Noman Ali, Sajid Khan Make Their Mark in Record Books

• Pakistan’s Second Test Win Over England.
• Pakistan secured their first Test win in 15 months.
• Noman Ali and Sajid Khan played key roles in the victory, showcasing exceptional spin bowling.

KARACHI: In a stunning comeback, Pakistan secured a victory over England in the second Test in Multan and claimed their first Test win in 15 months.

This win also ended a 44-month drought without a home Test victory, bringing relief and joy to cricket fans across the country.

Pakistan’s spin duo, Noman Ali and Sajid Khan, were instrumental in the triumph, showcasing exceptional spin bowling. Noman took 11 wickets in the match, including an impressive 8 for 46 in the second innings, becoming the first Pakistani spinner to take 8 wickets in the fourth innings of a Test match.

The previous best fourth-innings figures by a Pakistani spinner were held by Mushtaq Ahmed, who claimed 7 for 56 against New Zealand in 1995. The all-time best for a Pakistani in a fourth innings remains Sarfraz Nawaz’s 9 for 86 against Australia in 1979.

Sajid Khan also made his mark with 9 wickets in the match. Together, their efforts made history, marking only the seventh instance in Test cricket where two bowlers took all 20 opposition wickets.

The last time Pakistani bowlers achieved this feat was in 1956, when Fazal Mahmood and Khan Mohammad took all wickets against Australia. This performance underscores a rare accomplishment in cricket history.

Additionally, this match saw Pakistani spinners claim all 20 wickets, a feat only achieved twice before, most recently against England in 1987 in Lahore. Noman and Sajid also became the first Pakistani duo in 30 years to bowl unchanged through an entire innings, a feat last accomplished by Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis in 1994.

This victory marks a significant turning point for Pakistan, ending over a year of Test cricket struggles and highlighting the team’s strong spin-bowling tradition.