Pakistan vs England, 1st Test at Rawalpindi, Dec 01 2022, England tour of Pakistan

RESULT
1st Test, Rawalpindi, December 01 - 05, 2022, England tour of Pakistan
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657 & 264/7d
(T:343) 579 & 268

England won by 74 runs

Player Of The Match
37, 1/72 & 4/50
ollie-robinson
Match centre 
Scores: @Thilak_Rama | Comms: Alan Gardner
Scorecard summary
England 657/10(101 overs)
1st INNINGS
153 (116)
4/235 (33)
122 (111)
3/140 (24)
Pakistan 579/10(155.3 overs)
1st INNINGS
136 (168)
6/161 (40.3)
121 (207)
2/190 (49)
England 264/7(35.5 overs)
2nd INNINGS
87 (65)
2/64 (10)
73 (69)
2/66 (9.5)
Pakistan 268/10(96.3 overs)
2nd INNINGS
76 (159)
4/36 (24)
48 (77)
4/50 (22)

5.15pm: Crash! Bang! Wallop! What a video Test match! Time for us to draw the curtains on an extraordinary game in Rawalpindi. England's Bazball buccaneers are rewriting both the rule and the record books, and all we have to do is get the popcorn in. Can they lift themselves to do it all again in Multan in a few days' time? Can't wait to find out - even if the pitch is another road. In the meantime, I'll point you in the direction of Valkerie's report, and say thanks for the comments throughout. From myself, Miller, Thilak and Chandan, it's cheerio for now. We'll be back for more on Friday morning. Byeeeeeeeeee!

5pm: Time for the Pindi presentations. Player of the Match is... Ollie Robinson. Well, okay, batters did score runs for fun. "The pitch wasn't that favourable for the seamers but we managed to get the ball going and toiled way. We left nothing behind. We had to be patient at times, knew if we got fresh batters in against the reversing ball we could go bang-bang. The batters gave us that opportunity, scoring the runs as quickly as they did. Think so, coming here and playing on this wicket, the best Test I've been involved in."

Pakistan captain Babar Azam: "We were not up to the mark. After [England scored] 600 we had a plan to try and get above their score. Second innings we had a golden chance to win this Test, but session by session we lost wickets. Our bowling was young and Haris Rauf was injured so that cost us. But all credit to our bowlers. It was difficult, they were scoring at 6-7 an over, we wanted to stick to our plans but credit to them [England]. We expected that they would declare and we planned according to the situation. We had our opportunity but we couldn't get partnerships in the end. We have a lot of positives, our batting line-up performed very well and the bowling as well, so we will try to continue that in the next match."

And here's Ben Stokes: "There's a few things you can plan for, what happened to the squad a few days before the match you can't plan for. A few days ago we were running around trying to start on time. So credit to the group for coming here, turning up under the weather, Will Jacks getting the nod at the last minute and Popey having to take the gloves. What we've had to deal with coming in makes this win even better. We've played eight or nine Test matches with me and Brendon in charge and we try to focus on ourselves, take the positive option and not second guess ourselves with what the opposition might do. We've an exciting team and it was a great pitch to bat on, so a chance for us to go and express ourselves. For the lads to run in all day as they did today, it's great as a captain to see that enthusiasm. I don't think I've seen a group that want to put their bodies on the line so much. A really special group. We wanted to come here and carry on with our mantra of exciting cricket and giving ourselves an opportunity to win. We've no interest in drawing. On pitches like this you have to make things happen, make some bold decisions. We had to entice the batters to play a shot at times. Went with the seamers, and that paid off - James Anderson was fantastic today. At lunch we were in the perfect position, said to the lads this is why we declared. Probably had about eight minutes before we come off. I think it's maybe up there with one of England's greatest away wins. The toil everyone has put in is hitting everyone, Anderson is emotional up there. We've done something very special this week."

4.50pm: England, under Stokes and McCullum, don't do draws. They said before the start of the series that they would be pushing for results in Pakistan, and if they get outplayed that's okay. No question of that here, although the approach allowed Pakistan to go into the final session still in with a shot of victory. Then four wickets spell in the space of 7.3 overs, and it was a bridge too far for the last pair to hold out, even with the light fading fast. This is England's seventh win out of eight since Stokes took charge and, frankly, one of their most-audacious of all time

CricDude: "WOW England WOW. It can't be fluke these many times. Bazball is real. Bazball isn't just a batting style, it is a playing style. Can't describe more. Lost for phrases."

"Even as a die hard Pak fan of 47 years, I am glad ENG won this test. Benjamin Andrew Stokes, surely a living legend now. Plz publish." Go on then, Haroon

ShahSafeer: "Unfortunately Pakistan didn't learn anything from Aus's tour, Asia Cup and World Cup! They have been going with same old fashioned approach, and going for a draw on your own soil does not make any sense to me!!! "

Rooboy: "Nearly 1800 runs, 37 wickets, ten minutes shy of 5 days play. What a game. Test cricket rules!"

4.40pm: An incredible Test gets the dramatic denouement it deserved, and it all came down to Ben Stokes' attacking declaration on the fourth evening. They dangled the vegetable patch, then dug for victory through 96.3 overs of toil on an unforgiving Pindi deck that saw just 17 wickets fall across the first three days, This becomes the highest-scoring Test ever to produce a result, as well as the only game to do so featuring two 550-plus first innings totals. England, who weren't certain if they could field an XI on the first morning due to sickness in the camp, win for only the third time in 25 attempts in Pakistan, and will take a 1-0 lead to Multan

Adarsh: "Only England could have manufactured a result out of that Rawalpindi pitch!"

Patrick: "I think even the most one-eyed Pakistan (or even Australia) fan would concede that England deserved to win that one..."

Aayush: "The original caretakers of the game have rewritten the acceptable norms. From batting days to save test matches to batting few hours so that the bowlers can win the game. It'll be interesting to see when the other cricketing royalty catches up. Maybe another World Cup down or as soon as the Poms arrive in India. Commander in Chief, Stokes, can make it happen just like KP did it last time."

Usman: "English team has shown that better approach always win games. For Pakistan its now a food for thought. Against Australia they sufferred with this sort of approach and it seem they will suffer in this series as well. I don't wanna sound disrespectful but what you say must be reflected from your actions. England did what they said.. for Pakistan? Babar said they wanna play WTC final but did they show any intention ? any where ? in pitch preparation?, in team selection? In showing intent to win? Big no"

96.3
W
Leach to Naseem Shah, OUT

pinned him! Smack on the front pad, but Naseem reviews... England were already scattering in celebration but will have to regroup. Looks pretty straight on the replay. It was caught at silly point, too, so an inside edge won't save Naseem. No bat involved, what does ball-tracking say....? Time stands still in Pindi. Hitting leg stump, that's it. England have won this reality-warping Test, by 74 runs with the shadows lengthening!

Naseem Shah lbw b Leach 6 (46b 1x4 0x6 70m) SR: 13.04
96.2
Leach to Naseem Shah, no run

lets this one skip through outside off

Eight men in close, four on each side of the bat

96.1
Leach to Naseem Shah, no run

flighted, clipped back on off stump

Leach is back on, bowling to Naseem

A pair of gloves is run out for Naseem, very Cardiff 2009. Shaves off a few more seconds

end of over 96Maiden
PAK: 268/9CRR: 2.79 
Mohammad Ali0 (26b)
Naseem Shah6 (43b 1x4)
Ollie Robinson 22-6-50-4
Ben Stokes 20-4-69-1
95.6
Robinson to Mohammad Ali, no run

dug in, this is again too high to trouble Ali as he nods it through

Here's Harsha: "For all the smash bang cricket England have played, this is turning out to be a proper blockathon at the end and I've enjoyed both of them equally!!!!"

95.5
Robinson to Mohammad Ali, no run

head-hunting bouncer, he starts to put the hands up then flinches underneath

95.4
Robinson to Mohammad Ali, no run

short ball and it keeps low, 130kph/80mph but Ali watches it all the way on to the middle of the bat

95.3
Robinson to Mohammad Ali, no run

dug in short, climbing through wide of off stump as Ali sways away from the line

95.2
Robinson to Mohammad Ali, no run

banged in on a good length, Ali lines it up in defence. The crowd cheering every ball survived now

95.1
Robinson to Mohammad Ali, no run

fullish length and defended solidly on off

Ollie Robinson is back. Umpires still happy to allow pace bowling

end of over 95Maiden
PAK: 268/9CRR: 2.82 
Naseem Shah6 (43b 1x4)
Mohammad Ali0 (20b)
Ben Stokes 20-4-69-1
Jack Leach 18-6-56-0

They've last 7.2 overs so far. England won't get that many in from here

94.6
Stokes to Naseem Shah, no run

full around the line of off, defended. Stokes is down on his knees. Can this pair hold out?

"YORK 'IM STOKESY!" squeals Andy

94.5
Stokes to Naseem Shah, no run

pitched up wide of the off stump, he's again able to leave well alone

94.4
Stokes to Naseem Shah, no run

length ball, angling down the leg side and Naseem can walk out of harm's way

England take the second new ball

94.3
Stokes to Naseem Shah, no run

short of a length, Naseem fences at it, sends the ball to gully on the bounce

94.2
Stokes to Naseem Shah, no run

dug in and he steers into the ground towards gully

Mad Masha: "Sunset in Rawalpindi today is at 16:59 so not surprising they have gone off for bad light each day..." Yep, it's a reverse-Karachi 2000 situation, with Pakistan's batters this time hoping for the light to save them

94.1
Stokes to Naseem Shah, no run

back of a length, on the stumps and defended

Looks like England might have asked for the new ball... and the light meter is now out. Still the old ball for Stokes

end of over 94Maiden
PAK: 268/9CRR: 2.85 
Mohammad Ali0 (20b)
Naseem Shah6 (37b 1x4)
Jack Leach 18-6-56-0
Ben Stokes 19-3-69-1
93.6
Leach to Mohammad Ali, no run

lobbed up on the stumps and jabbed away watchfully - sees out another over

93.5
Leach to Mohammad Ali, no run

flighted, 86kph on off and Ali props out, gets an inside edge into the turf

93.4
Leach to Mohammad Ali, no run

slightly wider on the crease and drifting in, defended once more

93.3
Leach to Mohammad Ali, no run

Leach wheels away, blocked coming forwards on off stump

93.2
Leach to Mohammad Ali, no run

flighted, angling in on middle and off, defended again

Forward short leg is on his knees

Best performances - batters
Spike Graph
Wagon Zone
HC Brook
153 runs (116)
19 fours5 sixes
Productive shot
pull
33 runs
5 fours2 sixes
Control
83%
Babar Azam
136 runs (168)
19 fours1 six
Productive shot
pull
30 runs
7 fours0 six
Control
96%
Best performances - bowlers
WG Jacks
O
40.3
M
5
R
161
W
6
ECO
3.97
FTYFGSGS
OFFLEG
RHB
1W
1W
1W
1W
2W
LEGOFF
LHB
JM Anderson
O
24
M
12
R
36
W
4
ECO
1.5
FTYFGSGS
OFFLEG
RHB
2W
1W
LEGOFF
LHB
1W
Match details
Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium
TossEngland, elected to bat first
Series
Season2022/23
Player Of The Match
Series resultEngland led the 3-match series 1-0
Match numberTest no. 2478
Hours of play (local time)10:00 start, Lunch 12.00-12.40, Tea 14.40-15.00, Close 15.00
Match days1,2,3,4,5 December 2022 - day (5-day match)
Test debut
Umpires
TV Umpire
Reserve Umpire
Match Referee
PointsEngland 12, Pakistan 0
Language
English
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Instant answers to T20 questions
Pakistan Innings
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ICC World Test Championship
TEAMMWLDPTPCT
AUS19113515266.67
IND18105312758.80
SA1586110055.56
ENG22108412446.97
SL125616444.44
NZ134636038.46
PAK144646438.10
WI134725434.62
BAN1211011611.11