Pakistan’s spin duo Noman Ali and Sajid Khan combined to guide the hosts to a nine-wicket victory over England in the third and final Test, clinching a 2-1 series win on Saturday.
Pakistan capitalized on a 77-run first-innings lead and then bowled England out for a meager 112 in their second innings, with Noman (6-42) and Sajid (4-69) sharing all 10 wickets between them.
Shan Masood, the home captain, led the chase with an aggressive display, smashing Jack Leach for four consecutive boundaries before launching a six off Shoaib Bashir to seal the win. Pakistan lost Saim Ayub early but chased down the 36-run target comfortably to wrap up the contest within three days.
Noman and Sajid dominated England’s batting throughout the series, taking 39 of the 40 wickets in the last two Tests. Their brilliant spin bowling on a turning track in Rawalpindi left England in disarray, unable to mount a substantial second-innings total. Only Joe Root (33) showed any resistance before he was dismissed by Noman, marking the beginning of the end for the visitors.
England’s captain Ben Stokes struggled against Pakistan’s spinners and was trapped lbw after failing to offer a shot to Noman’s delivery, a reflection of England’s inability to deal with the spin challenge.
Pakistan’s last home Test series win came in 2021 when they defeated South Africa 2-0, making this victory over England a memorable milestone for the Green Team.
