England captain Ben Stokes summed up his team's struggles on Day 4 of their second Test against Pakistan in Multan on Friday. Chasing a target of 297 to clinch the series 2-0, the visitors found themselves in deep trouble at 7 wickets down, needing over 160 runs to win.
Stokes was in good form, having scored 37 runs off 36 balls and aggressively countering Pakistan’s bowling after a series of early dismissals.
However, his innings came to an abrupt end when he charged down the pitch to left-arm spinner Noman Ali. In a comical turn of events, Stokes lost grip of his bat, leading to an easy stumping by Mohammad Rizwan. This dismissal marked Noman Ali's fifth wicket of the innings and quickly went viral on social media due to its humourous nature.
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Pakistan relied heavily on their spinners, Noman Ali and Sajid Khan, on a pitch offering turn, leaving England unable to counter their sustained pressure.
Starting at 36 for 2, the visitors quickly lost Ollie Pope, Joe Root, and Harry Brook, the triple centurion from the first Test, crashing to 78 for 5.
Remarkably, only two Pakistani bowlers were used during the second innings until the 32nd over, as Noman Ali and Sajid Khan running through the England batting.
All-rounder Brydon Carse attempted to mount some resistance, hitting three sixes in his 27 runs, but he too fell victim to Noman Ali’s spin. The 38-year-old spinner took his seventh wicket by inducing an inside edge from Jack Leach, dismissing England for 144 runs and marking their 9th wicket.
Noman Ali’s performance was historic, as he achieved his first career 10-wicket haul in just his 16th Test match, finishing with impressive figures of 8 for 46, with Shoaib Bashir falling for a first-ball duck.
Ultimately, Pakistan secured victory by 152 runs, marking their first home Test win in over three years.
