PAK vs ENG | Sajid-Noman spin Pakistan to dominant turnaround series win over timid England

10/26/2024

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England crumbled like a house of cards against Pakistan on a turning Day 3 Rawalpindi pitch enroute to a 2-1 series loss. Sajid Khan and Noman Ali shared all 10 second innings wickets to bowl out the visitors for a paltry 112 before the hosts chased down the 36-run target with nine wickets in hand.

‌Brief score: PAK 37/1 (Masood 23*, Ayub 8; Leach 1/27) & 344 defeat ENG 267 & 112 (Root 33, Brook 26; Noman 6/42) by 9 wickets

England began Day 3 with confidence as incumbent batters Joe Root and Harry Brook put the previous evening's jitters behind them to psuh on from a precarious overnight score of 24/3. The duo added over 40 runs within the first hour of play but just when the visitors had nearly wiped out the first innings deficit of 77 runs, Noman Ali sprung into action by nicking off Brook for 26 and things quickly went downhill thereafter. In his ensuing over, the veteran was gifted the wicket of Ben Stokes after the English skipper absurdly chose to leave a straight delivery and comleted yet another five-wicket haul courtesy of another sharp catch by Mohammad Rizwan to dispatch Root. At the other end, Sajid Khan castled Jamie Smith, Gus Atkinson, and Rehan Ahmed in quick succession to claim a second 10-wicket haul before Noman wrapped up the innings by deceiving Jack Leach with the flight while Rizwan did the rest.

Thus set a paltry target of 36, Saim Ayub came out all gunz blazing and smoked two early boundaries but it was the defensive option that saw him fall LBW to Leach. However, it only set up the stage for Shan Masood to strut in and seal his first series win as Pakistan's Test captain in style. The talisman smashed four boundaries off his first four balls to get the team within an inch of the finishing line before taking them across in the fourth over with a spectacular six off Shoaib Bashir over long-off.

What a ball!

Wonder this time Ben Stokes didn't react like it was the Ball of decade. 😭😭
— Mohammad Hazran🇵🇰 (@KhazranSays)

Back to back!

— deca coorn (@DCoorn74987)

This duo on fire

Thank you for winning us a series at home.
— Ehtisham Siddique (@iMShami_)

Ball of the century

And now Ben Stokes will react as if it was the ball of the century 🤪

— Himanshu (@himanshux_)

Making them proud

This duo is literally making our nation proud ❤️❤️
— Mir Hamza (@mirhamza_k)

No mistake

Make no mistake, BazBall was already destroyed and buried by JaisBall way back in January 2024.
— Johns (@JohnyBravo183)

Didn't expect

What a glorious for us as a cricket fan 🥹❣️we won the series at home, well done, excellence of our spinners! honestly, I didn't expect this from you guys 🤩 🇵🇰 💚💥💫✨️

Pack your bags
— Mahnoor 💎 (@Mahnoor_khan26)

Hats off

Pakistan clinches the series 2-1! Hats off to Sajid Khan for leading with grit, with Noman Ali and Saud Shakeel playing their roles perfectly.

What a team effort!
— Muhammad Saleem (@msaleemfareed)

Comeback

What a comeback by Pakistan to beat the overhyped English team in the tests!

Emphatic win this for Shaan and his men!
— Palash Pansey (@PALASHPANSEY)

Epic