Agha Salman and Aamer Jamal’s half-centuries went in vain as Pakistan were bundled out for 220 in the second innings, handing England a thumping victory by an innings and 47 runs. It was the first time in Test cricket that a team lost by an innings despite scoring more than 500 runs in the first innings.

On the penultimate day, Pakistan’s top order crumbled in the second essay after the visitors had taken a mammoth lead. Heading into the final day, they still trailed by 115 runs with only four wickets left.

Salman and Jamal kept the English bowlers at bay for nearly an hour in the morning. Salman, who had notched up a century in the first innings, followed it up with a half-century, reaching the mark with a boundary in only the fifth over of the morning, by glancing a delivery down the legside for a boundary. With not much movement on offer, England moved to the short-ball ploy quite early in the day. Jamal was left unsettled by a couple of them, which fell just out of reach of the fielder. One even hit him on the helmet.

The duo stretched their partnership to 109 runs – the first century stand by a seventh-wicket pair for Pakistan in the third innings. If not the hope of saving the Test, the duo had allowed Pakistan to come close to wiping off the first-innings deficit, and offered the hope of taking the contest to the fourth innings.

The defiance came to an end an hour into the day’s play when Salman was trapped by Jack Leach with a delivery that rushed in and hit him low on his pads. He took a review, but that didn’t save him either.

Jamal, however, continued to keep the English attack at bay and brought up his half-century with a single towards mid on. He continued to enjoy his share of luck, getting dropped by Ollie Pope at square leg soon after and then Pope missing a direct hit while he attempted a quick single. Shaheen Afridi threw his bat around for a bit before miscuing a drive and offering Leach a diving, return catch.

It was mere formality thereafter. With Abrar Ahmad hospitalised, and unavailable to bat, Pakistan’s innings came to an end with the dismissal of Naseem Shah, who stepped out against Leach but was undone by his flatter delivery to get stumped for 6.

Even as Leach bagged all the three wickets to fall on the final day, the foundation of the victory in Multan, was laid by Harry Brook and Joe Root, who helped England to a massive 823 for 7 decl. after having been on the field for more than a day and a half, in response to Pakistan’s first innings total of 556.

With their sixth successive loss, Pakistan stretched their winless streak at home to 11 matches.

Brief Scores:
Pakistan 556 & 220 (Agha Salman 63, Aamer Jamal 55*; Jack leach 4-30) lost to England 823/7 decl. (Harry Brook 317, Joe Root 262; Naseem Shah 2-157) by an innings and 47 runs.