PAK vs ENG | Sajid-Noman spin Pakistan to dominant turnaround series win over timid England

England began Day 3 with confidence as incumbent batters Joe Root and Harry Brook put the previous evening’s jitters behind them to psuh on from a precarious overnight score of 24/3. The duo added over 40 runs within the first hour of play but just when the visitors had nearly wiped out the first innings deficit of 77 runs, Noman Ali sprung into action by nicking off Brook for 26 and things quickly went downhill thereafter. In his ensuing over, the veteran was gifted the wicket of Ben Stokes after the English skipper absurdly chose to leave a straight delivery and comleted yet another five-wicket haul courtesy of another sharp catch by Mohammad Rizwan to dispatch Root. At the other end, Sajid Khan castled Jamie Smith, Gus Atkinson, and Rehan Ahmed in quick succession to claim a second 10-wicket haul before Noman wrapped up the innings by deceiving Jack Leach with the flight while Rizwan did the rest.

Thus set a paltry target of 36, Saim Ayub came out all gunz blazing and smoked two early boundaries but it was the defensive option that saw him fall LBW to Leach. However, it only set up the stage for Shan Masood to strut in and seal his first series win as Pakistan’s Test captain in style. The talisman smashed four boundaries off his first four balls to get the team within an inch of the finishing line before taking them across in the fourth over with a spectacular six off Shoaib Bashir over long-off.