Pakistan thrash England to win Test series after Noman, Sajid heroics

Pakistan beat England by nine wickets inside three days in the third Test to seal a 2-1 series win in Rawalpindi.

Spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan suppressed England’s batting attack inside three days to earn Pakistan a long-awaited series-clinching nine-wicket win in the third and final Test in Rawalpindi on Saturday.

The 38-year-old left-arm spinner Noman and off-spinner Sajid, 31, had grabbed all 20 wickets on a recycled second Test pitch to level the series last week and yet again clipped the batters on an engineered dry surface by sharing 19 wickets as England were dismissed for 112 on Day Three.

It was England’s lowest innings total in Pakistan, eclipsing their previous score of 130 all out in Lahore in 1987.

Pakistan, who secured a meaningful 77-run first innings lead, reached 37-1 at the stroke of lunch to notch its first home series win since 2021 when they beat South Africa 2-0.

Skipper Shan Masood (23 not out), who lost six successive Test matches as captain before defeating England in the second test, sealed the win with a six over long-off against Shoaib Bashir after smashing four successive boundaries to Jack Leach.

The left-arm spinner grabbed the only wicket to fall when he successfully sent for an LBW television referral against Saim Ayub, who made eight.

“It’s special,” Masood said. “The first win came after a long time and it was backed up by a series win … it’s about character. To be here and standing as the winning team, it’s the most special thing for us.”

England’s batting folded meekly against the spin duo for the second time around as Ali followed his three wickets in the first innings with 6-42 on a wicket which was dried out by industrial-sized giant fans and outdoor heaters.

Khan grabbed