Ganesh Kendale
NEW DELHI: Nothing seems to be going Pakistan’s way. After losing a home series to Bangladesh, they have now suffered a crushing defeat to England.
In the opening Test, Pakistan seemed in control after posting a massive first-innings total of 556.
However, they collapsed to a humiliating defeat by an innings and 47 runs in Multan.
This marks the first time in Test history that a team has lost by an innings after scoring over 500 runs in their first innings.
This defeat is Pakistan’s sixth consecutive loss in Test cricket and their seventh home defeat in their last nine Tests, underscoring their ongoing struggles in the format.
Batting first, Pakistan set up a seemingly commanding total of 556, but England had other plans.
The visitors responded with a colossal 823/7 declared, driven by a remarkable triple century from Harry Brook and a career-best 262 from Joe Root.
Their record-breaking performance left Pakistan reeling.
In their second innings, Pakistan looked helpless and were bowled out for a mere 220, handing England a dominant victory by an innings in Multan.
“We’ve spoken about the third innings or fourth innings, but at the end of the day it’s a team game. Everything has its advantages or repercussions as a team. When you put up 550 on the board, it’s important to back it up with 10 wickets. 220 runs in the third innings, depending on what kind of lead you have can also be a good score. England found a way to get those 20 wickets. We also have to find a way to do that. That’s the challenge a side has to go forward,” Pakistan captain Shan Masood said after the match.
“We’re in the middle of the series, we’ve talked about squad mentality and consistency. No matter how the pitch is, we have to find a way out. England showed that. Sometimes you get conditions in your favour, sometimes you don’t. It’s a non-negotiable of Test cricket to perform on a consistent basis. We love playing the game. We’re obviously hurt by the results, hurt as a nation. I never try and shy away from responsibility. What hurts is that we’re not getting the results that Pakistan cricket deserves. We are trying to turn it around,” he said.
