Saim Ayub and Kamran Ghulam lifted Pakistan to 79-2 at lunch Tuesday on the first day of the second Test, after England’s Jack Leach took two early wickets on a used pitch offering help to the spinners.
Ayub was unbeaten on 40 and debutant Ghulam 29 not out as the pair steadied Pakistan from 19-2 after the home team won the toss and opted to bat in Multan.
Returning England captain Ben Stokes turned to his spinners after just five overs on the same pitch used for the first Test last week and Leach soon struck.
Abdullah Shafique was bowled by Leach for seven in the eighth over of the morning with the score on 15.
In his next over, the left-arm spinner had captain Shan Masood caught low at short midwicket by Zak Crawley for three.
At lunch, Leach had 2-35 from 10 overs.
Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat Tuesday in the second Test against England in Multan.
England lead the three-match series 1-0 after an innings and 47-run victory in the first Test, played at the same venue.
The defeat — Pakistan’s sixth in as many Tests — prompted their selectors to drop ace batsman Babar Azam.
Also left out were pace bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah, plus spinner Abrar Ahmed, who had been hospitalised with fever during the first Test.
Batsman Kamran Ghulam will make his debut in place of Azam.
Pakistan opted for three spinners in their attack in the shape of Sajid Khan, Zahid Mahmood and Noman Ali with only one pace bowler, Aamer Jamal.
England captain Ben Stokes returns from a hamstring injury and fast bowler Matthew Potts comes into the side, with Gus Atkinson and Chris Woakes left out from the first Test.
The third and final Test begins on October 24 in Rawalpindi.
Pakistan: Shan Masood (captain), Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Agha, Aamer Jamal, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Zahid Mahmood
England: Ben Stokes (captain), Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI), Chris Gaffaney (NZL) TV umpire: Sharfuddoula Saikat (BAN) Match referee: Richie Richardson (WIS)