LONDON: Yasir Shah took five wickets as Pakistan marked the country’s Independence Day with a 10-wicket win over England in the fourth Test at The Oval on Sunday.

Victory saw Pakistan end the four-match series all square at 2-2 on an Oval ground where they won their first Test match in England back in 1954.

England, 88 for four overnight, were dismissed for 253 in their second innings, with Shah taking five for 71 in 29 overs after Jonny Bairstow top-scored with 81.

That left Pakistan needing just 40 to win after excellent hundreds by man-of-the-match Younis Khan (218) and Asad Shafiq (109) had helped them compile a commanding first-innings total of 542.

Azhar Ali (30 not out) ended the match by hitting Moeen Ali for a straight six as Pakistan finished on 42 without loss.

Read: When Sohail, Rahat nearly pulled off an improbable draw

Sami Aslam was 12 not out as Pakistan bounced back from their 141-run defeat in the third Test at Edgbaston in style.

“It was special, keeping in mind it was Independence Day it was something special to draw the series here after being 2-1 down, losing the second Test badly and losing the third,” delighted Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq told BBC Radio’s Test Match Special.

“But the way the team fought back, I’m a really happy captain.”

Man-of-the-match Younis added: “As a senior player I always want to contribute. That’s why it [the double century] was on the right time.”

Pakistan remain third in the world Test rankings but, following this win, could rise to number one if results in Sri Lanka and the West Indies go their way.

But Sunday’s result scuppered England's immediate hopes of climbing to the top of the standings.

Read: Despite Edgbaston loss, Pakistan still has chance for No. 1 slot

“We played at a disappointing level – we’ve drawn a series so it’s not the end of the world, but we had the opportunity to beat Pakistan and it’s frustrating,” said England captain Alastair Cook.

“We didn’t bat, bowl or field well enough.”

England resumed in trouble at 88 for four, 126 runs adrift, after Shah had ripped through the top order with three for 15 late on Saturday.

Gary Ballance was four not out and Jonny Bairstow 14 not out.

Ballance though was out for 17 when, playing carelessly away from his body, he was caught behind off Sohail Khan.

New batsman Moeen Ali had frustrated Pakistan with a first-innings 108 and shared a partnership of 93 with Bairstow.

But Ali fell for 32 when he went back defensively to Shah and got a thin edge which wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed held at the second attempt to end a stand of 65.

England were 194 for six at lunch, still 20 behind, with Bairstow 70 not out. But they lost two wickets in two balls soon afterwards to be 209 for eight.

Read: Arthur wants ‘exemplary’ Pakistan to complete England ‘mission’

Chris Woakes, backing up too far and deceived as Bairstow set off, was run out for just four by bowler Wahab Riaz’s direct hit on the non-striker’s stumps.

Next ball, Bairstow chipped Riaz straight to Azhar in the covers to end a 127-ball innings featuring eight fours.

Shah, who took 10 wickets during Pakistan’s 75-run win in the first Test across London at Lord’s, enjoyed further success in the capital when Stuart Broad (five) reverse swept-him straight to Younis at first slip – an extraordinary shot given England’s position.

But with Riaz removed from the attack by the umpires for running on the pitch, England’s last-wicket pair of Steven Finn and James Anderson added 32 before Anderson was lbw, sweeping, to debutant off-spinner Iftikhar Ahmed.

Younis the warrior

1000-plus fours: Younis’s 308-ball stay on the crease included 31 fours and four sixes. With this innings, Younis’s tally of total number of fours hit in his 108-match career so far reaches 1,027.

Sixth 200-plus score: Younis’s heroics at The Oval was his sixth 200th+ score, making him stand at No. 9, shoulder-to-shoulder to with Pakistan great Javed Miandad, in the list of batsmen with most double hundreds in Test cricket.

32 tons: Younis, with 32 Test tons to his credit, is the ninth on the list of batsmen with most Test hundreds. Add two more to the tally, and he will find himself at the fifth spot.

9456 Test runs: Younis has so far scored 9,456 runs in 108 Tests at a career average of 53.72. He needs 544 more runs to have his name included in the list of those who have scored past 10,000 runs in the game’s most-challenging format.

Yasir the superstar

With a five-wicket haul in the second innings, Yasir’s career wickets tally stood at 95 scalps in 16 Tests.

The 30-year-old Swabi-born Yasir spearheaded Pakistan’s bowling attack by taking key wickets of Alex Hales, Joe Root, James Vince, Moeen Ali and Stuart Broad.

After the first Test at Lord’s, Yasir registered his name in the record books as he surpassed Australia’s Charlie Turner’s 123-year-old record for most wickets after 13 Test matches.

Yasir’s sixth wicket in his splendid six-wicket inning haul on the third day at Lord’s bagged him his 82nd Test wicket, one more than the Australian seamer. He became the first leg-spinner to achieve the feat in 83 years.

This was Pakistan’s first Test series in England since the controversial 2010 tour. Pakistan now travel to Ireland for two one-day internationals next week before returning to England for five ODIs and a Twenty20.