Babar Azam leads the reaction as Pakistan beat England to level the series 1-1 in Multan

Pakistan leveled the three-match Test series with a comprehensive 152-run win over England in the second Test at the Multan Cricket Stadium. The victory was thanks to a dominant performance from the Pakistan spinners, who took full advantage of a repurposed pitch and bowled England out for 144 before lunch on Day 4. The result sets up a thrilling series decider in Rawalpindi next week with the series tied 1-1. Chasing a challenging target of 297, the English batters were undone by left-arm spinner Noman Ali, who took seven of the eight wickets that fell on the fourth morning and finished the second innings with figures of 8-46 and a total of 11-147 the game.

Noman and off-spinner Sajid Khan, who took nine wickets in the two innings, made it clear that England are prone to spin on a turning surface. Together they achieved the rare feat of sharing all 20 wickets between themselves, something that has only happened seven times in Test history.

The key to Pakistan's victory lay in their selection and pitch conditions. After a humiliating defeat in the first Test, in which England posted a record-breaking score of 823-7, Pakistan responded with radical changes.

They dropped former captain Babar Azam as well as pace bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah and opted for a spin-heavy attack on a reused Multan pitch. The move paid off as Noman and Sajid beat England into submission, making the most of a sharp turn and an unpredictable bounce.

Well done, team!

Fantastic win. Proud of the effort and the spirit. pic.twitter.com/TYruIjEF9u

— Babar Azam (@babarazam258) October 18, 2024

Play for the name on the front of the t-shirt and they will remember the name on the back. Well played guys #PAKvENG

— Shoaib Malik (@realshoaibmalik) October 18, 2024

What a victory!

Special thanks to Sajid Khan and Noman Ali for taking all 20 wickets and the massive 152-run win over England. Truly a team effort and a proud day for Pakistan! pic.twitter.com/OHTROQsyLU

— Hassan Ali (@RealHa55an) October 18, 2024

Congratulations, Team Pakistan
Good home win after 3 years, 8 months and 11 days. #PAKvENG brilliant bowling Noman Ali and Sajid pic.twitter.com/x39GzwDaQw

— Rashid Latif (@iRashidLatif68) October 18, 2024

The turning point came early on the fourth day when England continued at 36-2, still needing 261 more runs to equal their highest ever total in Asia. England's approach to countering the flurry appeared to be one of attack, but that played into Pakistan's hands. Ollie Pope pounced on the eighth ball of the day and offered a return catch to Sajid and things quickly collapsed from there.

Joe Root, one of England's most experienced batters, was caught LBW attempting to sweep Noman, while Harry Brook missed a hack over the line and was also dismissed LBW. The usually reliable Jamie Smith hit a simple catch up the middle and suddenly England were 87-6 with the chase in tatters.

Captain Ben Stokes briefly offered some resistance by sweeping and back-sweeping at every opportunity. Along with Brydon Carse, he added 37 from 31 balls, with Carse managing to overturn an lbw decision before hitting Sajid for consecutive sixes. However, Stokes' aggressive intent led to his downfall as he charged towards Noman, losing his bat and allowing wicketkeeper Muhammad Rizwan to catch him by surprise.

The tail folded quickly, Carse slipped and Jack Leach's inside edge found short leg. Shoaib Bashir was caught at stupid point on the next ball, sealing Pakistan's victory. This ended England's four-match winning streak in Pakistan.

Ultimately, the Pakistan spinners were the stars of the show in Multan and their tireless accuracy and sharp turn proved too much for England. Noman Ali and Sajid Khan's unbroken streak of 33.3 overs was the longest that two bowlers have bowled in a completed Test innings since 1956.