuesday, again in Multan. Carse’s Durham team-mate Matthew Potts stands by to freshen up an overworked pace attack.
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