Cricket - Third Test - England v Pakistan - Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi, Pakistan - October 26, 2024 England players walk back to the pavilion after losing the match REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (Reuters) -Pakistan made some bold selection calls and milked their home advantage to fashion a remarkable 2-1 series victory against an England team, who will return home plagued by self-doubts.
Few expected Shan Masood and his men to bounce back in such a fashion after Bangladesh blanked them 2-0 in their previous test series at home.
When England inflicted an innings defeat on them in the series opener in Multan to grab a 1-0 lead in the series, it was quite on the expected lines.
Pakistan selectors then did the unthinkable and dropped three of the biggest names in Pakistan cricket, going by current reputation.
Batting mainstay Babar Azam and frontline pacers Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi were axed and Pakistan recognised spin as their strong suit.
They levelled the series on a used pitch in Multan and then rolled out a raging turner in Rawalpindi where Noman Ali and Sajid Khan dismantled England.
The spin duo claimed 39 of the 40 English wickets in the last two tests, justifying their selection.
They were so dominant in Rawalpindi that Pakistan did not bowl Aamer Jamal, their lone seamer, in the decider at all.
Kamran Ghulam, replacing Babar in the side, vindicated the faith shown in him by smashing a match-winning hundred in his debut test in Multan.
Pakistan's lower order also bailed them out, supplying precious runs.
BLOOD-STAINED SHIRT
The sight of the defiant Sajid, waiting in a blood-stained shirt while a new one arrived after he had cut his chin on Friday, epitomised Pakistan's grit and resilience.
"This group, management, the board, what they have been through in the past few weeks -- that means a lot," Shan said after sealing Pakistan's first series victory under his leadership with a six.
For England, it will be introspection time.
Their usual ultra-aggressive batting approach regardless of situation and conditions has appeared rather one-dimensional.
Barring Joe Root and Jamie Smith, none of their batters looked equipped to deal with the turning ball on a spinning track.
Harry Brook smashed a career-best 317 in the opening-test runfest but was subsequently found wanting against the spinners.
It was a particularly harrowing experience for England vice captain Ollie Pope, whose place could be in doubt after he failed to reach 30 in any of his five innings in Pakistan.
England's spin frailties were evident on Saturday again as they lost seven wickets in the morning session.
Nothing summed up their muddled approach better than the dismissal of skipper Ben Stokes, who pressed forward and then offered no shot to an incoming delivery from Noman that trapped him lbw.
"The last couple of tests we've been thrown some challenges and I think it's pretty easy to assess that were weren't able to stand up to those challenges," a dejected Stokes said.
"We've got a very quick turnaround to another challenge in New Zealand so we've got to put the disappointment of the last two games behind us and move on."
England's tour of New Zealand begins with the first test on Nov. 27.
(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; Editing by Clare Fallon)
