Saturday Nov 16, 2024
Saturday Nov 16, 2024
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Jack Leach took the three wickets England required for a record-breaking win over Pakistan and a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Though Pakistan began the fifth day six wickets down, Abrar Ahmed was absent through illness, and England were initially held up by Salman Agha and Aamer Jamal adding 109 for the seventh wicket.
Leach needed only four deliveries to trap Salman lbw for 63, then took a sharp caught-and-bowled to remove Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Naseem Shah charged to be stumped, giving Leach 4-30 in his first Test since January.
Pakistan’s 220 all out left England victors by an innings and 47 runs. No team in Test history has ever conceded as many as the 556 as England did in Pakistan’s first innings then gone on to win by an innings.
It means England have now won on three successive occasions when they have leaked totals in excess of 500. Only once before have England fielded first, been hit for more runs and gone on to win and that was in 1894.
The turnaround was built on a staggering batting effort, when England amassed their highest total since 1938, 823-7 declared. Harry Brook’s 317 was England’s first triple-century for 34 years and his 454-run partnership with Joe Root, who made 262, their highest in Tests.
England have now won four consecutive Tests in Pakistan and can win the series in the second Test on the same ground, beginning on Tuesday.
