MULTAN: Pakistan captain Shan Masood admitted that England taught his team a “harsh reality” on how to win a Test match with their massive innings and 47-run victory in Multan on Friday.
England’s bowlers made short work of the last four Pakistan batters on the fifth day, dismissing the hosts for 220 and drawing first blood in the three-match series. Despite Pakistan’s impressive first innings total of 556, England responded with a colossal score of 823-7, their fourth-highest Test total.
With Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed unable to bat due to illness, England reduced the hosts to 220-9 after some early resistance. Jack Leach bagged the three wickets needed to end the innings, sparking huge celebrations among the small but vocal group of travelling fans.
While the bowlers completed the job, it was a stupendous batting effort that set up the win. Man-of-the-match Harry Brook scored 317 and Joe Root made 262 in a partnership that ground the hosts to dust.
“It can’t be more disappointing than this,” said Shan, who has lost all six Tests since being appointed captain last year. “England taught us the harsh reality on how to find a way to win a Test match which we couldn’t find,” he added. Shan himself scored a hundred to set up Pakistan’s first innings.
England’s Strategic Execution
Pakistan resumed on a precarious 152-6, with Salman Ali Agha departing first in the morning after a defiant 63. The introduction of Leach helped England snap his 109-run stand with Aamer Jamal. England’s pace bowlers peppered the two overnight batsmen with bouncers, and Aamer, who brought up his half-century, was granted a lifeline when Ollie Pope dropped a tough chance. However, he eventually ran out of partners and was not out on 55.
Leach pulled off a stunning catch off his own bowling to remove Shaheen Shah Afridi before having Naseem Shah stumped, finishing with figures of 4-30.
England declared after their highest total in 86 years and extracted the most from a lifeless pitch to rattle Pakistan. Despite flexing their muscles in the early part of the Test, Pakistan eventually folded under pressure.
Learning from Defeat
Pakistan’s tally was the joint third-highest first-innings total in a losing cause and marked the first time in more than 700 Tests in Asia that a team had lost after making 500-plus runs in the first innings.
Shan acknowledged England’s quality, stating, “The harsh reality in Test cricket is that no matter what the pitch is, quality sides will find a way and England did that. For us, the learning is to find a way to win Tests.”
He emphasized the need for his bowlers to learn how to take 20 wickets in a Test match. “The trick for us is that we should learn from England as well. They found ways to get those 20 wickets. You can’t win Tests without picking up 20 wickets,” he observed.
Challenges Ahead
Pakistan’s batting has been stumbling, with talisman Babar Azam going without a half-century in his last 18 Test innings. “There is no doubt that Babar is Pakistan’s best batsman,” said Shan. “You always believe that your best batsman is just one innings away and we hope that he returns to form soon.”
Shan, who replaced Babar Azam as Test skipper in November, said he would not shy away from responsibility in the wake of the big defeat. “What hurts is that we’re not getting the results that Pakistan deserves. We’re all trying hard. We’re going to give it our all, and we’re going to try and turn this around,” he said.
Injury Concerns
Meanwhile, spinner Abrar Ahmed remains doubtful for the second Test in Multan starting on Tuesday. “The condition of Abrar is not good so we all pray that he recovers well and plays cricket again,” said Shan.
The third and final Test is scheduled in Rawalpindi from October 24.
Scoreboard:
PAKISTAN (1st Innings): 556 (Shan Masood 151; Jack Leach 3-160)
ENGLAND (1st Innings): 823-7 decl (Harry Brook 317, Joe Root 262; 2-101)
PAKISTAN (2nd Innings, overnight 152-6):
- Abdullah Shafique b Woakes 0
- Saim Ayub c Duckett b Carse 25
- Shan Masood c Crawley b Atkinson 11
- Babar Azam c Smith b Atkinson 5
- Saud Shakeel c Smith b Leach 29
- Mohammad Rizwan b Carse 10
- Salman Ali Agha lbw Leach 63
- Aamer Jamal not out 55
- Shaheen Shah Afridi c & b Leach 10
- Naseem Shah st Smith b Leach 6
- Extras (B-4, LB-1, NB-1) 6
Total (all out, 54.5 overs): 220
Fall of Wickets: 1-0 (Abdullah), 2-29 (Shan), 3-41 (Babar), 4-41 (Saim), 5-59 (Rizwan), 6-82 (Saud), 7-191 (Salman), 8-214 (Shaheen), 9-220 (Naseem)
Bowling: Woakes 12-1-41-1, Atkinson 14-2-46-2, Bashir 6-0-32-0, Carse 16-1-66-2 (1nb), Leach 6.5-1-30-4
Result: England won by an innings and 47 runs.
Player of the Match: Harry Brook
