PAK vs ENG 3rd Test: Pakistan seal the deal with 2-1 series win over England

Pakistan`s Noman Ali (R) and Saud Shakeel celebrate after the dismissal of England`s Ollie Pope (Pic: AFP)

Pakistan thrashed England by nine wickets in the PAK vs ENG 3rd Test in Rawalpindi on Saturday to seal the series after spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan dismissed the visitors for 112.

Noman finished with 6-42 and Sajid 4-69. England won the first Test by an innings and 47 runs while Pakistan took the second by 152 runs, both in Multan.

Earlier, spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan grabbed all 10 wickets to bowl out England for 112, leaving Pakistan a target of 36 to win the series-deciding third Test.

Joe Root top-scored with 33 while none of the other England batters could last long enough to stop Pakistan's charge towards a first home series win since beating South Africa in February 2021.

Noman and Sajid were brought into the line-up after England destroyed the hosts in the first Test in Multan by an innings and 47 runs. The duo have knocked over 39 wickets between them in the subsequent two Tests, turning what looked like an easy England series victory Pakistan's way. Pakistan won the second Test by 152 runs, also in Multan.

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England's fate was sealed once Noman dismissed overnight batsman Harry Brook caught behind by Mohammad Rizwan for 26 and skipper Ben Stokes leg-before for three. Stokes once again fell in bizarre fashion as he offered no stroke to a Noman delivery, expecting it to go down the leg side but it struck him in front of the stumps. It became 6-75 when Jamie Smith tried to loft Sajid out of the ground only to miss the ball and was bowled for three.

Noman completed his sixth five-wicket haul when Root edged a sharp turning delivery to Rizwan, quashing all hopes of an England fightback. Sajid dismissed Rehan Ahmed for seven while Noman wrapped up the innings with the wicket of Jack Leach, bowled for ten.

(With agency inputs)