Pakistan v England (Men) 7th to 24th October 2024 - 3 Tests

Pakistan 137-1. Good toss to win by the looks of things.
www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/live/cervpppzv42t

Tuesday 8th October 2024 - 1st Men's International Test Match - Day 2 of 5 - Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan - Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat

Pakistan - 556 all out (149 overs) Shan Masood 151, Abdullah Shafique 102, Salman Ali Agha 104 not out, Saud Shakeel 82, Leach 3-160

England - 96-1 (20 overs) Zac Crawley 64 not out, Joe Root 32 not out

Close: England trail Pakistan by 460 runs with 9 wickets remaining


Match report by Stephan Shemilt, Chief Cricket Writer in Multan

England overcame significant setbacks to reach 96-1 in reply to Pakistan’s massive 556 on day two of the first Test in Multan.

Ben Duckett hurt his left thumb taking the catch that ended the Pakistan innings, meaning Ollie Pope opened the batting in his place.

Pope pulled his second ball to mid-wicket, where Aamer Jamal took a stunning one-handed catch.

To their credit, Zak Crawley and Joe Root were assured in defying the lively hosts. Crawley is on 64 and Root 32, England still 460 behind.

All this at the end of another sapping day in the heat, as England’s stint in the field stretched to six sessions and Salman Ali Agha became the third home batter to register a century.

Salman survived on 15 when Chris Woakes’ spectacular boundary catch was ruled not out. TV umpire Chris Gaffaney adjudged that Woakes had a foot grounded beyond the rope in his attempt to throw up the ball and catch it again.

That would have been 420-7, England once more showing character on the true pitch, at one stage taking four wickets for 76 runs despite Saud Shakeel making 82 and nightwatchman Naseem Shah 33.

But Salman took the game away from England, dishing out some punishment to the weary visiting bowlers.

England can at least take some heart from Ben Stokes bowling on the outfield during the tea break as part of the captain’s bid to recover from a hamstring injury in time for the second Test.

Barring something catastrophic, Root will certainly end up number two on the all time run scorers list.
Tendulkar is WAY out in front of the pack.
Can Root overtake him too?

Wednesday 9th October 2024 - 1st Men's International Test Match - Day 3 of 5 - Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan - Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat

Pakistan - 556 all out (149 overs) Shan Masood 151, Abdullah Shafique 102, Salman Ali Agha 104 not out, Saud Shakeel 82, Leach 3-160

England - 492-3 (101 overs) Zac Crawley 78, Joe Root 176 not out, Brook 141, Duckett 84, Aamer Jamal 1-78, Naseem Shah 1-87

Close: England trail Pakistan by 64 runs with 7 wickets remaining

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Match report by Stephan Shemilt, Chief Cricket Writer in Multan

Joe Root’s impeccable century on the day he became England’s all-time leading runscorer led the charge back into the first Test against Pakistan in Multan.

Beginning day three on 32, Root needed another 39 to break Sir Alastair Cook’s record. The 33-year-old, in his 147th Test, created a moment of British sporting history, then went on and on to set up the prospect of a remarkable victory.

In punishing heat, this was one of the most gruelling of Root’s 35 Test hundreds. He batted throughout for his 176 not out, taking England to 492-3, only 64 behind.

After Zak Crawley was out for 78 and Ben Duckett recovered from his dislocated thumb to make 84, Harry Brook arrived for his own unbeaten 141, surviving the ball hitting the stumps but not dislodging the bails when he had 75.

Root and Brook have so far shared 243 for the fourth wicket, an all-wicket record for England in Pakistan. Resuming on 96-1, England overall added 396 for the loss of just two wickets on one of their great days in an overseas Test.

Never before have England conceded as many as Pakistan’s 556 and gone on to take a first-innings lead.

Now they are primed to do just that and, in doing so, will give themselves the chance of another stunning win in this country.

Joe Root and Harry Brook have broken a 63 year record for the 4th wicket partnership, currently standing at 454.

The old record from 1957 was 411 between Peter May and Colin Cowdrey v West Indies at Edgbaston.

Also, Joe root holds the record for the 10th wicket of 198 with James Anderson in 2014 v India at Trent Bridge.


OMG - Joe Root is out for 262, so the record partnership for the 4th wicket is indeed 454.

Thursday 10th October 2024 - 1st Men's International Test Match - Day 4 of 5 - Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan - Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat

Pakistan - 556 all out (149 overs) Shan Masood 151, Abdullah Shafique 102, Salman Ali Agha 104 not out, Saud Shakeel 82, Leach 3-160

England - 823-7 dec (150 overs) Zac Crawley 78, Joe Root 262, Harry Brook 317, Ben Duckett 84, Saim Ayub 2-101, Naseem Shah 2-157

Pakistan - 152-6 (37 overs) Saud Shakeel 29, Salman Ali Agha 41 not out, Aamer Jamal 27 not out, Atkinson 2-28, Carse 2-29

Close: Pakistan trail England by 115 runs with 4 wickets remaining

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England star Harry Brook produced a stunning display as he scored 317 against Pakistan

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Harry Brook and Joe Root made a record-breaking partnership of 454 for the 4th wicket


Match report by Stephan Shemilt, Chief Cricket Writer in Multan

Harry Brook became the first England batter for 34 years to hit a triple-century in Test cricket on an astonishing fourth day against Pakistan in Multan.

Brook, Joe Root and England broke a host of records, then the visiting pace bowlers were irresistible in charging to what looks like certain victory in the first Test.

Brook’s 317 is the sixth score in excess of 300 by an England man and his partnership of 454 with Root, who made 262, was the fourth-highest for any wicket in the history of the game.

A total of 823-7 declared is also the fourth-highest ever and England’s largest since 1938.

It meant England took a lead of 267, a barely believable advantage considering Pakistan posted 556 in their first innings.

Despite the avalanche of runs on the flat pitch, Chris Woakes knocked out the off stump of Abdullah Shafique with the first ball of Pakistan’s second innings.

England were rampant, Pakistan feeble. The hosts disintegrated after tea, spiralling towards a humiliating defeat on 152-6, still 115 short of making England bat again.

Never before has a team posted so many runs in the first innings of a Test, then gone on to lose by an innings.

England, who secured a historic 3-0 victory in Pakistan two years ago, will add another memorable win at some point on Friday.


ENGLAND SHOULD NOW WRAP UP THIS TEST MATCH ON FRIDAY TO CLAIM A QUITE REMARKABLE WIN.

Friday 11th October 2024 - 1st Men's International Test Match - Day 5 of 5 - Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan - Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat

Pakistan - 556 all out (149 overs) Shan Masood 151, Abdullah Shafique 102, Salman Ali Agha 104 not out, Saud Shakeel 82, Leach 3-160

England - 823-7 dec (150 overs) Zac Crawley 78, Joe Root 262, Harry Brook 317, Ben Duckett 84, Saim Ayub 2-101, Naseem Shah 2-157

Pakistan - 220 all out (54.5 overs) Saud Shakeel 29, Salman Ali Agha 63, Aamer Jamal 55 not out, Leach 4-30Atkinson 2-46, Carse 2-66

England win by an innings and 47 runs

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Match report by Stephan Shemilt, Chief Cricket Writer in Multan

Jack Leach took the three wickets England required for a record-breaking win over Pakistan and a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Though Pakistan began the fifth day six wickets down, Abrar Ahmed was absent through illness, and England were initially held up by Salman Agha and Aamer Jamal adding 109 for the seventh wicket.

Leach needed only four deliveries to trap Salman lbw for 63, then took a sharp caught-and-bowled to remove Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Naseem Shah charged to be stumped, giving Leach 4-30 in his first Test since January.

Pakistan’s 220 all out left England victors by an innings and 47 runs. No team in Test history has ever conceded as many as the 556 as England did in Pakistan’s first innings then gone on to win by an innings.

It means England have now won on three successive occasions when they have leaked totals in excess of 500. Only once before have England fielded first, been hit for more runs and gone on to win and that was in 1894.

The turnaround was built on a staggering batting effort, when England amassed their highest total since 1938, 823-7 declared. Harry Brook’s 317 was England’s first triple-century for 34 years and his 454-run partnership with Joe Root, who made 262, their highest in Tests.

England have now won four consecutive Tests in Pakistan and can win the series in the second Test on the same ground, beginning on Tuesday.

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WOW WHAT A TEST THAT WAS, 1599 RUNS SCORED, MASSIVE PARTNER-SHIPS, WINNING BY AN INNINGS, JOE ROOT AND A TEST THAT WENT INTO THE 5TH DAY.

Tuesday 15th October 2024 - 2nd International Test Match - Day 1 of 5 - Multan Cricket Stadium - Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat

Pakistan - 259-5 (90 overs) Kamran Ghulam 118, Saim Ayub 77, Muhammad Rizwan 37 not out, Leach 2-92

Close: Pakistan are 259 for 5

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Kamran Ghulam became the second-oldest Pakistan batter to hit a century on debut on day one

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England players had to contended with 35-degree heat


Match report by Stephan Shemilt, Chief Cricket Writer in Multan

England were defied by a century on debut by Pakistan's Kamran Ghulam on the opening day of the second Test in Multan.

Ghulam, in the side after the seismic axing of Babar Azam, made a splendid 118 to help the home side to 259-5.

The 29-year-old's effort allayed any suggestion batting would be impossible on a pitch that was also used for England's innings victory on this ground last week.

When spinner Jack Leach reduced Pakistan to 19-2 inside the opening 10 overs, there were fears the Test would become little more than a lottery, over in three days maximum.

But Ghulam shared a third-wicket stand of 149 with Saim Ayub, who made 77, then carried on after he lost Ayub and Saud Shakeel in quick succession.

Overall, England's spinners struggled and the tourists' threat came from their seamers, including captain Ben Stokes, playing his first Test since July. Stokes, Brydon Carse and Matthew Potts were magnificent in reverse-swinging the ball either side of tea.

Ghulam was able to build another partnership of 65 with Mohammad Rizwan, the wicketkeeper crucially surviving an edge off Potts which England did not review.

In the closing stages, Shoaib Bashir bounced back from a difficult day to bowl Ghulam, leaving the Test beautifully poised.

I think Harry Brook just cocked up! Not in,, variable speed of bowling,a bowler just on a bit of a high and more confidence after taking the two previous wickets,he never put on a thinking cap...Stokes personally didn't think he should be playing, no 'real' crease time before this innings, his frustration showed as he was walking the stairs to the dressing room,not sure his bat would be in good health after the wack he gave it....