England skipper Ben Stokes was left stunned after Pakistan's tailender Mohammad Ali refused to participate in the customary handshake with him after the conclusion of the second Test in Multan on Monday (December 12). England rocked Pakistan by 26 runs in the second Test following it up with the first match victory to take a 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
While chasing a competitive target of 355, Pakistan faltered from 210/5 to 319/9, thanks to Mark Wood's fiery four-wicket hail. But as soon as Ollie Robinson forced Ali to nick Ollie Pope, it was all done as the final whistle was blown and England sealed the match and the series. Despite the edge, Ali decided to exercise the DRS while signalling the 'T' to the umpire. But he didn't realise it was all over for Pakistan. The umpire referred it to the third umpire to review the decision. And as they went through the process, England skipper Stokes prematurely came up to Ali to shake hands with him to which the no.11 batter refused to do so. He said few words to Stokes, probably reminding him that the decision has been made yet as they waited for the big screen to signal the final verdict. Upon Ali's refusal Stoked was taken aback and decided to back off. However, once it Ali was signalled out on the big screen, the customary handshakes ensued, with Ali congratulating Stokes and England on their victory.
Here's the video..
England won the first test by 74 runs in dimming light on the last day through the aggressive approach that has now brought them eight victories in their past nine Tests under new coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes.
As far as match is concerned, England posted a total of 281 in the first innings after succumbing to debutant Abrar Ahmed's sensational seven-wicket haul. Despite England managed a 79-run lead as Pakistan were restricted to just 202 on the board. England munched on the opportunity and set a massive target of 355 for the hosts, to which Babar Azam-led side couldn't perished just before the finishing line.
