Rawalpindi: After a long drought lasting nearly three years, Pakistan finally ended their Test losing streak at home by bowling out England for 112 runs in the final Test of the three-match series in Rawalpindi.
Spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan took all 10 wickets, leading Pakistan to a win in Rawalpindi that secured the series win. The victory not only marks Pakistan’s first Test win under Shan Masood, but also their first home win since February 2021.
In pursuit of a modest target in Test cricket, Pakistan opener Saim Ayub fell for 8 runs, was dismissed by Jack Leach after which skipper Shan Masood reached the crease and scored 23 runs off six deliveries hitting four fours and a six to seal the victory.
Spinner Sajid Khan who took 19 wickets in two matches was adjudged Man of the Series.
Earlier, Pakistan spinners once again wreaked havoc on the England batting line-up as the visiting team managed to score 112 runs, building a 35-run lead in the second over of the third and final series-deciding Test match being played in Rawalpindi.
Most of the English batsmen struggled against the shifting ball, with the Pakistan duo of Sajid Khan and Noman Ali running through the England line-up.
Nauman scored impressive figures of 6 for 42, while Sajid contributed 4 for 69 in a brilliant display of bowling. England resumed the day at a crisp 24 for 3, with Joe Root the top scorer in the 33rd over.
In the series, England cruised to victory in the first Test by an innings and 47 runs, while Pakistan bounced back to win the second Test by 152 runs, both played in Multan.
On the second day, Pakistan resumed their innings with 73 runs for 3 wickets. Captain Shan Masood’s resistance ended quickly as he was dismissed for 26, with Mohammad Rizwan scoring 25 and Aamer Jamal 14, while Salman Agha was out for just one run.
Noman Ali and Saud Shakeel built a brilliant partnership of 88 runs for the eighth wicket, with Noman Ali 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 was not out on 48 runs.
Rehan Ahmed led the English bowling with 4 wickets, while Shoaib Bashir took 3, Jos Atkinson took 2 and Jack Leach took 1 wicket.
England’s second round started with losses, with Ben Duckett scoring 12, Zac Crawley 2 and Ollie Pope just one run.
At the end of the first day’s match, Pakistan had scored 73 runs for the loss of 3 wickets in 23 overs. Abdullah Shafiq scored 14, Saim Ayub 19, and Kamran Ghulam scored 3 runs before he was dismissed. Shan Masood and Saud Shakeel led with 16 points each and will resume action tomorrow.
In the first innings, England were 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 batsmen 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.
Jos Atkinson and Jimmy Smith had a strong partnership of 107 runs for the seventh wicket, with Atkinson scoring 39 runs before being dismissed. Jimmy Smith followed with 91 points.
For Pakistan, Sajid Khan took 6 wickets, Noman Ali 3 and Zahid Mahmood 1.
Earlier, England won the toss and chose to bat first. Captain Ben Stokes expressed his intention to put up a strong total against the Green Shirts with the aim of putting pressure on them. In response, Pakistan captain Shan Masood preferred to bat first if they won the toss, emphasizing the strategy of using spinners to secure early wickets against the English batsmen.