Pakistan Clinches 2-1 Test Series Victory Against England with Stellar Bowling from Sajid and Noman
Pakistan spinners, Sajid Khan and Noman Ali, dominated the third Test, taking 19 of 20 wickets and requiring only 36 runs to win.
Finally, the wait is over. Pakistan defeated England 2-1 after rallying from a 1-0 deficit to win a Test series at home for the first time since 2021.
Key Performances and Match Scorecard
Pakistan 344 (Shakeel 134, Sajid 48*, Noman 45, Rehan 4-66, Bashir 3-129) and 37 for 1 (Masood 23*) beat England 267 (Smith 89, Duckett 52, Sajid 6-128, Noman 3-88) and 112 (Root 33, Noman 6-42, Sajid 4-69) by 9 wickets.
Match Analysis
England’s victory by an innings in the first match felt like it belongs in a different series entirely, after they scored a convincing nine-wicket victory on day three of the third and final Test in Rawalpindi before lunch. Pakistan has only come back from behind twice in a series, and this is the first time they have done so at home.
Noman Ali and Sajid Khan ran wild, taking all ten wickets as England was thrashed for 112 in a drab second innings performance, just like in the first innings and, in fact, the triumphant second Test at Multan. After 6 for 128 on the first day, Sajid’s 4 for 69 recorded his second 10-wicket match of his 10-Test career, while Noman’s 6 for 42, his sixth five-wicket haul, was his turn to pocket the match ball.
Beleaguered home captain Shan Masood was still able to luxuriate in a cathartic 23 from six deliveries, leaving a minimal chase of 36 on the table. After Saim Ayub was trapped leg before, he came to the crease and clouted four consecutive fours against Jack Leach. He then secured the match with a huge six against Shoaib Bashir.
Before Masood and Abdullah Shafique left, Noman and Sajid had gone hand in hand, enjoying the fact that their introductions had completely changed the course of the series and that they had sparked England’s collapse on day three, in which the last seven wickets fell for a mere 46. They had taken 39 wickets between them since being added to the team after the tourists had taken a 1-0 lead. Sajid’s off breaks grabbed 19 from 21.01, while Noman’s left-arm spin took 20 at 13.85.
For England, however, things started out calmly enough. They were 53 runs behind on 24 for 3 at the beginning of Saturday, but Root and Brook had two bats who could make up the difference and then some.
The more gloomy Pakistani supporters may have wondered if the Yorkshire duo was going to start another match-tilting partnership when Brook started the 13th over by hitting Sajid for back-to-back fours, first through cover and then over mid off on the charge. In the first Test at Multan, these two were ultimately responsible for 454.
That was prior to Sajid and Noman joining the series, though. The latter then followed up a slow ball with a much faster one that was sliced late into Mohammad Rizwan’s gloves after the former changed his line to keep Brook honest. The first domino had fallen, but Pakistan’s lead had been reduced to eleven. Others duly followed.
Inexplicably leading a straight delivery from Noman, Stokes’ problems against spin persisted as he awaited a turn from over the wicket that never materialized. Almost as terrible was Jamie Smith’s charge to Sajid, which was bowled off stump with a reckless swing that contradicted his load-bearing 89 in the first innings.
England took the lead just four balls after Smith was dismissed, and any chance they had of expanding that lead further was dashed when Root was caught by a Noman pearler with an eight-run lead. The 38-year-old had served up the delivery several times, but only Root was able to snag it. It was a perfect drop onto a length that pulled the right-hander forward from around the wicket, followed by just enough spin. A
For his second 10-wicket haul of the contest, Sajid yorked Gus Atkinson and then knocked back Rehan Ahmed’s leg stump after tagging in to lop off the tail. And when Shoaib Bashir was sent LBW on the sweep, he appeared to have scored a second five-for of the game.
The impact onto the pad came outside off stump, according to a quick DRS assessment that favored the No. 11. The reprieve only resulted in two more runs because Noman caught Leach off guard during the charge and he fired one wide of the oncoming left-hander, who was cleverly stumped by Rizwan.
On a field that was far from diabolical, a lead of 35 was always going to be easy work, but Masood’s introduction made sure that all the formalities were over in 3.1 overs. After another incorrect call by umpire Sharfuddoula, Ayub started the chase with a brace of fours at the end of the first over before Leach pinned him in front, as verified by DRS.
However, Masood’s sacking was icing to the cake as he led the squad to victory in his first series as captain. It was difficult to deny him the honor since he began his term with six consecutive losses prior to this series’ second Test.
