Published 12:42 IST, December 20th 2022
Babar Azam becomes 1st Pakistan captain to register embarrassing record after loss to ENG
Pakistan led by Babar Azam were no match for the England team led by Ben Stokes as they suffered their first-ever 3-0 Test series loss at home.
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Pakistan were steamrolled by England in the three-match Test series that concluded on Tuesday. England recorded a 3-0 Test series win over Pakistan after winning the third Test by eight wickets at the National Stadium in Karachi. Pakistan were no match for the England team led by Ben Stokes as they suffered their first-ever 3-0 Test series loss at home. It was Pakistan's fourth Test match loss on the trot after they lost the final match and series to Australia earlier in the year.
Azam registers unwanted record
While Pakistan have managed to reach the T20 World Cup semifinal, their performance in Test matches remains below par. After the loss to England in the 3rd Test, Babar Azam has become the first Pakistan captain to lose four Test matches on home soil in a calendar year. It has not been a memorable year for Babar as the captain in the longest format of the game.
England whitewash Pakistan
A relentless England lineup powered to an eight-wicket win in the third and final cricket test on Tuesday to complete an historic series sweep in Pakistan.
England started the day needing a further 55 runs for victory and reached 170-2 within 38 minutes to secure its second successive win with more than a day to spare in its first test tour to Pakistan in 17 years.
Pakistan fell for 216 against 18-year-old rookie Rehan Ahmed (5-48) in the second innings to set England a modest target of 167 for victory.
Ben Duckett resumed on 50 and remained unbeaten on 82 off 78 balls and skip(per Ben Stokes signed off his team's dominant Bazball' brand of aggressive cricket by finishing 35 not out.
Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed could have finished the series with 18 wickets in two test matches, but Agha Salman couldn't hold onto a difficult chance from Stoke at long-on with England just 19 runs away from a memorable win.
England won the first test on a flat wicket in Rawalpindi by 74 runs in dimming light on the last day before recording a thrilling 26-run win at Multan on a slow turning track inside four days.
Rehan Ahmed conquered Pakistan's batters in the team's fortress – National Stadium – on Day 3 and England had motored to 112-2 in the final session through aggressive batting of Zak Crawley (41) and Duckett.
It was a just a third loss for Pakistan at the National Stadium in 45 test matches and first in 15 years. England was the first team to beat Pakistan there in a test match in 2000 before South Africa won a test match here seven years later.
The 3-0 drubbing was also Pakistan's fourth successive test loss at home after Australia beat them in the final test earlier this year to win the two-test series 1-0.
(with agency inputs)
12:38 IST, December 20th 2022