Agha Salman and Aamer Jamal’s valiant half-centuries fell short as Pakistan was dismissed for 220 runs in their second innings, resulting in a comprehensive innings defeat by 47 runs to England. This marked a historic moment in Test cricket, as it was the first instance of a team losing by an innings despite scoring over 500 runs in their first innings.
On the penultimate day, Pakistan’s batting order collapsed, facing a daunting deficit after England built a significant lead. Entering the final day, Pakistan trailed by 115 runs with only four wickets remaining.
In the morning session, Salman and Jamal showed resistance against the English bowlers, defending well for nearly an hour. Salman, who had previously scored a century in the first innings, quickly reached his half-century, hitting a boundary in just the fifth over of the morning. With little movement in the pitch, England resorted to short balls early on. Jamal faced a few challenges, narrowly evading some deliveries that came dangerously close, including one that struck his helmet.
The pair managed to establish a 109-run partnership, setting a record for Pakistan’s seventh-wicket pairing in the third innings. While it didn’t fully restore hope for saving the match, it brought Pakistan closer to overcoming their first-innings deficit and gave fans a glimmer of optimism for the contest.
However, their resilience was short-lived; an hour into the day’s play, Salman fell to Jack Leach, who trapped him LBW with a delivery that struck low on his pads. Despite reviewing the decision, he could not overturn it.
Jamal continued to fight against the English attack, reaching his half-century with a single to mid-on. Luck was on his side, as he was dropped by Ollie Pope shortly afterward and later escaped a run-out due to another missed opportunity from Pope. Shaheen Afridi attempted to add runs but was dismissed for a meager score after miscuing a drive, resulting in a catch to Leach.
With Abrar Ahmad unavailable to bat due to hospitalization, Pakistan’s innings concluded with the dismissal of Naseem Shah, who was stumped off Leach’s flatter delivery after stepping out for a risky shot.
While Leach claimed all three wickets to fall on the final day, England’s victory in Multan was primarily built on the extraordinary performances of Harry Brook and Joe Root, who propelled the team to a monumental 823 for 7 declared in response to Pakistan’s first innings score of 556.
With this defeat, Pakistan faced its sixth consecutive loss, extending their winless streak at home to 11 matches.
Brief Scores:
Pakistan: 556 & 220 (Agha Salman 63, Aamer Jamal 55*; Jack Leach 4-30)
England: 823/7 declared (Harry Brook 317, Joe Root 262; Naseem Shah 2-157)
Result: England won by an innings and 47 runs.
