Pakistan’s spinners dominated England’s batting lineup on Saturday, clinching a 2-1 victory in the three-match Test series and securing a long-awaited home win.
The victory marked significant success for Pakistan on a pitch favourable to spinners, where Noman Ali (6-42) and Sajid Khan (4-69) were particularly effective. They dismissed England for just 112 in their second innings, setting a modest target of 36, which Pakistan easily achieved.
Starting the day at 24-3, England quickly succumbed to Pakistan’s potent spin attack, with Noman and Sajid taking all 10 wickets. Joe Root led the scoring for England with 33 runs, but the team struggled overall on the spin-friendly track. Pakistan reached the target swiftly in just 3.1 overs, with captain Shan Masood (23*) hitting the winning runs.
The series featured standout performances from Noman and Sajid, who secured 19 wickets in the final match. This underlined the spin-friendly conditions as Pakistan opted not to use their seamer, Aamir Jamal. Masood described the consecutive victories in the series as special, emphasizing the team effort and individual contributions.
With a 10-wicket match haul, Sajid earned the Player of the Series award. His partnership with Noman resulted in them taking 39 of the 40 English wickets in the last two Tests. Saud Shakeel, who scored the only century of the series, was named player of the match.
Reflecting on the series, England captain Ben Stokes acknowledged the challenges his team faced, noting the difference between training and actual match conditions.
This series win is Pakistan’s first home Test series victory since January 2021 and the fourth home win against England, the last being in 2005. It also marks the first time Pakistan defeated England at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, contrasting with England’s previous victory in 2022. This victory breaks a series of home defeats against teams like Australia, England, and Bangladesh in recent years.
