Quick bowlers Ollie Robinson and James Anderson took 4 wickets apiece as England pulled off an thrilling 74-run win over Pakistan Monday within the first Take a look at in Rawalpindi. Anderson took 4-36 and Robinson 4-50 on a placid Rawalpindi Stadium pitch to dismiss Pakistan for 268, with the stadium floodlights glowing as daylight pale. Pakistan’s final pair of Naseem Shah (six) and Mohammad Ali (nought) defied England for 35 minutes and eight.5 overs earlier than spinner Jack Leach trapped Naseem leg-before, leaving England gamers ecstatic. The win — giving England a 1-0 lead within the three-Take a look at collection — embellished England’s newly adopted “Bazball” cricket, an aggressive model taken from the nickname of head coach Brendon McCullum.
Skipper Ben Stokes was additionally energetic all through the day, holding unrelenting stress on the Pakistan batters with close-set fields and clever bowling adjustments.
He hailed the win as “particular”, figuring that they had much less then 10 minutes to seal victory earlier than dangerous gentle would have been known as.
“I believe it is possibly up there with one in every of England’s biggest away wins,” mentioned Stokes.
“We have carried out one thing very particular this week.”
The win is England’s seventh in eight Checks underneath the brand new administration of McCullum and Stokes, put in in Could this 12 months.
It was achieved after dangling the carrot-like goal of 343 runs for Pakistan to win in a attainable 130 overs.
For some time, Pakistan had their likelihood.
At tea, Pakistan had been 257-5 — needing 86 runs to win in an intriguing final session.
England wanted 5 wickets, and Robinson struck within the fourth over after the break, trapping Agha Salman leg-before for 30.
In his subsequent over he claimed Azhar Ali for 40 to carry England near victory.
On the different finish, Anderson eliminated Zahid Mahmood (one) and Haris Rauf (nought) in the identical over as 4 wickets fell for simply seven runs.
Then it was all the way down to nail biting earlier than Leach eliminated Naseem.
“We’re dissatisfied as a staff,” Pakistan skipper Babar Azam mentioned afterwards.
“At lunch we had been assured that we might win, however credit score to England on their good effort.”
A complete of 1,236 runs had been scored by the 2 groups of their first innings — England 657 and Pakistan 579 — earlier than the guests set the Take a look at alight by declaring their second innings at 264-7 on Sunday.
Pakistan batted with warning within the first session as they progressed from an in a single day whole of 80-2 to 169-3, shedding opener Imam-ul-Haq for 48 to pacer Anderson.
Mohammad Rizwan was one in every of two wickets to fall within the second session for 46, placing on a combating 87-run stand for the fourth wicket with Saud Shakeel, who scored 76.
Within the fourth over after lunch, Anderson had Rizwan caught behind whereas Robinson dismissed Shakeel to a wonderful catch by substitute Keaton Jennings at quick cowl.
England are on their first Take a look at tour of Pakistan since 2005, having declined to go to within the interim years on safety grounds.
The second Take a look at is in Multan from December 9 to 13, and the third in Karachi from December 17 to 21.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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