Pakistan sunk to a new low in the first Test match vs England in Multan. On Friday, October 11, Pakistan surrendered the first Test by an innings and 47 runs. It was a shocking result, given Pakistan had scored 556 runs after opting to bat first in the Test match. This was the first time ever that a team lost a Test match by an innings, despite scoring 500+ runs in the first innings of the game.
However, the hosts failed to create any impact with the ball and conceded a massive 823 runs after coming out to bowl. The total was 4th highest in the history of Test cricket, and was aided by Joe Root and Harry Brook’s sensational partnership of 454 runs – the highest for England in Test cricket.
Pakistan have now lost 6 matches in a row, all under the captaincy of Shan Masood. The team’s ill fortunes started with the Australia series away from home where they lost 0-3. After that at home, Pakistan were stunned by Bangladesh 0-2 – their first-ever Test match loss against the side – and now, Pakistan have been hammered by England.
Pakistan are the only team to not win a Test match at home since 2022. The team has lost series again England, Australia and Bangladesh and now have a 0-1 deficit in the 3-match series against England as well.
After the conclusion of the Test match, Pakistan captain Shan Masood blamed the loss on the bowlers for not taking 10 wickets. Masood said that difficult conditions cannot be an excuse for bowlers as England showed the way to pick up 20 wickets in the Test match.
“When you put up 550 on the board, it’s important to back it up with 10 wickets. 220 runs in the third innings, depending on what kind of lead you have can also be a good score. England found a way to get those 20 wickets. We also have to find a way to do that. That’s the challenge a side has to go forward,” Shan Masood said.
“We’re in the middle of the series, we’ve talked about squad mentality and consistency. No matter how the pitch is, we have to find a way out. England showed that. Sometimes you get conditions in your favour, sometimes you don’t. It’s a non-negotiable of Test cricket to perform on a consistent basis. We love playing the game. We’re obviously hurt by the results, hurt as a nation,” the captain further added.
The second Test match of the series starts on October 15 at the same venue.
