Ben Duckett: Pakistan could ‘crumble’ in crucial third innings

Ben Duckett believes that Pakistan could “crumble” under pressure in their second innings in Multan, after England finished the second day trailing by 127 runs with four wickets left on a worn pitch that has been recycled from the first Test.

In each of their four Tests in 2024, Pakistan have batted first and then imploded in the third innings, registering scores of 115 against Australia in Sydney, 146 and 172 against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi, and, most recently, 220 against England in last week’s innings defeat in Multan. On a wearing pitch, Duckett believes they could face similar issues.

“We bat all the way down,” Duckett told Sky Sports. “I think it’s going to be really important that we look to score runs. We know on this pitch, it’s not going to be a draw and we’re definitely not going to play for a draw. Runs are going to be so, so vital… That first hour, if we can try and get as close as we can, we know that they can crumble.

“The pressure’s kind of over to them. We’re one-nil up in the series. We won the last series three-nil. I know that they’re going to fight the whole way through this game and try and make it as hard as they can for us. But we always believe we’re in the game… If we bowl well and if we can try and keep the chase to anywhere around 200 or less, we’ll believe we’ll be in the game.”

Duckett, who made 114 in England’s reply to Pakistan’s total of 366, said that the pitch offered more for the spinners in the evening session after a day of wear. “I think the more the pitch gets used throughout the day, it does crumble and ‘go’ a bit more, so hopefully in the morning, it doesn’t go quite as much,” he said. I can’t see this pitch staying the same or not changing much.

“I think it’s going to continue to get worse, and I think the beauty of having a couple of seamers is that bounce – and I think Carsey [Brydon Carse] and Potts [Matthew Potts] really were incredible throughout that first innings. We’re going to use them again in the second innings. If the ball’s down with the odd one bouncing up, we’ve got those options as well.”

Sajid Khan, who took 4 for 86, said that Pakistan’s spinners had learned to vary their pace across the second day after initially bowling too quickly. “There’s a patch slightly wider outside the [right-hander’s] off stump that was producing turn, and at a particular pace,” Sajid said. “We were bowling a little too quickly.

“If you slow it down to 67-68 kph, that’s when you got purchase. If you bowl at particular spots at 90+ you’ll only get the odd break. But there’s nothing in it for the spinner if you’re bowling within the stumps. If you bowl wider outside the stumps, and slow, that’s where the cracks are, and that’s what we seek to exploit.”