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Noman Ali takes eight wickets as Pakistan defeat England in second Test

Noman Ali sensationally takes eight wickets as Pakistan win the second Test against England in Multan by 152 runs.

Noman Ali decimated the England batting lineup on the fourth day of the second Test to earn Pakistan a 152-run victory in Multan.

Chasing a target of 297, the tourists were already underdogs before Ben Duckett (0) and Zak Crawley (3) were dismissed during the closing 45 minutes of Thursday’s play.

While England resumed on 36-2, that soon became 37-3 as Ollie Pope (22) gave Sajid Khan his second wicket, which subsequently led to his fellow spinner Noman taking over.

Wickets were falling at regular intervals on a rapidly deteriorating pitch, Joe Root (18) and Harry Brook (16) unable to replicate their efforts of the first Test.

Ben Stokes and Brydon Carse each come out with credit, the skipper making a lively 37 while Carse hit three sixes on his way to a knock of 27.

However, England were unable to stifle the wizardry of Noman, who ended with figures of 8-46 as he and Khan shared the 33.3 overs in their entirely to bowl their opponents out for 144.

Some context required

Although the defeat brings the series level at one apiece with one match remaining, it should come with perspective with England having been required to successfully chase down their highest-ever target in Asia.

Only three other teams in history have chased down such a target on away territory in the history of Test cricket, while it would have been the highest successful chase in Pakistan had it been achieved.

Pakistan’s bowlers set their own feat, however. Sajid and Noman’s 33.3-over stint was the longest unchanged bowling attack in Test cricket since 1956.

There is now a break before the third Test in Rawalpindi begins on October 24.

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England left scrambling as Pakistan move into strong position to win second Test

England are left with an uphill task to win the second Test against Pakistan after losing two wickets during the early stages of their run chase in Multan.

Pakistan have laid the foundations to defeat England in the second Test, leaving the tourists on 36-2 at stumps on day three in Multan.

When England were 211-2 in reply to Pakistan’s first innings total of 366 on Wednesday, Ben Stokes‘ side appeared to be in control.

However, fast-track to just over 24 hours later and England are scrambling to stop Pakistan from levelling the series at one victory apiece, still requiring 261 runs with eight wickets left.

With no sign of bad weather, the game will reach a conclusion on Friday with England needing to reassess how they go about their run chase on a heavily-turning pitch.

Leach impresses with bat and ball

Of England’s final seven batsman, it was Jack Leach who would top-score with 25, adding potentially-vital runs in a 29-run last-wicket partnership with Shoaib Bashir to take the visitors to 291.

The pair were equally impressive with the ball, albeit assisted by the pitch, as wickets fell at regular intervals with Pakistan being reduced to 77-4.

When that became 114-5, England were in the ascendancy, but a magnificent 63 from 89 deliveries from Salman Agha turned the tide in Pakistan’s favour.

With Sajid Khan also adding 22 at the bottom of the order, Pakistan would make a credible 221, setting England a target of 297 at a time when they would have been encouraged by Leach and Bashir’s combined figures being 7-133.

Pakistan seize advantage

Although the game was finely in the balance, spin bowler Sajid put Pakistan firmly in control by taking the wicket of Ben Duckett (0) with the third ball of their chase.

Zak Crawley followed shortly for three, being stumped off the bowling of Noman Ali, and it left Ollie Pope and Joe Root needing to survive the final 30 minutes to give England a realistic chance of victory.

The experienced pair did just that, adding 25 runs from the remaining 7.4 overs to take England to 36-2, with Pope unbeaten on 21 and Root having made 12.

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On This Day: Sachin Tendulkar becomes highest-ever Test run scorer

India legend Sachin Tendulkar will always be known as one of cricket’s all-time stars, but he arguably achieved his most notable feat on this day in 2008.

With Joe Root having recently progressed into fifth place on the all-time list of highest Test run scorers, there has been more movement in those standings than there has been for some time.

However, while the England legend will have him in his sights, India‘s Sachin Tendulkar remains clear of the rest after his iconic 24-year Test career.

The top-order batsman, generally coming to the crease between numbers three and five, produced one of the standout feats in modern-day sport in compiling 15,921 runs in 200 matches.

Tendulkar still sits 2,543 runs ahead of anyone else in the list for Test runs, with Root – the closest active player – still 3,223 runs adrift after the first innings of the second Test with Pakistan.

On this day 16 years ago, Tendulkar – then 35 years of age – moved his name to the top of those rankings as India squared off against Australia in Mohali.

Just 15 runs were required to eclipse the mark of West Indies batsman Brian Lara, and Tendulkar managed that with minimal fuss on the opening day of the second Test.

Upon finishing a well-run three off the bowling of Peter Siddle, fireworks greeted Tendulkar’s spectacular achievement, one that he later described as the most notable of his career.

Tendulkar’s knock during the first innings helped India to a 320-run victory, giving his side a 1-0 lead in the best-of-four series.

While a total of six players have since moved past Lara, they did not have the longevity to ever threaten Tendulkar’s final total.

Root has taken just the 12 years to reach his running total of 12,698, the 33-year-old currently competing in his 148th Test match.

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Pakistan vs. England: Jack Leach spins tourists to historic win in first Test on day five

England complete one of the more logic-defying victories in the history of Test cricket as Jack Leach seals a win in the first Test by an innings and 47 runs.

England have sealed an historic first-Test win over Pakistan, prevailing by an innings and 47 runs in Multan on Friday.

The hard work in a logic-defying contest was done in the previous four days, Ollie Pope‘s side responding to Pakistan’s 556 with a monumental reply of 823-7.

Although England held a 267-run lead, the flat pitch initially left a draw as the most likely outcome until the tourists ripped through the Pakistan top order during the final two-and-a-half hours on Thursday.

Resuming on 152-6, and with Abrar Ahmed absent through illness, Pakistan were left with the steepest of uphill tasks to bat out the day, and they showed resilience through Salman Agha and Aamer Jamal during the first hour of the final day.

However, once Jack Leach had removed Agha for 63, the writing was on the wall, and the veteran spin bowler would soon dismiss Shaheen Shah Afridi (10) and Naseem Shah (6) to seal a famous win for England and finish with figures of 4-30.

Jamal was left high and dry on 55 not out, the effort of himself and Agha to put together a seventh-wicket stand lasting 24.2 overs – the exact amount of time it took for England to take their first six wickets – the only positive that can be taken since they ended their first innings.

What did Pope have to say?

When speaking to BBC Test Match Special after the game, Pope was quick to praise Joe Root and Harry Brook, who scored 262 and 317 respectively as they put together a record-breaking 454-run stand for the fourth wicket.

That effort proved decisive in England becoming the first team to ever concede so many runs and manage to record an innings victory in the history of Test cricket.

Pope said: “Amazing. The way Rooty and Brooky batted was phenomenal. Coming off the field after the first innings we knew 550 was a lot of runs.

“We didn’t know how much [the pitch] was going to break up, but it held together pretty nicely and the boys cashed in. We had to find a way of taking wickets, as captain you have to try to get creative and set different plans.

“That was the main challenge for me trying to find a way of taking 10 wickets and being OK with them getting those runs and keeping your head if someone did get in.”

What next?

The second Test starts on Tuesday at the same ground, England having to make a decision on how to reintegrate captain Ben Stokes should he prove his fitness after a hamstring injury.

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England hit 823 to move to brink of incredible win over Pakistan in Multan first Test

Harry Brook scores 317 and England hit 823 to move to the brink of an incredible victory over Pakistan in the first Test in Multan.

England enjoy one of their most famous days in Test cricket, scoring an incredible 823-7 before moving to the brink of victory against Pakistan in Multan.

Harry Brook and Joe Root combined to record England’s greatest-ever Test partnership, putting on 454 for the fourth wicket to take the game away from their hosts who had scored 556 in their first innings.

The issue for stand-in captain Ollie Pope was deciding when was best to declare, with the flatness of the pitch needing to be taken into consideration.

However, Pope and the rest of the England team need not have worried as their bowling attack tore through the Pakistan top order, taking six wickets in just 24.2 overs.

Pakistan deserve credit for avoiding defeat before the game headed into its fifth day, but surviving from here would represent a more outstanding feat than England have achieved by putting themselves in this position.

What records have been set?

Brook will take the majority of the plaudits from Thursday’s play, his 317 from just 322 balls featuring 29 fours and three maximums.

The Yorkshireman’s knock is the fifth highest by an Englishman in Test cricket, while his 454-run stand with Root was the highest fourth-wicket partnership in the history of Test cricket.

Root had to settle for just the 262, the 33-year-old recording his highest-ever score in Test cricket having spent 10 hours and one minute at the crease.

England’s total of 823 was still just their fourth highest in history, yet the speed of compiling it in only 150 overs may stand the test of time.

Jamie Smith made 31, Chris Woakes 17 and Brydon Carse nine before the declaration, which gave Pakistan 20 minutes or so to bat before tea.

England attack dismantle Pakistan

The momentum was already with England before Woakes sensationally clean-bowled Abdullah Shafique with the first ball of the innings.

Although the ship was steadied, Shan Masood (11), Babar Azam (5) and Saim Ayub (25) were all back in the pavilion by 12.1 overs, Carse and Gus Atkinson doing the damage.

Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel were next to go for 10 and 29 respectively, England having just under 13 overs to force an historic victory with a day to spare.

However, they lived to fight another day through Salman Agha (41) and Aamer Jamal (27) seeing out a nervy final hour, with Pakistan still trailing by 115 runs.

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Joe Root makes Test history as England close in on Pakistan’s 556

Joe Root becomes England’s all-time leading Test run scorer as he and Harry Brook move their side to within 64 runs of Pakistan’s first innings total of 556 in Multan.

Joe Root has become England‘s all-time highest Test run scorer on a day where he helped his side move into a potentially-winning position against Pakistan.

With the hosts scoring 556 runs in their first innings in Multan, it appeared they had put themselves into a position where they could not lose the game.

However, England reaching 492-3 at stumps on day three has set up the possibility of a result, providing the tourists can kick on over the remaining six sessions on what is an extremely flat pitch.

The day belonged to Root, however, who surpassed Sir Alistair Cook as England’s highest-ever run scorer in the long format of the game, as well as moving to fifth in the all-time list as he put together an unbeaten 176.

Cook had accumulated 12,472 runs from 161 matches, but Root ended play on Wednesday with 12,575 runs in what is his 147th Test outing.

Root bats all day

Throughout the second half of the day, the 33-year-old began to heavily cramp, particularly when he was attempting sweep shots in sweltering conditions.

Perhaps most impressively, the temptation was not there to go all-out attack, leaving that to Ben Duckett who made 84 from 75 and Harry Brook who also batted at a pace after his dismissal.

Brook deserves as much credit as Root does for their performances on Wednesday having scored at a strike-rate of 81.5 to compile his unbeaten 141 from 173.

Their fourth-wicket partnership, the biggest ever for England against Pakistan, has now reached 243 runs from 51.2 overs, and they will each have their sights set on a double hundred.

The priority, however, will be to guide England into a sizeable lead to give them a chance to bowl Pakistan out on the final day of a Test match that has only seen 13 wickets in three days.

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Joe Root surpasses Sir Alistair Cook as England’s greatest-ever Test run scorer

Joe Root becomes England’s all-time highest run scorer in Test cricket with his knock in the first innings of the first Test match against Pakistan.

Joe Root has surpassed Sir Alistair Cook to become England‘s highest-ever run scorer in Test cricket.

The 33-year-old has been gradually making his way up the all-time list in recent months, moving into sixth place during the summer.

That put the Yorkshire batsman on the brink of finally overtaking Cook, who was fifth on that aforementioned list with his 12,472 runs from 161 matches.

On a flat batting pitch in Multan, the first Test match with Pakistan this week represented an opportunity for Root to etch his name in England history with a feat that will realistically stand the test of time.

When on 67 on the third day’s play, Root sent a straight drive past bowler Aamer Jamal to break the record in front of what is a relatively-sparse crowd.

Why Root is the greatest

While the moment would have been more fitting had it taken place in front of a packed England support earlier this year, Root will be delighted to officially become England’s greatest batsman in history.

He brought up this feat in 14 fewer Test matches and 23 fewer innings than Cook, his average in the region of 51 while Cook ended on 45.35.

Root may have recorded more ducks than Cook – 12 to nine – but he has more fifties, centuries and sixes in comparison to the fellow former captain.

However, Root has some way to go to move any higher on the all-time list with India’s Rahul Dravid just under 800 runs ahead of him in fourth position.

What is the current state of play against Pakistan?

Midway through day three, England were sitting on 286-3, still trailing Pakistan’s first-innings total of 556 by 270 runs.

Root remained unbeaten on 86 from 148 deliveries, with Harry Brook hitting a run-a-ball 32 since replacing Ben Duckett after his teammate’s 84 from 75 balls.

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England drop Dan Lawrence, name two uncapped players for Pakistan Test series

England selectors take the decision to drop Dan Lawrence – who opened during the recent games with Sri Lanka – for the Test series against Pakistan.

England batsman Dan Lawrence has been dropped from the 17-player squad for the upcoming Test series against Pakistan.

Having had to remain patient for another opportunity with his country, Lawrence was thrust into action for the recent triple-header versus Sri Lanka.

Although England posted a 2-1 series victory, losing the final fixture on Monday, not all of the batting contingent shown enough consistency to guarantee their place for the games that start next month.

Lawrence fell into that category, his three scores in the thirties being undermined by the same amount of single-digit contributions.

His 35 in the second innings against Sri Lanka at the Oval on Sunday was his highest score in his last 13 in all formats, stretching back into July.

With Zak Crawley having recovered from a broken finger, the first-choice opener returns to the fold along with captain Ben Stokes, who has also recently missed out with a hamstring injury.

Brydon Carse in action for England in September 2023.© Imago

Who are the two Test rookies?

One of two uncapped players is no stranger to international cricket with Brydon Carse having already played in 14 one-day and three T20 matches.

The pace bowler has 15 wickets in the longer format, his best figures of 5-61 coming against Pakistan in 2021, while the 29-year-old also has best figures of 3-23 in the 20-over arena.

Meanwhile, batsman and wicket-keeper Jordan Cox is currently preparing to make his international bow in the T20 series against Australia which begins this week.

Cox, who is 23 years of age, averages 39.92 from 85 first-class appearances, already posting eight centuries with a best of 238*.

Another notable inclusion is that of spin bowler Jack Leach, the 33-year-old having not featured in an England shirt since the first Test against India in January.

Test squad in full:

Ben Stokes, Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Bryson Carse, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Josh Hull, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes

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Pathum Nissanka hits century as Sri Lanka breeze to third Test win over England

England conclude their Test schedule for the summer with a disappointing eight-wicket defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka at the Oval.

Pathum Nissanka‘s majestic century ensured that Sri Lanka were able to coast to an eight-wicket victory over England on the fourth day of the third Test.

Having ended Sunday’s play on 94-1 and within 125 runs of the target of 219, the tourists were in a dominant position as they bid to end a series that they had already lost on a high.

Although Kusal Mendis would fall within 4.3 overs of the restart, England failed to capitalise on that moment as Nissanka produced a sensational innings of 127 at the Oval.

In posting a dominant win in the capital, Sri Lanka record their first Test triumph over England for a decade.

With the ground considerably less than half full, there was a sense that few England fans gave their side much hope of instigating what would have been a stunning turnaround on the back of their abysmal showing on Sunday.

A brilliant catch in the deep from Shoaib Bashir lifted spirits, the spin bowler diving to his left to dismiss Mendis (39) off the bowling of Gus Atkinson.

Nissanka cements top order spot

However, Nissanka and Angelo Mathews soon took the game away from their hosts, particularly Nissanka who was motivated to better his 64 from 51 in the first innings.

The 26-year-old was subsequently record his second century in Test cricket and his best score to date, an unbeaten knock of 127 runs from 124 deliveries.

Mathews batted at a far more pedestrian rate, yet his contribution of 32 from 61 was equally effective in ensuring that Sri Lanka’s win was never in any doubt.

England now switch their attention to the one-day format with three T20 and five one-day internationals against Australia before they resume Test duties versus Pakistan next month.

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Preview: Test Series: England vs. Sri Lanka – prediction, team news, series so far

Sports Mole previews the third and final Test match between England and Sri Lanka, scheduled to get underway on Friday at The Oval.

England will look to complete a clean sweep over Sri Lanka when the three-match Test series heads to the Oval for the final instalment, set to get underway on Friday morning.

The hosts sealed the series win against the Lions at Lord’s earlier this week, and with that victory, they now have the chance to record their first perfect Test summer for 20 years.

Match preview

Gus Atkinson of England looks on during the England v Sri Lanka 2nd Rothesay Test Match on August 31, 2024© Imago

It will be a big week for English cricket, as not since 2004 when Michael Vaughan led the team to victories over New Zealand and West Indies, have the Three Lions won every Test in a home season.

However, they now have a chance to end the two-decade wait after a five-wicket haul from rising star Gus Atkinson and another masterclass performance from Joe Root secured the hosts the series victory against Sri Lanka.

Atkinson continued his Lord’s love affair by also scoring 190 runs, including his maiden first-class ton, to claim a fifth mention on the dressing room honours boards in just his second Test at the famous venue.

The all-rounder became only the third England cricketer, following in the footsteps of legends Tony Greig and Ian Botham, to score a century and take five wickets in the same Test match.

Root, meanwhile, equalled the record for the most centuries by an English cricketer in Test cricket (33) in the first innings before claiming the outright lead in the second, and he is now lining up to surpass Alastair Cook‘s record for the most Test runs by an English player ever.

However, while there is plenty to be optimistic about with England’s recent performances, there are questions being raised about stand-in captain Ollie Pope‘s suitability at number three after he managed just 18 runs in his two innings at Lord’s and 12 in the first Test in Manchester.

Angelo Mathews of Sri Lanka reacts after being dismissed by England during the Test Match at Lords on August 31, 2024© Imago

Meanwhile, after giving England a tough challenge at Old Trafford, Sri Lanka’s performance unravelled at Lord’s, and the side were clearly second-best in the contest from day one.

Lions’ skipper Dhananjaya de Silva made a somewhat surprising decision to field under blue skies on the first day, and the side, evidently lacking a genuine strike seamer, struggled to make in-roads early in the match.

With the bat, Sri Lanka’s only in-form player Kamindu Mendis was again sent in at number seven in the first innings, and worse, at eight in the second innings, raising serious questions about the team’s tactics and decision-making.

Elsewhere, Nishan Madushka kept wicket for 102 overs and looked like a cheap early wicket waiting to happen when sent in at the top of the order. He eventually ended up adding just 20 runs across both innings.

In the end, chasing what would have been a record fourth-innings total of 483, the Sri Lankans were bowled out for 292 after tea on the fourth day, despite valiant fifties from Dinesh Chandimal (58), Dimuth Karunaratne (55) and De Silva (50).

Team News

England's Joe Root after win over Sri Lanka in first Test on August 24, 2024.© Reuters

England have made just one change to the squad that they sent out in the second Test, with Leicestershire seamer Josh Hull set to earn his debut for the Three Lions at the Oval.

Hull was originally called up to the squad last week in place of the injured Mark Wood and now comes into the side for Matthew Potts, who took just two wickets across both innings in the Lord’s Test.

For Sri Lanka, one of the biggest tasks will be figuring out how to dismiss Root, who has handled the likes of Asitha Fernando and Lahiru Kumara with relative ease over the first two Tests.

In this match, the Lions may have to consider bringing in a fifth specialty bowler after Mendis was given a three-over spell in the first innings at Lord’s and went for 27 runs.

England squad: Ollie Pope (c), Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Josh Hull, Dan Lawrence, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes,

Sri Lanka squad: Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (vc), Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara, Nisala Tharaka, Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis, Jeffrey Vandersay, Milan Rathnayake

Series so far

Test 1 of 3: England won by 5 wickets
Sri Lanka – 236 & 326
England – 358 & 205/5

Test 2 of 3: England won by 190 runs
England – 427 & 251
Sri Lanka – 196 & 292

SM words green background© PA Photos

We say: England to win

Given the form of the likes of Root and Atkinson, combined with the lack of spark shown by the visitors in the first two matches, we feel England will wrap up this series with another victory and record their first perfect Test summer for 20 years.

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