Pakistan's spin bowlers dominated England's batting lineup on Saturday, securing a 2-1 victory in their three-match Test series. This win marked Pakistan's first home series triumph in over three years.
Pakistan took control early by establishing a first-innings lead of 77 runs on a pitch that heavily favored spin bowling. In England's second innings, spinners Noman Ali (6-42) and Sajid Khan (4-69) led the charge, dismissing the visitors for just 112 runs. With England needing to defend a small total, Pakistan only required 36 runs to clinch the series. After losing Saim Ayub early, they achieved the target in just 3.1 overs, with captain Shan Masood scoring 23 not out to seal the victory.
Noman and Sajid were exceptional throughout the match, claiming 19 out of the 20 wickets that fell to England. Remarkably, Pakistan didn't even use their lone fast bowler, Aamir Jamal, highlighting how spin-friendly the pitch was.
After the match, Masood expressed his joy, saying, "Like London buses, they come together," referring to their consecutive wins in the series. He added, "The first win came after a long time and was followed by a series win. It's special for us to stand here as the winning team. Everyone contributed in different ways during this series."
Sajid Khan's outstanding performance earned him the Player of the Series award, as he took 10 wickets in the match. He and Noman combined to take 39 of the 40 English wickets in the last two Tests. Meanwhile, Saud Shakeel was named Player of the Match for scoring the only century in this spin-heavy contest.
England's captain Ben Stokes acknowledged the challenges his team faced, stating, "We were unable to meet the challenges in the last few games." He stressed the importance of adapting to tough conditions in future matches.
This victory is significant for Pakistan, marking their first home Test series win since January 2021, when they defeated South Africa. It also represents Pakistan's fourth home series victory against England, their first since 2005. The last time Pakistan won a Test series against England in the UAE was in the 2015-16 season. Notably, this win at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium is a turnaround from their previous loss to England there in 2022. Pakistan has faced home series defeats against Australia and Bangladesh in recent years, making this win even more meaningful.