Spin is king

On a day filled with drama, 16 wickets fell for 161 as Pakistan's spinners conjured up an incredible triumph. Stats highlights from the Test

S Rajesh

28-Jan-2012

Abdur Rehman ran through England's middle order, Pakistan v England, 2nd Test, Abu Dhabi, 4th day, January 28, 2012

This is only the fifth time that England have lost chasing a fourth-innings target of less than 150. It's only their second such defeat in the last 110 years - their last loss was in 1978 against New Zealand in Wellington, when they were bundled out for 64 chasing 137. The margin of defeat was exactly the same in both Tests - 72 runs.

Pakistan have defended a target of less than 150 for only the second time in Test cricket. Their only previous such instance was in Hamilton in 1993, when New Zealand, needing 127 for victory, were bowled out for 93. On that occasion Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis took five wickets each; here, all ten wickets fell to spin. In all, only 18 times has a team failed to chase a target of less than 150. Australia have been at the receiving end seven times in these low chases.

England's total of 72 is their lowest against Pakistan; their previous lowest was 130. It also equals the lowest in Tests between these two teams: Pakistan had been dismissed for exactly the same score at Edgbaston in 2010.

Exactly 125 years ago, England had been bundled out for 45 against Australia in Sydney, which remains their lowest score in Test cricket. However, they'd ended up winning that Test by 13 runs. This score is their 12th-lowest in Tests.

Pakistan's spinners returned figures of 19 for 287, which is their third-best match figures. Only twice have their spinners taken all 20 wickets - against England in 1987, when Abdul Qadir, Tauseef Ahmed and Iqbal Qasim were the protagonists, and against West Indies in 1980, when Qadir, Qasim and Mohammad Nazir were the stars. In all, 31 wickets fell to spin in the Test - only five times have spinners taken more wickets in a Test.

Abdur Rehman had match figures of 8 for 92, which are his best in a Test. His second-innings haul of 6 for 25 are also his best figures in an innings, and his maiden five-for in Tests.

Twenty-nine out of 40 dismissals in this match were bowled or lbw, which is a record in Test cricket. The previous record was also in a Test involving Pakistan, against West Indies in Providence last year, when 26 wickets fell in this manner.

Seven batsmen scored less than 2 in England's second innings, the second-most in Test history.

England Pakistan Pakistan vs England England tour of United Arab Emirates

S Rajesh is stats editor of ESPNcricinfo. Follow him on Twitter