Last Updated on 2 years by Charbel Coorey
Cricket News: Reactions: England pull off stunning win on awful Rawalpindi pitch | England defy Rawalpindi pitch to beat Pakistan
Who would have thought that the highest-scoring five-day Test in history would be so thrilling? In further evidence of their revolution under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes, England have pulled off one of their greatest victories on one of the poorest Test pitches in recent memory.
With light fading fast after the seamers inflicted all the damage, Jack Leach beat Naseem Shah’s inside edge to trap him in front and send England into delirium. Ollie Robinson (4/50) and the ageless James Anderson (4/36) were magnificent on an unforgiving pitch, while Ben Stokes (1/69) proved why he was a born leader.
Stokes’ brave declaration on day four with his team just 342 ahead breathed life into a Test that was on life support. On a Rawalpindi featherbed that resembled a day one surface right throughout the match, England’s seamers utilised reverse swing perfectly to pick up the seven of the eight wickets they needed on day five, while keeping Pakistan in check.
This indeed could be a watershed moment in Test history. With the game at a crossroads given international cricket’s hectic scheduling, England have provided a template on how to win on benign pitches. They scored at a rapid rate – the holders of the most runs ever on day one – to give themselves a shot at victory, and pulled it off some thanks to brilliant bowling and field placements.
Reactions: England pull off incredible win against Pakistan on flat Rawalpindi pitch
Here are some of the Twitter reactions to England’s magnificent victory. Remember, a number of their players were down with illness right before the match. Superb.
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