England's dropped catches leave them facing defeat as Pakistan eye second-Test victory

Costly dropped catches and England's struggles against spin left the visitors in a dire position on day three of the second Test against Pakistan.

Playing on an increasingly unpredictable pitch in Multan, which was controversially reused for back-to-back games, England ended the day at 36 for two, chasing an imposing target of 297 in their fourth innings.

A day after scoring a fine century, Ben Duckett was dismissed for a two-ball duck, while Zak Crawley was stumped for just three after overbalancing at the crease. England's struggles against Pakistan's spinners continued, losing 88 for six over the course of the day, with more trials expected as the match heads towards a conclusion.

Historically, the highest total England has chased down in Asian conditions is 209, a record set in Lahore in 1961. However, their task could have been more manageable had they not suffered from two crucial dropped catches in quick succession during the afternoon session.

Despite Pakistan gaining a 75-run first-innings lead, England's bowlers fought hard to stay in the contest. At one stage, Pakistan were five wickets down with less than a 200-run advantage when Brydon Carse found Salman Agha's outside edge twice in the same over.

However, wicketkeeper Jamie Smith dropped a simple catch with Salman on just four, and only a couple of deliveries later, Joe Root missed a low chance. Carse, toiling tirelessly on a surface overwhelmingly favouring spin, was left in disbelief. These missed chances proved costly, as Salman went on to play a potentially match-winning knock of 63.

While England's spinners had their moments of success, with Shoaib Bashir taking four for 66 and Jack Leach chipping in with three for 67, their efforts were overshadowed by Pakistan's spinners. Sajid Khan had already dismantled England's first innings with seven wickets, leaving England on the back foot.

Sajid, continuing from his overnight total of four wickets, was instrumental in cleaning up the remainder of England's first innings. His figures of seven for 111 were bolstered by the dismissals of Carse, Matthew Potts, and Shoaib Bashir. Potts, in particular, was undone by a stunning delivery that turned sharply out of the rough, sneaking through his legs.

England's collapse from 239 for six to 291 all out completed a disappointing batting performance, with their final eight wickets falling for just 80 runs.

Pakistan began their second innings with a lead of 75, but England fought back early, reducing the hosts to 156 for eight. Bashir claimed the wickets of Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood, and Saim Ayub, the latter dismissed off the final ball of the session, providing England with a glimmer of hope despite their precarious position.

Carse, the only pace bowler to feature prominently, bowled with great discipline and was rewarded with the wickets of Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan. However, the dropped catches of Salman Agha proved decisive, as he and Sajid Khan launched a counterattack, putting on 65 runs in just 73 balls for the ninth wicket.

Salman and Sajid's aggressive partnership pushed Pakistan's total to 221, setting England a challenging target. England's spinners managed to wrap up the innings, but the damage was already done. Carse and Potts finished the innings, but by then, Pakistan's dominance had all but sealed their position of strength.

In England's reply, Sajid continued his remarkable match by dismissing Duckett, taking his eighth wicket of the Test. Zak Crawley soon followed, undone by the relentless pressure of Pakistan's spin attack. With England still needing 261 runs and eight wickets remaining, the match looks heavily tilted in Pakistan's favour as day four approaches.