England complete memorable, record-breaking Test match with innings win over Pakistan – The Himalayan Times – Nepal’s No.1 English Daily Newspaper

MULTAN, OCTOBER 11

England produced one of their most memorable Test victories when they beat Pakistan by an innings and 47 runs on the fifth and final day of the first Test cricket on Friday.

Pakistan were bowled out for 220 in the first session as Salman Ali Agha (63) and Aamer Jamal (55 not out) delayed the inevitable with their struggling half-centuries.

Sick No. 11 Abrar Ahmed, who has been in hospital for the last two days due to fever, was unable to bat as Pakistan suffered the embarrassment of becoming the first nation to play try to lose a match by an innings after scoring over 500. runs in the first innings.

Left-arm spinner Jack Leach picked up all three wickets on the final morning to finish with 4-30 after fast bowlers Gus Atkinson and debutant Brydon Carse had cleaned up Pakistan’s top order on the fourth night.

Carse and Atkinson, who is playing his first Test match away from home, took eight wickets in the match, while Chris Woakes set the tone for England’s victory with first-innings centurion Abdullah Shafique off first ball in the second innings.

Resuming on 152-6, Agha and Jamal held out for an hour and extended their partnership to 109 before Leach struck in his first shot when he had Agha caught leg before a straight delivery.

Leach then quickly finished off the tail by taking a stunning low-return catch from Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah was stumped after hitting the left-arm spinner for a straight six.

England had broken Test records when they amassed 823-7 declared after Harry Brook’s belligerent triple century and Joe Root’s impeccable 262 in reply to Pakistan’s first innings score of 556.

On Wednesday, Root also became England’s highest Test run-scorer. He surpassed Alastair Cook as England’s top run-scorer and batted with great determination in a record 454-run partnership with Brook in the blistering heat of Multan.

“The fitness Brook, Root and the bowlers showed, credit to the skills and determination to put the team in a winning position,” said stand-in captain Ollie Pope.

Pope was looking for a duck in the total mammoth of England.

“I smoked a direct shot in the middle of the goal, but it’s a team game and we’re on the right side of the performance,” Pope said.

Pope, who led the side in the first Test in the absence of the injured Ben Stokes, praised bowler Carse on his Test debut and Leach, who returned to cricket after injury.

“Brydon in the debut was fantastic, loaded with a lot of heart,” Pope said. “The way Jack Leach played, coming back into the side, he fits in perfectly and takes crucial wickets.

Pakistan’s woeful Test cricket run continued with skipper Shan Masood losing his sixth consecutive Test since being elevated as captain last year. It was also Pakistan’s seventh defeat at home in 11 Test matches, with the last win coming against South Africa in February 2021.

“The harsh reality is that England found a way and we didn’t,” Masood said. “Whatever the pitch, quality teams will find a way and for us learning is finding a way when we play Test cricket.”

Masood said his team is once again demoralized after losing 3-0 to Australia, 2-0 to Bangladesh at home and collapsing in the hot-weather Tests in Multan against England.

“We are hurt by the results, we are hurt as a nation, we are not getting the results Pakistan cricket deserves. We have to get it right as a team.”

The second Test begins in Multan from next Tuesday with the final Test scheduled in Rawalpindi from October 24.