The staggering numbers behind England’s remarkable victory over Pakistan --[Reported by Umva mag]

England produced a sensational performance to pull off a truly remarkable victory in the first Test against Pakistan in Multan.

Hopes of a victory in the opening match of the series appeared slim after England racked up 823-7 declared on an incredibly placid pitch in response to Pakistan’s 556 in the first innings.

Going back out to bat midway through day four, Pakistan would have been optimistic of securing a draw but chasing leather for 150 overs clearly took its toll as the hosts collapsed to 59-5.

Salman Ali Agha and Aamer Jamal offered resistance with fifties to take the Test into the last day but Jack Leach took three quick wickets to wrap up an extraordinary win and put England 1-0 up in the three-match series.

It feels a long time ago that Pakistan won the toss and appeared to take control of the series opener as Abdullah Shafique and captain Shan Masood both hit centuries to take the hosts to 250-1 on day one.

Salman Ali Agha also reached three figures and Saud Shakeel made 82 as Pakistanposted 556 in 149 overs, the wickets shared around by England bowlers Jack Leach, Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse.

Pakistan must have sensed an opening as Ben Duckett was preventing from opening due to a finger injury and his replacement, stand-in captain Ollie Pope, went in the second over for a duck.

But Joe Root put on over 100 with Zak Crawley, who hit a brisk 78, and 136 with Duckett before the latter fell 16 runs short of his hundred.

That brought Root and Harry Brook together and the Yorkshire teammates shared an incredible and record-breaking partnership worth 454 to grind Pakistan into the dirt.

Root made a career-best 262 – surpassing Sir Alastair Cook in the process to become England’s all-time leading run-scorer in Test cricket – while Brook scored a quite stunning 317 from 322 balls, including 32 boundaries.

England had obliterated their highest Test score since World War Two by the time Pope finally put Pakistan out of their misery and declared, the visitors’ 823-7 coming in exactly 150 overs.

After spending almost two full days in the field, Abdullah Shafique lasted just one ball in his second dig, Chris Woakes bowling the Pakistan opener with the first delivery of the innings.

Atkinson nicked off Masood in the eighth over before Pakistan lost two wickets in two balls, Atkinson also responsible for the removal of struggling Babar Azam before Saim Ayub fell to Carse.

Defeat inside four days looked a real possibility when Carse bowled Muhammad Rizwan and Leach got in on the act to dismiss Shakeel, but Salman Ali Agha and Aamer Jamal at least took the Test into a fifth day with a much-needed 70-run partnership.

But England were not to be denied a remarkable win, Leach taking three wickets on the morning of day five to seal a brilliant victory by an innings and 47 runs.

‘That is ridiculous,’ ex-England bowler Steven Finn said on BBC Test Match Special. ‘A brilliant Test match for England.

‘They looked down and out after a day-and-a-half. They fought their way into the game with the bat in hand, led by Joe Root and Harry Brook – that partnership put the nails in the coffin of Pakistan.

‘An impressive victory for England.’

Pakistan captain Masood added: ‘We’ve spoken about the third or fourth innings but, at the end of the day, it’s a team game and everything has its advantages and repercussions as a team.

‘When you put 550 on the board, it’s important to back that up with 10 wickets and keep the game close. That’s something we didn’t do.

‘If we take those wickets and keep England around our score or a maybe a bit more, then these 220 runs on a fifth-day pitch become challenging.’

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The following news has been carefully analyzed, curated, and compiled by Umva Mag from a diverse range of people, sources, and reputable platforms. Our editorial team strives to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information we provide. By combining insights from multiple perspectives, we aim to offer a well-rounded and comprehensive understanding of the events and stories that shape our world. Umva Mag values transparency, accountability, and journalistic integrity, ensuring that each piece of content is delivered with the utmost professionalism.