England have been 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 have been 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 second, Mohammad Rizwan whipping off the bails as Stokes turned to see his GM blade disappearing in direction of sq. leg, and capped a chastening conclusion because the hosts levelled the sequence 1-1.
Within the course of, Pakistan ended their six-game dropping streak, recorded their first win on house soil since February 2021 and arrange a decider in Rawalpindi subsequent week.
Spinning Duo
England had harboured hopes of manufacturing one in every of their trademark turnarounds however have been unable to comprise Noman, who claimed beautiful figures of eight for 46 as he and Sajid Khan accomplished the uncommon feat of sharing all 20 wickets in a match.
Solely six different duos have ever accomplished that in Take a look at cricket, with Australians Dennis Lillee and Bob Massie the final to take action at Lord’s in 1972. The final spinners to take action have been England’s Jim Laker and Tony Lock in 1956.
England’s not out batters would have had hours to plot their subsequent transfer at 36 for 2 in a single day, however Joe Root had not even confronted a ball by the point companion Ollie Pope began the rot within the second over.
He already seen one from Noman explode previous his exterior edge when he seemed to drill Sajid down the bottom and fed a catch straight again to the bowler.
England undone by the spin
Pope’s distress was compounded by the newest theatrical response by the off-spinner, slapping his thigh and pointing to the skies in celebration.
That put him on 9 for the match, however he was unable to make it 10 for the match as 38-year-old Noman picked up every of the following seven.
The successful line already seemed impossibly distant however when he bested Root, getting England’s most dependable performer in turning situations lbw, it turned virtually irrelevant.
Root had performed sweeps to 5 of his first seven balls, however misjudged his sixth try and was trapped in entrance of off stump.
That didn’t deter Stokes, who adopted a near-identical eating regimen of standard and reverse sweeps, however the sport was slipping quick by way of his facet’s fingers.
Harry Brook was subsequent to go, out cheaply for the second time within the match hanging on the again foot. He had 16 when he sought to smash Noman into the on facet, dropping his form, failing to attach and falling lbw.
Persevering with to Fall
Jamie Smith accomplished a disappointing match when he hacked his tenth ball excessive 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 efficiently overturned yet one more lbw determination and landed a few sudden blows on Sajid when he launched successive deliveries down the bottom for six.
Stokes, who reached 37 virtually solely with sweeps, determined to take undertake an identical strategy and got here undone in calamitous model. Throwing the kitchen sink as he charged Noman, he misplaced his grip and hurled his bat excessive into the sky as Rizwan accomplished the left-armer’s five-wicket haul.
Carse added a 3rd six earlier than nudging Noman to slide earlier than Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir propped catches to Abdullah Shafique below the helmet.
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