Multan Test: From ‘Graveyard for Bowlers’ to a Sudden ‘Paradise,’ Pakistan Faces Another Defeat

• From ‘Graveyard’ to ‘Paradise’: Multan Test Takes a Dramatic Turn as Pakistan Struggles
• Pakistan Faces Collapse Despite First-Innings Lead; England Tightens Grip
• Social Media Roasts PCB Over Controversial Multan Test Pitch
• Pakistan Cricket’s Struggles at Home: Another Test Loss on the Horizon?

On the fourth day of the Multan Test, Pakistan, who scored over 550 runs in their first innings, is now facing a dire situation after the tea break. By the end of the fourth day, six Pakistani wickets have fallen, and England still holds a 115-run lead.

On a pitch where England’s batters dominated just hours earlier, forcing Pakistani bowlers to toil for 150 overs under the scorching Multan sun and amassing 800 runs—the most ever against Pakistan—Pakistan’s batting lineup collapsed.

On the fourth day, Joe Root and Harry Brook formed England’s highest-ever partnership of 412 runs, turning Pakistan’s third innings into the fourth and ensuring all the pressure was now on Pakistan.

When Pakistan began their innings, the pressure was evident. On the very first ball, Abdullah Shafique was bowled by Woakes, followed by the quick dismissals of captain Shan Masood, Babar Azam, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Rizwan, and Saud Shakeel, who contributed little to the score.

This marks the fourth Test this year where Pakistan has struggled with their second-innings batting.

Today, on the same pitch, England scored 331 runs in just 49 overs, including remarkable innings of 317 by Harry Brook and 262 by Joe Root, giving England a lead of 267 runs against Pakistan.

From the very beginning of the match, the pitch has been a subject of debate on social media, with heavy criticism directed towards the PCB.

Back in 2022, when Rameez Raja’s administration attempted to make pitches ‘neutral,’ the topic of pitches has come under scrutiny in every home series since.

At the start of this match, a bit of grass was left on the pitch, raising hopes that it might favor the fast bowlers on the first day. However, this turned out to be a flat pitch, typical of Multan. While three Pakistani batters scored centuries, England’s Joe Root and Harry Brook’s aggressive centuries, along with half-centuries from Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, have put Pakistan in a tough spot as England’s bowlers now seem likely to trouble Pakistan’s batters.

Disappointing Record and Pakistan Cricket’s Uncertainty

Looking at the record, Pakistan has failed to secure a single victory in their last 10 Test matches on home soil. One of the reasons behind this is the inability to prepare pitches that are favorable for their fast bowlers. Even Pakistani captain Shan Masood admitted in a pre-match press conference that the team still doesn’t know what kind of pitches suit them best, either for batting or bowling.

Before the Test series against Bangladesh, Pakistan had decided to prepare a green pitch, but this backfired, as it was more detrimental to their batters, while their fast bowlers couldn’t extract the help from it that the Bangladeshi batters did. Consequently, Bangladesh whitewashed Pakistan on their home turf, exposing various weaknesses in the team, including fast-bowler injuries, an overemphasis on T20 cricket, a lack of a strong spinner, and a weak domestic cricket structure.

“This is a Highway, Brother!”

Social media users are heavily criticizing not only the pitch but also Pakistan’s bowling and batting performances. Many are expressing disappointment with Pakistan’s inability to capitalize on a big first-innings score, allowing England to take control.

Criticism has also been directed at Babar Azam, who failed once again, and Pakistan’s disappointing batting performance in their second innings.

Indian cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle tweeted, “How can a team score over 550 in the first innings and still give the impression that the opposition has a stronger hold on the match?”

Another user commented, “When Pakistan bats on this very pitch, it suddenly becomes bowler-friendly…”

Regarding the pitch, Kevin Pietersen had referred to it as a ‘graveyard for bowlers’ on the first day of the match. Today, he reiterated the sentiment, adding that if it doesn’t change in the coming days, it could destroy Test cricket.

“Pakistan plays on its home ground as if it’s playing in another country.”