All-rounder Ben Stokes was rewarded for his bold 2nd innings statement and assaulting field positioning as England sealed a popular 74- run success over Pakistan in an awesome Day Five of the very first Test at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium for among their well-known wins. Racing versus time, light and a persistent Pakistan batting order on the most docile of pitches, England held their nerve as Jack Leach declared the vital last wicket by trapping Naseem Shah lbw, clinching among England’s biggest Test wins. The 74- run win is England’s 3rd Test success in Pakistan, with Stokes ending up being simply the 3rd going to skipper after Ted Dexter in 1961 and Nasser Hussain in 2000, to win a Test match in Pakistan.
Only the 3rd Test success for England in Pakistan _ #WTC23|#PAKvENG|https://t.co/PRCGXi3dZS pic.twitter.com/0K9EB0oSE4 – ICC (@ICC) December 5, 2022
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It was all enabled after Stokes’ vibrant statement at tea on Day Four on Sunday, which provided Pakistan a stiff target of 343 for an unlikely win. An inspired bowling efficiency from quick bowlers James Anderson (4-36) and Player of the Match Ollie Robinson (4-50) required a brave triumph to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
On Day Five, Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan had actually kept Pakistan in the hunt with a constant collaboration after the hosts lost opener Imam-ul-Haq to James Anderson at the start of the day’s play to end a 64- run stand.
Rizwan took24 balls to leave the mark however then handled the spinners with Shakeel playing the best partner from the other end. Pakistan required England onto the backfoot as the collaboration in between Rizwan and Shakeel got strength.
On156/ 3 at the stroke of lunch, Pakistan appeared in control and prepared to promote a win. Anderson produced the development yet once again, sending out back Rizwan for 46 with a best outswinger, to end the 87- run collaboration.
Robinson, who had actually been dazzling with the ball right throughout the match, returned Shakeel by appealing him with a fuller shipment that he drove directly to replace Keaton Jennings.
Azhar Ali(40) and Agha Salman(30) endured through till tea to sew a stand of 61 for the 6th wicket and put some sort of resistance for Pakistan. Robinson struck quickly after, trapping Salman lbw with an inswinger and then had Azhar, who came out to bat after retiring injured on Day Four due to taking a nasty blow on the finger, glancing straight to leg slip to securely put England on the course to triumph.
Anderson then returned Zahid Mahmood, with wicketkeeper Ollie Pope taking a sensational one-handed catch by diving complete length to the leg-side, trapping Haris Rauf plumb lbw in the very same over to make the outcome an inescapable conclusion.
Naseem and Mohammad Ali disappointed England, as an edge from the previous’s bat off Stokes flew in between the keeper and slips. Leach lastly had actually Naseem caught lbw quickly after the brand-new ball was taken as England clinched a success for the ages on the flattest of pitches.
The loss has actually suggested that Pakistan’s hopes of making the ICC World Test Championship 2021-23 last have actually been dented. Wins for Australia and India in their particular series’ versus South Africa and Bangladesh respectively would see Pakistan, presently ranked 5th in the table, lose out on an area in the finals.
Pakistan’s loss likewise puts India in control to reach the WTC last considered that they can now protect their location even if they lose among the Tests versus Australia in the house, supplied they do a 2-0 sweep of Bangladesh.
If Australia win the staying Test versus West Indies and a minimum of 2 Tests versus South Africa, they would still be well-placed to make the last. The Test match action in between England and Pakistan would now move to Multan for the 2nd Test beginning with December 9.
Brief ratings: England 657 and 264/ 7 dec beat Pakistan 579 and 268 (Saud Shakeel 76, Imam-ul-Haq 48; James Anderson 4-36, Ollie Robinson 4-50) by 74 runs