LAHORE  -  Pakistan’s spin duo, Sajid Khan and Noman Ali, dismantled England’s batting lineup in Rawalpindi to secure a nine-wicket victory, sealing a 2-1 series win on Saturday.

Sharing a remarkable 19 wickets, Sajid and Noman spearheaded Pakistan’s bowling attack, propelling the hosts to their first Test series win at home since 2021 and their first home series win against England in nearly a decade.Chasing a modest target of 36, captain Shan Masood wasted no time, scoring an unbeaten 23 off just six balls, including four consecutive boundaries and a six to seal Pakistan’s triumph.

Despite losing Saim Ayub early to Jack Leach, Shan’s blistering strokeplay ensured Pakistan reached the target in just 3.1 overs, bringing an emphatic end to the match.Earlier, England, resuming from 24-3, struggled against Pakistan’s relentless spin. They managed only 88 additional runs, collapsing to 112 all out in 37.2 overs.

Joe Root top-scored with a measured 33, but England’s middle order crumbled as Noman (6-42) and Sajid (4-69) tore through their lineup. Sajid’s ten-wicket haul (10-197) over the course of the match made him the first spinner, and only the third bowler overall, to achieve such a feat in Rawalpindi.

Noman set the tone on the third day by dismissing Harry Brook for 26, caught behind in the 20th over, and then trapped Ben Stokes lbw in the very next over. Root put up some resistance but quickly ran out of partners, eventually falling to Noman. Contributions from England’s tail, with Jack Leach and Gus Atkinson scoring ten runs each, added 27 more runs, but the innings folded at 112.

Pakistan’s bowling tandem proved lethal, with Sajid and Noman delivering 18 and 18.2 overs, respectively. The duo’s impressive performances not only routed England but also underscored Pakistan’s spin depth on home soil.Saud Shakeel was named player of the match for his brilliant century in the first innings, while Sajid Khan claimed the player of the series award for his outstanding 19-wicket haul across two games.

Scores in Brief

PAKISTAN 344 all out in 96.4 overs (Saud Shakeel 134, Sajid Khan 48*, Noman Ali 45; Rehan Ahmed 4-66, Shoaib Bashir 3-129, Gus Atkinson 2-22) AND 37-1 in 3.1 overs (Shan Masood 23*) beat ENGLAND 267 all out in 68.2 overs (Jamie Smith 89, Ben Duckett 52; Sajid Khan 6-128, Noman Ali 3-88) AND 112 all out in 37.2 overs (Joe Root 33, Harry Brook 26; Noman Ali 6-42, Sajid Khan 4-69) by 9 wickets.