Multan (Pakistan): Noman Ali and Sajid Khan claimed all 20 wickets on a recycled turning pitch as Pakistan ended a long wait for a home win with a 152-run victory over England in the second test on Friday.
Left-arm spinner Ali took 8-46 to finish with a match haul of 11 wickets and England was bowled out for 144 inside the first session on Day 4 on a tailor-made dry wicket.
Off-spinner Khan took 2-93 to go with his 7-111 in the first innings as both spinners bowled unchanged and ran through the tourists’ batting lineup after Pakistan had set up a daunting target of 297 runs.
The win was first for captain Shan Masud, who lost six tests in a row since being elevated as red-ball skipper last year and also ended Pakistan’s winless 11-match home run that included four losses against England.
England capitulated against Khan and Ali for the second time in the match after it resumed on 36-2 and needed a further improbable 261 runs for victory of a tricky turning wicket.
Khan gleefully accepted a return catch from Ollie Pope on his second ball of the day before Ali cut through by claiming all the remaining seven wickets as the tourists failed to counter the spin through their sweeps and reverse sweeps.
Captain Ben Stokes, who returned to lead the side after recovering from a torn hamstring, top-scored with 37 before falling in a bizarre fashion. Stokes charged down the wicket to Ali, but the bat flew out of England captain’s hand to backward square leg and he was stumped.
Brydon Carse smashed three sixes against Khan and scored 27 before he edged Ali in the slips as England couldn’t counter the spinners on a wicket which had plenty of cracks and turn.
England won the first test by an innings and 47 runs last week after posting a record-breaking 823-7 declared. The series-deciding third test begins at Rawalpindi from next Thursday.
