ENG vs PAK, 1st Test, Review: Clinical visitors take 1-0 lead with a nine-wicket victory

Pakistan has done exceptionally well to wrap up the play on the fourth day of the first Test. They have now taken a lead of 1-0  in the series and it would be tough for England to make a comeback in the series. It has been a truly commendable effort from the visitors as they can’t lose the two-match series now.

The way things progressed on day four shows us how dominant the Pakistanis were in this game. They never gave an opportunity to the Brits and kept challenging their batsmen early on in the day. Chasing a meagre total, it was never going to be a tough task for them after they bundled the hosts out with a lead of only 63 runs.

Abbas, Amir duo send the English batsmen packing

England started the day with an overnight score of 235/6. Furthermore, two well-set batsmen in Jos Buttler and Dominic Bess were batting out there in the middle. Both these men had crossed their individual 50-run mark and were looking good. The platform was all set for them to help their side grow the lead and make the opposition uncomfortable.

However, they were completely undone by the brilliance from the Pakistani bowlers. They had no clue whatsoever and the duo of Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Abbas didn’t take too long to wrap up the tail of the English line-up. The latter dismissed the dangerous Jos Buttler on his second ball of the day. He has pinned in front of the stumps when he was batting on 67and was able to add only one run to his overnight score.

Amir who bowled from the other end was equally dangerous. He dismissed Mark Wood and the dangerous Dominic Bess within no time to give Pakistan the edge. On the other hand, Abbas cleared up Stuart Broad to make things easier.

As easy a chase for Pakistan!

Chasing just 64 runs, Pakistan never looked troubled. In fact, they couldn’t have asked for anything easier. Although Jimmy Anderson dismissed Azhar Ali in the 3rd over, the visitors never panicked. Haris Sohail and Imam-ul-Haq kept their cool and took their team over the line.

They ensured the team a 9-wicket victory. Imam scored 18 runs off 34 deliveries while Sohail played the role of an aggressor. He scored a quickfire 39 off 32 balls and hit a six and a four towards the end to help Pakistan take the crucial lead in the series.

Brief Scores

England 1st innings: 184 all out in 58.1 overs (A Cook 70; M Abbas 4/23, H Ali 4/51)

Pakistan 1st innings: 363 all out in 114.3 overs (Babar Azam 68, Shadab Khan 52, Asad Shafiq 59; James Anderson 3/82, Ben Stokes 3/73)

England 2nd innings: 242 all out in 82.1 overs (Joe Root 68, Jos Buttler 67, Dominic Bess 57; Mohammad Amir 4/36, Mohammad Abbas 4/41)

Result: Pakistan won by 9 wickets

Man of the Match: Mohammad Abbas