Shan admits ‘harsh reality’ after England register massive innings victory

Agencies Published October 12, 2024

ENGLAND captain Ollie Pope and wicket-keeper Jamie Smith successfully appeal for lbw against Pakistan’s Salman Ali Agha during the first Test at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Friday.—AFP

MULTAN: Pakistan captain Shan Masood admitted England taught his team a “harsh reality” on how to win a Test with their massive innings and 47-run victory in Multan on Friday.

England’s attack made short work of the last four Pakistan batters on the fifth day, dismissing the hosts for 220 and drawing first blood in the three-match series.

England found a way to win despite Pakistan’s first innings total of 556, responding with the fourth-highest Test score of 823-7 in response.

With Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed not batting due to illness, England reduced the hosts to 220-9 after some early resistance as Jack Leach bagged the three wickets needed and sparked huge celebrations among a small but vocal group of travelling fans.

While the bowlers completed the job, it was a stupendous batting effort that set up the win after man-of-the-match Brook scored 317 and Root made 262 in a partnership that ground the hosts to dust.

“It can’t be more disappointing than this,” said Shan who has lost all six Tests since being appointed captain last year.

“England taught us the harsh reality on how to find a way to win a Test match which we couldn’t find,” said Shan who scored a hundred to set up Pakistan’s first innings.

“After two days being under the sun and being 556 behind they gave themselves a chance to bat and scored big and when they came back with the ball they had a plan and they executed that well.”

Pakistan resumed on a precarious 152-6 and Salman Ali Agha was the first to depart in the morning after a defiant 63, with the introduction of Leach helping England snap his 109-run stand with Aamer Jamal.

England’s pace bowlers peppered the two overnight batsmen with bouncers earlier and Aamer recovered after being hit on the side of the head by a fiery ball from Brydon Carse to bring up his own half-century.

He was then granted a lifeline when Pope dropped a tough chance at square-leg — England’s fifth dropped catch of the innings — and was not out on 55 when he ran out of partners.

Leach pulled off a stunning catch off his own bowling to remove Shaheen Shah Afridi, before having Naseem Shah stumped to finish with figures of 4-30.

England declared after their highest total in 86 years and extracted the most from a lifeless pitch to rattle Pakistan on Thursday.

The hosts flexed their muscles in the early part of the Test but found themselves under the gun, trailing England by 115 runs at the end of the fourth day and they eventually folded under pressure.

Pakistan’s tally was the joint third-highest first-innings total in a losing cause and marked the first time in more than 700 Tests in Asia that a team had lost after making 500-plus runs in the first innings.

Shan said England proved themselves a quality side.

“The harsh reality in Test cricket is that no matter what the pitch is, quality sides will find a way and England did that and for us the learning is to find a way to win Tests,” he noted.

Shan said his bowlers had to learn how to take 20 wickets in a Test match.

“The trick for us is that we should learn, obviously, from England as well. They found ways to get those 20 wickets. You can’t win Tests without picking up 20 wickets,” he observed.

“As a team, we have that second innings of batting to improve but the most important thing is we must also learn how to pick 20 wickets.

“So that’s the challenge the side has going forward.”

Pakistan’s batting has been stumbling due to a slump for talisman Babar Azam, who has gone without a half-century in his last 18 Test innings.

“There is no doubt that Babar is Pakistan’s best batsman,” said Shan of Babar who scored a scratchy 30 and five in the match. “You always believe that your best batsman is just one innings away and we hope that he returns to form soon.”

Shan, who replaced Babar Azam as Test skipper in November said he would not shy away from responsibility in the wake of the big defeat.

“What hurts is that we’re not getting the results that Pakistan deserves. We’re all trying hard. We’re going to give it our all, and we’re going to try and turn this around,” he said.

“We have to get this right as a squad and as a cricket playing nation.”

Meanwhile, spinner Abrar remained doubtful for the second Test in Multan starting on Tuesday.

“The condition of Abrar is not good so we all pray that he recovers well and plays cricket again,” said Shan.

The third and final Test is in Rawalpindi from October 24.

Scoreboard

PAKISTAN (1st Innings) 556 (Shan Masood 151; Jack Leach 3-160)

ENGLAND (1st Innings) 823-7 decl (H. Brook 317, J. Root 262; 2-101)

PAKISTAN (2nd Innings, overnight

152-6):

Abdullah Shafique b Woakes 0

Saim Ayub c Duckett b Carse 25

Shan Masood c Crawley b Atkinson 11