Pakistan face home soil humiliation once again after England thrashing
Pakistan once again faced another setback in international cricket after losing to England by an innings and 47 runs in the first Test match of the three-match series.
The home side was bowled out for just 220 runs in their second innings, leaving fans disappointed.
At the start of the fifth day's play, Salman Agha and Aamer Jamal were on the crease. Both batsmen completed their half centuries with Jamal remaining not out at 55 off 104 deliveries.
Salman Agha got out LBW off a delivery Jack Leach. He scored 63 runs off 84 deliveries.
Shaheen Shah Afridi was also caught and bowled by Leach after scoring 10 runs off 14 balls.
Naseem Shah scored six runs off three deliveries. He was stumped off a delivery bowled by Leach.
Abrar Ahmed did not come to the crease remained absent hurt since he was suffering from an illness.
England's Jack Leach remained their top pick among the bowlers, picking up four wickets during Pakistan's second innings. He took all three Pakistani wickets that fell on the final day of play.
Pakistan remains the only team without a Test match victory at home since 2022. The squad has faced defeats in series against England, Australia, and Bangladesh, and now sits at a 0-1 disadvantage in the ongoing three-match series against England.
This was Pakistan's sixth straight loss under Shan Masood's captaincy. This troubling streak began with a 0-3 defeat in the away series against Australia. Following that, Pakistan suffered a surprising 0-2 loss at home to Bangladesh, marking their first-ever Test defeat against that nation. The team’s struggles continued with a heavy defeat against England.
After suffering the innings defeat, Pakistan skipper Shan Masood blamed his bowlers for the loss, "We've spoken about the third innings, but it's a team game, when you put 550 on the board it's important to back it up with 10 wickets, and that's what we didn't do. That's the key, how can the batting and bowling in first innings contribute to a lead. The onus is to set the game up well and finish it off. We should learn from England, they found ways to take 20 wickets. That's the challenge the side has going forward. We're in the middle of the series, we've talked about a squad mentality. Test cricket is the ultimate format, the best teams find a way. Scoring runs and taking wickets are the non-negotiables."
"We love playing the game, we're hurt by the results, we're hurt as a nation, but a quick turnaround. We're not getting the results that Pakistan cricket deserves. We have to get this right as a squad."
Pakisttan also notched another unwanted record becoming the first team in the sport's history to lose after scoring 550 plus runs in the first innings of a Test match.
Earlier on the fourth day of play in Multan, Pakistani batsmen struggled in theoir second innings having scored only 152 runs for the loss of six wickets after after England scored a record-breaking mammoth total of 823 runs in their first innings.
Opener Abdullah Shafique was dismissed on a golden duck on a length delivery bowled by Chris Woakes that nipped back toward the stumps.
Saim Ayub scored 25 runs on 35 balls before being caught by Duckett off Carse's first ball, leading to a spectacular catch by Duckett.
Shan Masood scored 11 runs on 22 balls before being caught by Crawley off Atkinson’s delivery. Babar Azam scored 5 runs on 15 balls before being caught by Smith off a delivery from Atkinson.
Mohammad Rizwan was bowled by Carse for 10 runs after 19 balls. Carse's pace and movement proved too much for Rizwan, leaving Pakistan in a tough spot.
Saud Shakeel scored 29 runs off 33 deliveries. He was stumped off a delivery bowled by Jack Leach. Salman Agha and Aamer Jamal were at the crease at stumps on Day 4 with 41 and 29 runs, respectively.
On the other hand, England took a dominant lead in the first Test match against Pakistan in Multan, declaring their innings at 823 for 7, giving them a 267-run advantage in the first innings.
This match, part of England's tour of Pakistan, has showcased the visitors' impressive batting capabilities, taking full advantage of a flat pitch.
The England batting lineup displayed remarkable depth, with multiple players making significant contributions.
Joe Root led the way with an outstanding 262 runs from 375 balls, while Ben Duckett supported well with 84 runs off 75 deliveries. Zak Crawley added 78 runs from 85 balls.
The highlight of the innings came from Harry Brook, who put up a stunning 317 runs, significantly boosting England's total.
The team's total of 823 is one of the highest scores in Test cricket history, and they maintained a brisk run rate of 5.48 throughout their innings.
The last ten overs were particularly fruitful for England, yielding 81 runs at a rapid rate of 8.10 runs per over.
Pakistan’s bowlers struggled to make an impact, as they grappled with the pitch conditions that offered little assistance.
Pakistan suffered an innings defeat despite having scored over 500 runs in their first innings—a scenario never witnessed in the history of the sport.