Though Pakistan scored a massive 556 runs in the first innings of the Multan Test, they went on to lose the match by an innings and 47 runs. In response to Pakistan’s 556-run total, England put up an enormous score of 823/7 before declaring their first innings. When Pakistan batted again, they managed only 220 runs, resulting in a record-breaking loss. This defeat put Pakistan into the record books for the wrong reasons, as they became the first team in Test history to lose a match by an innings after scoring more than 500 runs in the first innings.
No team in the 147-year history of Test cricket has lost a match in such a position, with much of the credit going to Joe Root’s double century and Harry Brook’s triple century for England. Despite this, Pakistan had a strong start with centuries from Abdullah Shafique, captain Shan Masood, and Agha Salman. Saud Shakeel also played a solid inning, scoring 84 runs. But Pakistan’s bowlers couldn’t put enough pressure on England’s batsmen, and the wickets England lost seemed more due to exhaustion than the bowlers’ skill.
In their second innings, Pakistan’s batters struggled against England’s bowlers, with Agha Salman scoring the highest at 63 runs. Aamer Jamal remained not out with 55 runs, but England still managed to take 9 of Pakistan’s 10 wickets, sealing their victory. Abrar Ahmed couldn’t bat because he had to go to the hospital by the end of the match.
Many factors contributed to Pakistan’s poor performance against England, but the biggest was their inability to work well as a team. Captain Shan Masood appeared to lack clear plans, and star players like Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah haven’t found their best form. After losing a Test series 0-2 at home against Bangladesh, Pakistan was expected to improve. However, it seems that the team, once a strong competitor in Asian conditions, is still struggling to find its footing.
