Pakistan ended their 11-match winless streak at home with a clinical 152-run victory against England in Multan on Friday to level the 3-match Test series 1-1. The spin duo of Sajid Khan and Noman Ali ran through the English batting line-up twice, sharing all 20 wickets to hand Pakistan their first win in a home Test since 2021. While Noman ended with a 11-wicket match haul, Sajid pocketed 9 wickets in the match.
Set a challenging target of 261, England began Day 4 with eight wickets in hand but faced an uphill battle against the wily Pakistani spinners. Sajid Khan struck early, dismissing Ollie Pope in the second over before Noman Ali took centre stage. England’s aggressive approach, characterized by a heavy reliance on sweeps and reverse sweeps, proved their undoing on a deteriorating pitch. While Ben Stokes top-scored for England with a counter-attacking innings fuelled by sweeps, he eventually fell victim to a sharp stumping off Noman’s bowling.
Brydon Carse provided late fireworks with three sixes, but it was too little, too late for England. Pakistan captain Shan Masood had opted for a twin-spin attack in the final innings, and the duo of Noman and Sajid wrapped up the English innings in just 33.3 overs.
Pakistan’s last Test win at home came against South Africa in Rawalpindi more than three years ago. It was followed by 11 home Tests without a win. The win was first for captain Shan Masud, who lost six tests in a row since being elevated as red-ball skipper last year and also ended Pakistan’s winless 11-match home run that included four losses against England.
England capitulated against Khan and Ali for the second time in the match after it resumed on 36-2 and needed a further improbable 261 runs for victory on a tricky turning wicket.
Pakistan’s ploy of dropping ace batsman Babar Azam in one of four changes after the first Test defeat and playing on a reused pitch with three spinners paid off handsomely.
(With Agency Inputs)
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