England’s cricketers have recorded a historic – and dramatic – win over Pakistan to take a 1-0 lead in their test series.
With the sun going down on the final day of a gripping five-day test match in Rawalpindi, Ben Stokes’s side claimed the final wicket to seal a historic 74-run win against the home team.
The win is England’s first against Pakistan in their own back garden since the famous victory in the dark in Karachi in 2000.
It comes at the start of the first series to be played against the south Asian side on their home turf for 17 years, with Pakistan’s home matches against England in the last decade and a half moved to the United Arab Emirates.
In Rawalpindi, spinner Jack Leach claimed the final wicket, trapping fast-bowler Naseem Shah LBW to end Pakistan’s second innings short of their 343-run chase.
Stokes is only the third England captain to lead his side to victory in Pakistan, after Nasser Hussain in 2000 and Ted Dexter in 1961.
The match ended with Pakistan frantically trying to cling on for a draw at the end of five days of intense action between the two sides.
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England had batted superbly in their first innings, with centuries for Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope and Ben Duckett, to end with 657 runs.
But Pakistan fought back superbly to post their own first innings score of 579 all out.
After scoring 264-7 declared in the second innings, giving a lead of 343, Stokes then dangled the carrot of an achievable run chase in front of Pakistan captain Barbar Azam, who pushed his side on.
Pakistan were favourites at tea on day five, having turned their overnight 80-2 into 257-5 and needing just a further 86 runs to take a 1-0 lead.
But Ollie Robinson cracked the game open for England by removing set batters Agha Salman and Azhar Ali.
England will now begin to look ahead to Friday’s second test in Multan.
Speaking after the game, Stokes said: “One thing we try and do is focus on ourselves, rather than the opposition. We know we are a very exciting team and it’s a great batting surface, so it was a real opportunity for the batters.
“We have got some broken bodies after that. It’s amazing to see the amount of enthusiasm and heart the lads showed. I don’t think I have seen a group of players who have put their bodies on the lines [as much].”
