Mohammad Ali Keeps Pakistan’s Hopes Alive Despite Tough Chase at Lord’s

Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Ali has refused to rule out a remarkable comeback against England at Lord’s, insisting that the visitors can still produce a turnaround despite facing a daunting target in the second Test.

England have extended their overall lead to 357 runs after taking a 1-0 advantage in the three-match ICC World Test Championship series. However, Ali believes Pakistan can still find a way back into the contest.

“Miracles do happen in cricket,” Ali said after rain severely restricted play on the third day. “It will be a difficult task, but not impossible. Until the last ball is bowled, you cannot make predictions.”

The Pakistan pacer pointed to previous Test matches where teams have successfully chased targets in the 350-400 range, stressing that belief and mindset could play a crucial role.

England ended the rain-affected third day on 177 for 7 in their second innings, adding to their first-innings advantage of 180. Only 24.5 overs were possible during the day, but the hosts still managed to strengthen their position.

Ali played a key role with the ball, taking two wickets in England's second innings, including the dismissal of captain Joe Root. He had also claimed three wickets in the first innings.

According to Ali, Pakistan's bowling improved significantly in the second innings, with the attack finding better areas and maintaining greater consistency.

“The deficit from the first innings was too deep anyway. When you're so far behind, all you can do is get opposition wickets as quickly as possible,” he said.

Pakistan's batters will now face another major challenge in the form of the variable bounce at Lord’s. The visitors have already observed similar conditions during England's earlier Test against New Zealand at the venue this summer.

“You often get variable bounce at Lord's,” Ali said. “As a cricketer, you have to be ready for awkward conditions.”

Despite the demanding conditions, Ali remains confident about the Pakistan bowling attack. He believes fast bowlers should embrace the challenge when conditions are favourable for seam and pace.

“If you ask me to bowl all my life, I will be ready to do that. That's my job,” he said. “If your workload and preparation are fine, you'll never have a problem.”

Pakistan currently sit at the bottom of the World Test Championship standings, with only two wins from seven matches, while England are seventh after recording five victories from 14 games in the current cycle.

With the Test still having time to run, Pakistan will need both an extraordinary batting effort and a significant shift in momentum if they are to level the series at Lord’s.

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