Ben Stokes-led England were under pressure but they did not waver as they beat Pakistan by 26 runs on Day 4 in Multan. Pakistan showed a brilliant fight chasing 355 but Saud Shakeel's 94 and Imam-ul-Haq's 60 was not enough to get them over the line. This was England’s first Test series win on Pakistan soil after 22 years. Also, it is the second time lost three consecutive Test series at home.
Before the Day 4's play started, the game was delicately poised between the two teams. Inexperienced Shakeel was well settled whereas England players had their tails up as Faheem Ashraf was still new to the crease. With the old ball, Joe Root struck first as he forced an edge to slip fielder Zak Crawley. Ashraf (10) returned to the pavillion early on Day 4.
Mohammad Nawaz approached the game in England's way as he did not wait for the one ball that could beat him and get his wicket. Instead, Nawaz pounced on every opportunity he could score off. Unlike the previous game, Stokes did not delay taking the new ball. Boundaries flowed as the hard ball came on to the bat nicely.
The scoring rate made Stokes’ side nervous as the cushion of big score went through wear and tear. But then Stokes used the short ball ploy and gave Mark Wood the ball against two set batters. The plan worked as Nawaz could not glance it off his hips and the ball brushed his glove before it landed in Ollie Pope's. The sixth wicket partnership of 80 came to an end. The southpaw contributed 45 runs from 62 deliveries including seven boundaries.
The same ploy was employed against Shakeel as well and it paid off. In a decision which looked controversial, Pope took another catch down the leg side as the visitors got the big wicket just few deliveries before the lunch. Shakeel missed a chance to score his maiden Test century. He scored 94 runs from 213 deliveries including eight boundaries.
After the lunch break, Pakistan lower-order batters came out with an intent to beat England in their own game. Debutant Abrar Ahmed surprised Wood and James Anderson with his unorthodox strokeplay. Abrar hit Wood for three boundaries in an over. But Anderson ended the counter-attack with a back of the length delivery. Abrar scored 17 runs from just 12 deliveries. When he got out Pakistan needed 45 more runs to win.
Wood returned for more and his pace beat Zahid Mahmood’s bat and hit the woodwork. Zahid got out for a seven-ball duck. Agha Salman decided to take the matters in his own hands and hit Wood for consecutive boundaries but Robinson’s pace was way too much for Mohammad Ali to tackle as he edged one to the wicketkeeper. Ali opted for the DRS but the ball clearly took a faint edge off the bat.
On Day 3, Pakistan started off positively. Mohammad Rizwan opened the innings alongside Abdullah Shafique as Imam was not fit. They shared a 66-run opening partnership. Anderson got the wicket of Rizwan (30) with a booming in-swinger. Skipper Babar got out for a single-digit score as Robinson castled him. Shafique could not get a big score either and got bowled by Wood. The partnership between Shakeel and Imam frustrated England bowlers but it was broken by Jack Leach before the day's play.
Earlier, Stokes won the toss and opted to bat first on December 9. Pope (60) and Duckett (63) got half-centuries but England lost quick wickets and got all out for 281 in the second session on Day 1. Debutant Abrar got seven wickets on a turning pitch whereas Zahid moped up the tail.
Despite losing openers cheaply, skipper Babar (75) and Shakeel's (63) partnership helped Pakistan make a comeback. Then Pakistan suffered a collapse and got all out for 202 on Day 2 as England got a 79-run lead on a turning track. Leach was the pick of the bowlers with four wickets to his name.
In the second innings Duckett continued his form and scored 79 before getting dismissed by Abrar. As England kept on losing wickets, Harry Brook stood up to the task and scored 108 with support from skipper Stokes (41). Brook's second Test ton helped England post 275 and set a target of 355. Abrar took four wickets in the second innings. In total he got 11 wickets on his debut.
