RAWALPINDI: After a lengthy drought of nearly three years, Pakistan finally ended their home Test losing streak by bowling out England for 112 runs in the final Test of the three-match series in Rawalpindi.
Spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan claimed all 10 wickets, leading Pakistan to a victory in Rawalpindi that secured the series win. This triumph not only marks Pakistan’s first Test victory under the captaincy of Shan Masood but also their first win on home soil since February 2021.
In the pursuit of a modest target in Test cricket, Pakistani opener Saim Ayub fell for 8 runs, dismissed by Jack Leach following which skipper Shan Masood arrived at the crease and scored 23 runs off six deliveries hitting four fours and a six to clinch victory.
Spinner Sajid Khan who took 19 wickets in two matches was named Man of the Series.
Earlier, Pakistani spinners once again wreaked havoc with England’s batting line-up with the visiting team managing to score 112 runs, attaining a 35-run lead in their second innings of the third and final series-deciding Test match being played in Rawalpindi.
Most of England’s batters struggled against the turning ball, as Pakistan’s spin duo of Sajid Khan and Noman Ali ran through the English lineup.
Noman recorded impressive figures of 6 for 42, while Sajid contributed 4 for 69 in a commanding display of spin bowling. England resumed the day at a shaky 24 for 3, with Joe Root being the top scorer at 33.
In the series, England claimed victory in the first Test by an innings and 47 runs, while Pakistan bounced back to win the second Test by 152 runs, both held in Multan.
On the second day, Pakistan resumed their innings at 73 runs for 3 wickets. Captain Shan Masood’s resistance ended quickly as he was dismissed for 26 runs, with Mohammad Rizwan scoring 25 and Aamer Jamal 14. Salman Agha was out for just 1 run.
Noman Ali and Saud Shakeel built an impressive partnership of 88 runs for the eighth wicket, with Noman eventually scoring 45 runs. Saud Shakeel went on to score 134 runs before losing his wicket, while Zahid Mahmood returned to the pavilion without scoring. Sajid Khan remained not out at 48 runs.
Rehan Ahmed led England’s bowling with 4 wickets, while Shoaib Bashir took 3, Gus Atkinson took 2, and Jack Leach claimed 1 wicket.
England’s second innings began with losses as opener Ben Duckett scored 12, Zak Crawley 2, and Ollie Pope just 1 run.
At the end of the first day’s play, Pakistan scored 73 runs for the loss of 3 wickets in 23 overs. Abdullah Shafique scored 14, Saim Ayub 19, and Kamran Ghulam 3 runs before being dismissed. Shan Masood and Saud Shakeel were at the crease with 16 runs each and will resume play tomorrow.
In their first innings, England was all out for 267 runs. The English openers set the stage with a 56-run start, but Zak Crawley (29) and Ben Duckett (52) fell early. Middle-order batters Ollie Pope (3), Joe Root (5), and Harry Brook (5), along with captain Ben Stokes (12), Rehan Ahmed (6), and Jack Leach (16), all struggled to contribute significantly.
Gus Atkinson and Jamie Smith had a solid partnership of 107 runs for the seventh wicket, with Atkinson scoring 39 runs before being dismissed. Jamie Smith followed with 91 runs.
For Pakistan, Sajid Khan took 6 wickets, Noman Ali grabbed 3, and Zahid Mahmood got 1.
Earlier, England won the toss and opted to bat first. Captain Ben Stokes expressed the intent to set a strong total against the Green Shirts, aiming to put them under pressure. In response, Pakistan’s captain Shan Masood preferred to bat first if they won the toss, emphasizing a strategy to utilize spinners to secure early wickets against the English batsmen.
