Pakistan were bowled at 328 while chasing a mammoth total of 355 runs which at one stage, seemed within the reach of Pakistani batsmen. In that case, England needed someone to step up and inspire them to victory. The 80 runs partnership between Saud Shakeel and Mohmmad Nawaz made it look like Pakistan were well in the game. They needed only 65 runs to win with 5 wickets in hand.
Then came Mark Wood with a set plan of hitting ferocious short balls at both batsmen. The strategy worked and two key wickets fell within span of 1 run which changed the whole scenario of the game. Babar Azam missing out on a crucial moment and experienced middle order was missing that a team must acquire in chasing such a big total.
Once again, Ben Stokes was phenomenal with captaincy, making right decision at right moments. A good fight from Saud Shakeel and Mohmmad Nawaz should be appreciated as they almost made it possible for Pakistan to win the match. Certainly, England felt tired and irritated the way both kept batting, not making any mistake against spinners on the fourth day.
Down the order, there was brief lightning moment sparked by Agah Salman (20 runs) and Abrar Ahmed (17 runs) who had a wonderful match with ball I’m hand. Now, England have won back to back matches in Pakistan for the first time and Pakistan have lost three matches straight in their backyard after long 63 years.
Pakistan started the day well, needing 157 runs to win with 6 wickets in hand. Faheem Ashraf couldn’t sustain his defence for a long time but Pakistan only lost one wicket in the first session. It was a great advantage but as soon as Mark Wood picked the ball for another spell, both cruising batsmen seemed to be taken unprepared. As both batters were removed, things became easy for England who made no errors in dealing with tailenders.
The winning moment
#PAKvENG pic.twitter.com/GmsHsQETtJ
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) December 12, 2022
England captain Ben Stokes: “Things happened quite quickly this week compared to last week and it was another fantastic game to be a part of, going down to the wire yet again.
“Jimmy, Robbo, and Woody put in an amazing performance for England this week and hats off to the lads. We have achieved something really special this week as the England cricket team.”
Pakistan captain Babar Azam: “We were not up to the mark in the first innings. We had a couple of soft dismissals. We did not finish well in the first innings and it cost us.
“After that we had a fightback in the bowling and in the second innings we fought well but unfortunately we have not finished well. We’re definitely looking forward to the Karachi Test match and we will do our best.”