England were ruthlessly demolished by Pakistan spinner Noman Ali as they crashed to a 152-run defeat in Multan, with Ben Stokes’ slapstick dismissal summing up their struggles.
Chasing an unlimited goal of 297 on a raging turner, England were bundled out for 144 with their skipper stumped after advancing down the re-used pitch and by chance launching his bat 20 yards within the air.
It was a grimly humorous moment, Mohammad Rizwan whipping off the bails as Stokes turned to see his GM blade disappearing towards square leg, and capped a chastening conclusion because the hosts levelled the series 1-1.
In the method, Pakistan ended their six-game losing streak, recorded their first win on home soil since February 2021 and arrange a decider in Rawalpindi next week.
Spinning Duo
England had harboured hopes of manufacturing certainly one of their trademark turnarounds but were unable to contain Noman, who claimed stunning figures of eight for 46 as he and Sajid Khan accomplished the rare feat of sharing all 20 wickets in a match.
Only six other duos have ever done that in Test cricket, with Australians Dennis Lillee and Bob Massie the last to accomplish that at Lord’s in 1972. The last spinners to accomplish that were England’s Jim Laker and Tony Lock in 1956.
England’s not out batters would have had hours to plot their next move at 36 for 2 overnight, but Joe Root had not even faced a ball by the point partner Ollie Pope began the rot within the second over.
He already seen one from Noman explode past his outside edge when he looked to drill Sajid down the bottom and fed a catch straight back to the bowler.
England undone by the spin
Pope’s misery was compounded by the most recent theatrical response by the off-spinner, slapping his thigh and pointing to the skies in celebration.
That put him on nine for the match, but he was unable to make it 10 for the match as 38-year-old Noman picked up each of the subsequent seven.
The winning line already looked impossibly distant but when he bested Root, getting England’s most reliable performer in turning conditions lbw, it became almost irrelevant.
Root had played sweeps to 5 of his first seven balls, but misjudged his sixth attempt and was trapped in front of off stump.
That didn’t deter Stokes, who adopted a near-identical eating regimen of standard and reverse sweeps, however the game was slipping fast through his side’s fingers.
Harry Brook was next to go, out cheaply for the second time within the match hanging on the back foot. He had 16 when he sought to smash Noman into the on side, losing his shape, failing to attach and falling lbw.
Continuing to Fall
Jamie Smith accomplished a disappointing match when he hacked his tenth ball high to mid-on, unable to make any amends for a nasty drop behind the stumps on the third afternoon to open up the tail.
Brydon Carse averted a golden duck when he successfully overturned yet one more lbw decision and landed a few unexpected blows on Sajid when he launched successive deliveries down the bottom for six.
Stokes, who reached 37 almost exclusively with sweeps, decided to take adopt an identical approach and got here undone in calamitous style. Throwing the kitchen sink as he charged Noman, he lost his grip and hurled his bat high into the sky as Rizwan accomplished the left-armer’s five-wicket haul.
Carse added a 3rd six before nudging Noman to slide before Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir propped catches to Abdullah Shafique under the helmet.
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