Multan, Oct 18
Pakistan levelled the three-match Test series with a comprehensive 152-run victory over England in the second Test at Multan Cricket Stadium. The win came courtesy of a dominant display by Pakistan's spinners, who made full use of a re-used pitch, bowling England out for 144 before lunch on Day 4.
The result sets up a thrilling series decider in Rawalpindi next week, with the series tied 1-1.
Chasing a challenging target of 297, England batters were undone by left-arm spinner Noman Ali, who claimed seven of the eight wickets that fell on the fourth morning, finishing with figures of 8-46 in the second innings and 11-147 overall in the match.
Noman, along with off-spinner Sajid Khan, who took nine wickets across the two innings, exposed England's vulnerability to spin on a turning surface. Together, they achieved the rare feat of sharing all 20 wickets between them, something that has happened only seven times in Test history.
The key to Pakistan's victory was credited to their selection and the pitch conditions. After a humiliating defeat in the first Test, where England posted a record-breaking 823-7 declared, Pakistan responded with radical changes. They dropped former captain Babar Azam, along with pace bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah, opting for a spin-heavy attack on a reused Multan pitch. The move paid dividends as Noman and Sajid spun England into submission, making the most of a sharp turn and unpredictable bounce.
The turning point came early on day four when England resumed on 36-2, still needing 261 more runs to chase what would have been their highest-ever total in Asia. England's approach to countering the spin seemed to be attack, but this played into Pakistan's hands. Ollie Pope fell to the eighth ball of the day, offering a return catch to Sajid, and from there, the collapse was swift.
Joe Root, one of England's most experienced batters, was trapped lbw trying to sweep Noman, while Harry Brook missed a hack across the line and was also dismissed on lbw. The usually reliable Jamie Smith handed a simple catch to mid-on, and suddenly England were 87-6, the chase in tatters.
Captain Ben Stokes briefly provided some resistance, sweeping and reverse-sweeping at every opportunity. Along with Brydon Carse, he added 37 from 31 balls, with Carse managing to overturn an lbw decision before hitting Sajid for back-to-back sixes. However, Stokes' aggressive intent led to his downfall, as he charged at Noman, losing his bat in the process and allowing wicketkeeper Muhammad Rizwan to stump him.
The tail folded quickly, with Carse edging to slip and Jack Leach's inside edge finding short leg. Shoaib Bashir was caught at the silly point on the very next ball to seal Pakistan's victory, ending England's four-match winning streak in Pakistan.
Pakistan's success was not solely down to their spinners, as they had put themselves in a strong position thanks to a fine debut hundred from Kamran Ghulam. Filling in for Babar Azam, Ghulam scored a crucial century in Pakistan's first innings, guiding them to a total of 366. While England's batters initially responded well, reaching 211-2 at one point, a dramatic collapse saw them bowled out for 291, handing Pakistan a 75-run lead.
England will also rue missed opportunities in the field. During Pakistan's second innings, when the game was still in the balance, wicketkeeper Jamie Smith and Joe Root dropped Salman Agha twice in the same over off Brydon Carse. Salman went on to score 63, helping Pakistan set an almost unassailable target.
Despite the tough conditions and the disadvantage of losing the toss, England had their moments in the match. Ben Duckett's century in the first innings was a highlight, but the middle-order collapse in both innings would be the cause of concern.
As the series moves to Rawalpindi for the final Test starting on October 24, intrigue will surround the type of surface that will be prepared. Pakistan, having been humiliated in the first Test and bouncing back so strongly in Multan, will likely look to provide more spin-friendly conditions. England, on the other hand, will need to reconsider their approach to spin and potentially rethink their strategy if they are to avoid further collapses.
Ultimately, Pakistan's spinners were the stars of the show in Multan, and their relentless accuracy and sharp turn proved too much for England. Noman Ali and Sajid Khan's unbroken spell of 33.3 overs was the longest two bowlers have bowled in a completed Test innings since 1956.
Brief scores: Pakistan 366 & 221 (Salman Agha 63, Saud Shakeel 31; Shoaib Bashir 4-66, Jack Leach 3-67) beat England 291 & 144 (Ben Stokes 37, Bydon Carse 27; Noman Ali 8-46, Sajid Khan 2-93) by 152 runs.