Pak vs England’ Mystery bowler Abrar takes five wickets on debut” Debutant Abrar Ahmed mesmerized England on Friday, grabbing five lattices as the callers reached 180- 5 at lunch on the opening day of the alternate Test in Multan.
The 24- time-old — nicknamed” Harry Potter” by musketeers because he wears spectacles analogous to those of the fictional boy wizard — spun magic of his own after England won the toss and decided to club on a turning pitch.
He dismissed Zak Crawley( 19), Ben Duckett( 63) and Joe Root( eight) in the first two hours, before transferring Ollie Pope( 60) and Harry Brook( nine) on their way.
Ahmed came to the 13th Pakistan bowler to take five or further lattices in an innings on debut.
At the break, Ben Stokes and Will Jacks were at the crinkle with 14 and zero independently after the first session was extended for Friday prayers.
It was in complete discrepancy to the first Test, when England smashed 174- 0 by lunch on an opening day.
Despite losing lattices regularly, England scored at a brisk pace, with Duckett knocking nine boundaries and a six and Pope cracking five to the rope.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam employed spin as beforehand as in the ninth over, and Ahmed sailed Crawley with a sharp incoming delivery with his fifth Test ball.
He also trapped Duckett and Root leg- before — both given out only after Azam reviewed the on-field calls.
Ahmed made it 167- 5 when Pope and Brook miscued aggressive shots and were caught.
Pakistan, aiming to position the series after losing the first Test by 74 runs, included three baits in the line-up after paceman Naseem Shah was ruled out with a shoulder injury.
The hosts are formerly without pace forefront Shaheen Shah Afridi, who misses the series following appendicitis surgery, and further injuries have forced them to make three changes.
Fast bowlers Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf are out, along with top-order batsman Azhar Ali.
The home side has replaced them with all-rounders Mohammad Nawaz and Faheem Ashraf and uncapped incentive Abrar Ahmed.
England, on their first test stint of Pakistan since 2005, won the opening match in Rawalpindi by 74 runs.
The final test is listed in Karachi from Dec 17.
Brigades
Pakistan Imam- ul- Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam( captain), Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Agha Salman, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Zahid Mahmood, Abrar Ahmed, and Mohammad Ali
England Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes( captain), Will Jacks, Ollie Robinson, Jack Leach, Mark Wood, and James Anderson
