by Spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan teamed up to destroy England and beat Pakistan to a comprehensive nine-wicket victory in the crucial third Test to secure a memorable 2-1 series win on Saturday.
Pakistan had been on the rise since gaining a handy lead of 77 in the first innings on a track dominated by spinners from both sides.
Noman (6-42) and Sajid (4-69) defeated England in their second innings with a paltry score of 112, leaving Pakistan needing just 36 points to win the series.
Pakistan lost the wicket of Saim Ayub before claiming victory on the third day of the competition.
Home captain Shan Masood hit Jack Leach four times in a row before hitting a six in the first ball of Shoaib Bashir’s next over to seal the win.
Noman and Sajid took 19 of England’s 20 wickets, while Pakistan did not use their lone player Aamer Jamal at all in the game, clearly showing how spin-friendly the surface was.
The duo took 39 of England’s 40 wickets in the last two Tests since their selection midway through the series. England progressed to 24-3, losing wickets at regular intervals with Noman and Sajid running through their batting line.
Only Joe Root (33) seemed comfortable against Pakistan’s rampaging spinners and when he lost to Noman, Pakistan’s victory was only a matter of time.
The dismissal of England captain Ben Stokes, who failed to offer a shot at an incoming Noman throw that came his way, summed up their approach in the game.
The Green Team last won a Test series on home soil three years ago when Pakistan beat South Africa 2-0.
