England secured a commanding victory over Pakistan, wrapping up the first Test with an innings-and-47-run win on Day 5.
Resuming at 152-6 in their second innings, Pakistan’s lower order crumbled, ultimately managing only 220-9, as leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed was unable to bat due to illness. England’s Jack Leach played a key role, dismantling the tail with a four-wicket haul that underscored England’s dominance following their mammoth first innings total of 823-7 declared.
This left Pakistan, despite their impressive 556 first innings, as the first team in Test history to lose by an innings after scoring over 500.
This defeat marked a tough milestone for Pakistan, being their sixth consecutive Test loss and seventh home defeat in their last nine matches, highlighting their struggles in the longest format.
England’s bowlers applied relentless pressure from the start of Day 5, peppering overnight batsmen Agha Salman and Aamer Jamal with short-pitched deliveries. Jamal, despite being struck on the head by a fierce bouncer from Brydon Carse, continued to fight, reaching his half-century.
He was given a reprieve when stand-in captain Ollie Pope missed a tough chance at square-leg. Jamal remained unbeaten on 55, displaying resilience even as the team’s prospects dimmed.
Leach contributed not only with the ball but also with a stunning catch off his own bowling to remove Shaheen Afridi. He then wrapped up Pakistan’s innings by stumping Naseem Shah, sealing the victory on a flat Multan pitch that offered little to the bowlers.
England’s colossal first innings featured a maiden triple hundred from Harry Brook and a career-best 262 from Joe Root, laying a solid foundation after the team endured over a day and a half in the field.
Pakistan’s bowling attack, led by Shaheen Afridi, struggled to make breakthroughs, highlighting England’s determination to set a high standard from the outset.
The loss casts a shadow over Shan Masood’s early tenure as captain, as Pakistan has now lost six consecutive matches since his appointment, taking over from Babar Azam.
This stretch includes defeats to Australia, both home and away, two losses to Bangladesh on home soil, and now this opening Test against England in Multan. With only two wins from eight matches in the ongoing World Test Championship cycle, Pakistan’s chances of qualifying for the final are now slim, as they languish at the bottom of the table.
The result not only underscores Pakistan’s current struggles but also reflects England’s resurgence in the Test arena, where they demonstrated impressive adaptability and resilience.
With four more Tests in the series, both teams will be looking to either solidify their standing or regain lost momentum as the competition progresses.