Pakistan's superstar batter and former captain Babar Azam took to social media to express his joy after his team's resounding 152-run victory over England in the Multan Test. His post quickly went viral, capturing the excitement of fans and fellow cricketers alike.
Even though he was rested for the second and third Tests, ace pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi extended his heartfelt congratulations to the team. His gracious message highlighted the team spirit and camaraderie within the Pakistan cricket squad.
The victory was largely attributed to the exceptional bowling performance of left-arm spinner Noman Ali, who claimed an impressive 8/46 in the second innings, finishing with a match haul of 11 wickets. England's batting lineup crumbled on a dry, spin-friendly wicket, as they were bowled out for a mere 144 runs. Off-spinner Sajid Khan also played a crucial role, contributing 2/93 in the second innings to complement his 7/111 from the first innings. Both spinners bowled unchanged and exploited the conditions to perfection, dismantling the English batting order and securing a dominant win for Pakistan.
This is how Babar Azam reacted to Pakistan's 152-run win over England in 2nd Test
"Well done, team! Fantastic win. Proud of the effort and spirit," Babar tweeted.
"Fantastic win at home! Congratulations to Pakistan. Noman Ali and Sajid Khan were exceptional, along with a dream debut for Kamran Ghulam and a massive contribution from Salman Ali Agha," Shaheen tweeted.
Pakistan's recent home Test record has been underwhelming. Their last home Test victory came against South Africa in 2021. Since then, they have faced a series of losses. They suffered defeats against England and Australia on home soil. Additionally, they endured a 2-0 series loss to Bangladesh, highlighting their struggles in Test cricket at home.
It was also Pakistan's maiden Test win under Shan Masood's captaincy. Masood in the post match presentation said that the first one is always special after some rough times.
"The first one is always special, after some rough times. For the boys to step in, a lot has happened this past week, but we came up with a strategy to get 20 wickets and we made it happen," Masood said after the match.
