In their first Test match against England in Multan, Pakistan reached unprecedented lows. Pakistan lost the first Test match by an innings and 47 runs on Friday, October 11. Considering that Pakistan had chosen to bat first in the Test match and had amassed 556 runs, the outcome was unexpected. This was the first occasion in history when a side lost a Test match by an innings even though they had scored more than 500 runs in the opening innings of play.
But after coming out to bowl, the hosts gave up an enormous 823 runs since they were unable to make any kind of impression with the ball. Joe Root and Harry Brook's incredible partnership of 454 runs, the greatest for England in Test cricket history, contributed to the total, which was also the fourth-highest in the history of the format.
Pakistan have now faced defeat in six straight games while Shan Masood was captain in all of them. The team's bad luck began with their 0-3 loss in the away series against Australia. Following that, Pakistan lost their first-ever Test match and series against Bangladesh 0–2, shockingly, at home. Now, England has thoroughly punished Pakistan. Since 2022, Pakistan is the only team without a victory in a home Test match. The team is currently behind 0-1 in the three-match series against England after losing series against Australia, Bangladesh, and England.
Shan Masood on loss
The Pakistan skipper Shan Masood after the Test match attributed the defeat to the bowlers' failure to take ten wickets. Masood stated that bowlers cannot use challenging circumstances as an excuse, given that England demonstrated how to take 20 wickets in the Test match.
"When you put up 550 on the board, it's important to back it up with 10 wickets. 220 runs in the third innings, depending on what kind of lead you have can also be a good score. England found a way to get those 20 wickets. We also have to find a way to do that. That's the challenge a side has to go forward," Shan Masood said in the post-match presentation.
"We're in the middle of the series, we've talked about squad mentality and consistency. No matter how the pitch is, we have to find a way out. England showed that. Sometimes you get conditions in your favour, sometimes you don't. It's a non-negotiable of Test cricket to perform on a consistent basis. We love playing the game. We're obviously hurt by the results, hurt as a nation," the captain further added.
