Pakistan claimed a historic 2-1 series victory over England by lunch on day three of the final Test in Rawalpindi, the first home series win for nearly four years. England’s innings disintegrated at 112 all out—under pressure from Pakistan’s spinners, Noman Ali and Sajid Khan, who claimed all 10 wickets in a masterclass of spin bowling.
Resume England at 24-3. The promising beginning does not last for long as Harry Brook fell to Noman’s scalps, and this ignited a collapse where seven wickets went down for just 46 runs. This only made matters worse for the hosts as England skipper Ben Stokes misread a delivery from Noman which came in to be declared lbw, and then came a reckless shot by Jamie Smith. Joe Root scored the top score of 33, but his exit was to Noman’s spin to seal the fate of the England team.
Dominant Spin Duo of Noman and Sajid Turns the Tide
Noman Ali wrapped up with impressive figures of 6-42 while Sajid Khan did 4-69 in capitalizing on their previous match as Pakistan overthrew the series lead by England. The drying of the Rawalpindi pitch after their first Test defeat proved to be pivotal in transforming conditions towards Pakistan’s spin-heavy strategy. Their influence has been extraordinary, with the duo taking 39 of England’s 40 wickets in the last two Tests.
Pakistan were chasing down 36 in 19 balls, and a nine-wicket win capped off a remarkable series turnaround which will provide a convenient launchpad for their new revamped approach for future home series.
A Tale of Two Halves of a Series
Just as Pakistan gave way for Noman and Sajid instead of prominent players like Babar Azam and Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi as part of the preparation in anticipation for a flatter pitch to enable England to play smoothly during the first Test at Multan, Jason Gillespie-coached Pakistan ensured this new approach targeted dry spells ideal for spin bowling which perfectly checked England’s batting combination.
England, having won the first Test by 823-7 declared, could not score more runs combined in the next two Tests. Though they won the toss in the third Test, poor shot selections and an inability to adapt to conditions saw their batting falter.
Future Prospects for England
The series loss is only their second in eight under Stokes as captain and their third in their past four. England face a brief turnaround before traveling on to New Zealand for their next test series in November, while another separate touring party heads to the West Indies for a white-ball series. Form – how they navigate spin on those Asian surfaces in particular – is a worry for Stokes and his deputy, vice-captain Ollie Pope.
Reactions of Captains and Experts
Pakistan’s captain Shan Masood said after the match, “In order to gain successive victory, especially when it followed the first defeat, highlights the solidity of this group. It’s a proud thing for everyone who was associated with them.”
England captain Ben Stokes explained the defeat: “It is disappointing, but we do take positives out of games and will concentrate on our strengths. Pressure in the Test cricket match is indeed unparalleled.”
Former captain Ramiz Raja called it a comeback: “Pakistan cricket always has surprises. No one expected them to bounce back like this; it’s nothing short of a miracle.”
This is a bold statement from Pakistan as to where they are headed in terms of strategy and tenacity in home conditions, and England heads back to the drawing board to review a challenging series.