Watch cricket video highlights of England tour of Pakistan 2024. Third test between Pakistan and England. Venue of the match will be Rawalpindi.
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The wait has finally ended. Pakistan won a home Test series for the first time since 2021, rallying from 1-0 down to defeat England 2-1. A comfortable nine-wicket triumph on day three of the third and final Test in Rawalpindi occurred before noon, won with such ease that England’s victory by an innings in the first match felt like it belongs in a different series entirely. It is only the second time Pakistan has come from behind in a series, and the first at home.
Noman Ali and Sajid Khan ran riot, taking all ten wickets as England were snuffed out for 112 in a listless second innings effort, much as they had done in the first innings and in the triumphant second Test at Multan. Noman pocketed the match ball with 6 for 42, his sixth five-wicket haul, while Sajid’s 4 for 69 gave him his second 10-wicket match of his 10-Test career, following 6 for 128 on day one. That left a notional chase of 36 on the table, which was sufficient for embattled home captain Shan Masood to score a cathartic 23 off six deliveries.
He clouted four consecutive fours against Jack Leach on his way to the crease when Saim Ayub was caught leg before, then secured victory with a magnificent six from Shoaib Bashir. Prior to Masood going off with Abdullah Shafique, Noman and Sajid had done so together, relishing in the pleasure of initiating England’s day three collapse, in which the final seven wickets went for only 46 runs, as well as the fact that their introductions flipped the series upside down.
Since being called into the team after the tourists established a 1-0 lead, they have combined for 39 wickets, with Noman’s left-arm spin taking 20 at 13.85 and Sajid’s off breaks claiming 19 at 21.01. Nonetheless, England’s start was rather peaceful. They started Saturday 53 behind on 24 for 3, but in Root and Brook, they possessed two hitters capable of making up the difference and then some. Brook opened the 13th over by striking Sajid for back-to-back fours – first through cover.
Then over mid off on the charge – and gloomy Pakistan supporters may have wondered whether the Yorkshire two were ready to engage on another match-tilting alliance. After all, these two combined for 454 in the first Test at Multan. However, this was before Sajid and Noman joined the series. And, after the former changed his line to keep Brook honest, the latter followed up a sluggish delivery with a much faster one that was cut late into Mohammad Rizwan’s gloves. Pakistan’s lead was reduced to 11, but the first domino had fallen.
Others duly followed. Stokes’ struggles against spin continued, as he inexplicably led a straight delivery from Noman, anticipating turn from over the wicket that never materialized. Jamie Smith’s charge to Sajid was nearly as poor, bowled off stump with a reckless swing that belied the sensibility he shown with a load-bearing 89 in the opening innings. England took the lead only four balls after Smith’s demise, and any chances of expanding it meaningfully were dashed when Root was caught by Noman with an eight-wicket advantage.
Perfect dip onto a length to lure the right-hander forward from behind the wicket, followed by just enough spin – a ball the 38-year-old had served up several times but only Root could snag. Sajid stepped in to lop off the tail, yorking Gus Atkinson and smashing back Rehan Ahmed’s leg stump for his second 10-wicket haul. When Shoaib Bashir was thrown out LBW on the sweep, he appeared to have scored his second five-for of the match. A brief DRS assessment found in favour of the No.11, with the impact on the pad coming outside off stump.
The respite only resulted in two further runs, as Noman took Leach off guard, blasting one wide of the oncoming left-hander and was stumped brilliantly by Rizwan. A 35-run advantage was always going to be easy on a field that was anything from devilish, but Masood’s entrance guaranteed that formalities were done in 3.1 overs. Ayub started the chase with a brace of fours at the end of the first over before Leach trapped him in front, which was confirmed via DRS following another incorrect mistake by umpire Sharfuddoula.
Even his expulsion added to the celebration, as Masood led the squad to victory in his maiden series as captain. It was difficult to begrudge him the accolade after beginning his term with six consecutive defeats prior to the second Test of this series.
