Noman Ali eight-for seals Pakistan’s first home win since 2021

Pakistan 366 (Ghulam 118, Ayub 77, Leach 4-114) and 221 (Salman 63, Bashir 4-66) beat England 291 (Duckett 114, Sajid 7-111) and 144 (Noman 8-46) by 152 runs

Their success was all the more remarkable given the changes made in response to last week’s crushing innings loss, with Babar Azam, Shahen Afridi and Naseem Shah dropped and Pakistan selecting a three-man spin attack that had never played together before. In the end, Zahid Mahmood was only required to bowl six overs as Sajid and Noman, playing his first Test since July 2023, dismantled England in tandem.

This was day four of the second Test, but the ninth day of action for the Multan pitch – with three days in between for a quick spritz up – and it was by now offering consistent turn. England’s not-out batters, Ollie Pope and Joe Root, had been practising their sweeps before the start of play and it quickly became clear what the plan of attack was in their attempts to score a further 261 for victory. “Basically getting your broom out,” as Ben Stokes put it afterwards.

Pope, however, didn’t play a shot in anger before becoming the first wicket to fall, poking Sajid’s second ball straight back into the bowler’s hands. Harry Brook attempted to sweep his first ball, Root did likewise and the battle lines were drawn.

Not that such clarity of purpose did England much good. Root and Brook had amassed a record fourth-wicket stand of 454 in the first Test on this pitch but the turnaround in control and composure was stark. Root faced eight balls, attempting to sweep seven of them before being hit on the hip as he stretched out on off stump and played over the ball to be given lbw – a decision confirmed as umpire’s call on review.

Brook got one reverse away to the boundary but his frenetic approach was not built to last and he went back to his 21st delivery, the ball staying a touch low as Noman delivered from round the wicket, to be pinned in front of leg stump swinging across the line. England were 78 for 5, the top order back in the dressing room and the game as good as done.

It was soon 88 for 6, as Jamie Smith top-edged a slog sweep to mid-on three balls after dispatching Noman for four with the same shot. Stokes barely played a straight-bat shot and had the most success, reaching 37 at quicker than a run a ball before he was lured down the pitch by Noman. His swing across the line saw the bat end up somewhere near midwicket as Mohammad Rizwan completed the stumping – a fitting metaphor for England losing their grip.

That was pretty much that, beyond a brief sally from Brydon Carse, who survived being given out lbw to Sajid via the DRS, and subsequently smashed the offspinner for three towering sixes before the guile of Noman induced another swipe and a thin edge to slip. In his next over, Noman plucked out Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir with consecutive deliveries and Pakistan’s makeshift Multan masterplan had delivered.