MULTAN: It had been a long wait for Pakistan, but the conclusion was swift. Noman Ali and Sajid Khan teamed up once more to bowl out England, securing Pakistan’s first home Test victory since 2021. In a dramatic session, eight wickets fell in under two hours as England succumbed to a flurry of sweeps and reverse-sweeps.
Noman claimed seven wickets, finishing with figures of 8 for 46 and 11 for 147 in the match. Sajid, who took 7 for 111 in the first innings, contributed the other two wickets, making them the first pair to claim all 20 wickets in a Test since Dennis Lillee and Bob Massie in 1972.
This crushing result, achieved in just over three days on a used pitch designed to assist the spinners, levels the series at 1-1 ahead of the third Test in Rawalpindi. It also marks Shan Masood’s first victory as captain after a challenging run of six consecutive defeats.
On day four of the second Test—yet the ninth day of action for the Multan pitch—consistent turn was evident. England’s not-out batters, Ollie Pope and Joe Root, had been practicing their sweeps before play resumed, attempting to chase down a target of 261 for victory.
However, Pope quickly fell to Sajid, poking his second ball back to the bowler. Harry Brook’s attempt to sweep his first ball also met with failure, and the early dismissals set the tone for England’s batting collapse. Root faced eight balls, attempting sweeps before being given lbw, a decision confirmed on review.
Brook managed to score a boundary but was soon dismissed for 18, leaving England reeling at 78 for 5. Jamie Smith’s top-edge resulted in another dismissal, making it 88 for 6. Ben Stokes managed a quick 37 but was stumped by Mohammad Rizwan off Noman’s bowling, symbolizing England’s loss of grip on the match.
A brief resistance from Brydon Carse, who hit three sixes, was not enough. Noman soon dismissed him, followed by Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir in consecutive deliveries, sealing Pakistan’s masterful performance on the Multan pitch.
