- England wins first Test against Pakistan by an innings and 47 runs
- Jack Leach leads with 4-30, as England’s bowlers dominate
- Harry Brook and Joe Root set records in a historic 454-run partnership
England’s bowlers, led by spinner Jack Leach, ripped through Pakistan’s lineup to win the first Test in Multan on Friday after a record partnership between Harry Brook and Joe Root flipped the game.
On the fifth day, England’s attack dispatched Pakistan’s final four batters for 220 to win by an innings and 47 runs and draw first blood in the three-match series.
England’s fourth successive Test victory on Pakistani soil follows a 3-0 thrashing two years ago. During the previous 61 years, England had only won two away Tests against Pakistan. The victory also included some new milestones for England.
“This win would rank right up there. “Top three,” said captain Ollie Pope, filling in for injured skipper Ben Stokes.
England broke record after record in Pakistan
Brook scored 317 and Root a record-breaking 262 in England’s magnificent 823-7 declared, giving the visitors a 267-run lead and their most excellent Test scores.
Their 454, England’s highest-ever partnership for any wicket in Test cricket, provided an improbable advantage after Pakistan scored an outstanding 556 in the first innings.
Pope was full of admiration for Brook and Root’s bravery. “Credit to them for the skills and determination to put the team in a winning position,” according to him.
By the end of play on the fourth day on a lifeless wicket, England had achieved the fourth-highest Test innings total of 823-7 and had taken complete control of the match, with the hosts at 152-6. Root became England’s leading run scorer in Test history along the way.
England’s bowlers then struck a devastating punch on a lifeless Multan ground, taking the first 17 wickets for a massive 1,379 runs. Pakistan were down 82-6 at the close of the fourth day before Salman Agha and Aamer Jamal formed their only important partnership.
The two added 109 before Leach, who led the attack with 4-30, made the first breakthrough on the fifth day, dislodging Salman for a battling 63 and opening the floodgates.
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Leach then took a fine return catch to dismiss Shaheen Shah Afridi for ten and stumped Naseem Shah for six to end Pakistan’s second innings. The last man, Abrar Ahmed, could not bat after being admitted to the hospital with a high temperature.
“When you come out to bat again and you’re 260 runs behind and the pitch is three days older, it’s never easy,” Pope said of Pakistan’s second-innings situation. Pope also praised the tenacity of England’s inexperienced attack. “Our bowlers got the odd ball to reverse and spin,” he remarked, referring to Gus Atkinson (2-46) and debutant Brydon Carse (2-66).
Pakistan and Masood left to collect the pieces in Multan
Pakistan’s losing streak continues as the heat on skipper Shan Masood grows. His tenure has begun with six consecutive defeats, three in Australia and two at home against Bangladesh, the worst start for any Pakistan skipper.
“It can’t be more disappointing than this,” Masood remarked. “Harsh reality is that England found a way to win after two days under the sun and 556 behind.”Then they batted well, and when they returned with the ball, they had a strategy and created a window of opportunity in the second innings, so the brutal reality of Test cricket is that no matter what the pitch condition, the winning team will find a way to win.”
The hosts have gone 11 Tests without a home triumph, with their last victory over South Africa in February 2021. The second Test begins on Tuesday at the same site, followed by the third on October 24 in Rawalpindi.
