Pakistan supposedly whitewashed by England

Sports Desk

England, who had shown one-sided dominance throughout the series, also claimed a predictable victory in the final Test. However, the road to victory at Edgbaston was not easy at all. They managed to shake the hosts off a bit and secured the series 3-0.

Chasing a small target of just 130 runs, England were under immense pressure from the start. Openers Ben Duckett and Emilio Gaye were bowled in the first over by Mohammad Abbas. England’s all-time highest run-scorer Joe Root also escaped with a catch behind the wicket on the first ball, the ball slipping and reaching the boundary. Then, even though he was bowled by Mohammad Ali, luck was on Root’s side; the umpire called ‘no ball’ and he survived. Even though another catch was taken at slip by Abbas, it could not be taken due to the fielders’ failure.

After overcoming this initial setback, Root never looked back. Young Jordan Cox and the pair quickly added runs. Root reached his fifty off 57 balls, with Cox also reaching fifty shortly after. England reached the target in the 25th over. Root left the field unbeaten on 62 and Cox on 59.

Earlier, there was doubt about whether the match would go ahead on Friday or not. However, the visiting team’s number 9 batsman and debutant pacer Rezaullah ran riot with the bat. He gave a brilliant innings of 81 runs in just 63 balls with 9 sixes. The 21-year-old cricketer, who took 4 wickets with the ball in the first innings, put on a 121-run partnership for the 9th wicket with another pacer Abbas (42) to stun England.

While Rezaullah’s all-round performance brought some positive vibes to the team, it did not change the fortunes of the Pakistan team. It was another disappointing chapter for a team already on the backfoot after losing the first Test by an innings and 103 runs and the second by 194 runs.

After the second Test at Lord’s, Pakistan’s cricket scene was in a state of turmoil. Head coach Sarfraz Ahmed and assistant coach Umar Gul were sacked. Seven players were sent back home and seven others were replaced, including Rezaullah. Pakistan, who made four changes to their playing XI for the final Test, were bowled out for just 133 in their first innings but fought back to the end.

England have been struggling with a series loss to New Zealand, team infighting, Brendon McCullum’s resignation and Ben Stokes’ departure from the captaincy. This 3-0 win over Pakistan will surely be a big relief for them. But the real test lies ahead; the tour of South Africa in December and the Ashes next year. Root’s team has tough challenges ahead of them.