Pakistan's stunning comeback in Test cricket: 5 reasons for their success against England

The Pakistan cricket team finally got the monkey off their back after a well-paced 2-1 series win against England at home in Tests. To come back from 1-0 down and beat their opponents in the next two games shows the utmost character. The Pakistan team had lost the last seven of the 11 Test matches at home in the last four years. Notably, Shan Masood's team won their first home series since 2021.

England's powerful win over Ben Stokes has given Pakistan a template for future home matches. It was a lesson learned about producing pitches that not only make matches interesting, but also give the home team an advantage. This was something that eluded Pakistan, who relied on batting paradise players. Pakistan also found two gems in Sajid Khan and Noman Ali, who never really had the right opportunities to shine before getting involved in the second Test.

This Pakistan team was not long ago stunned by Bangladesh and tamed by England in the first Test despite scoring 556 in their first innings. Pakistan then came back strongly to win the 2nd Test by 152 runs and the third match in Rawalpindi by 9 wickets.

Here we present 5 reasons behind Pakistan's comeback in Test cricket.

Brutal appeal from voters

The first Test in Multan was a wake-up call for the Pakistan selectors. Pakistan did well on a batting friendly surface by scoring 556 which had three centurions. However, they lost the plot when England collected 823/7. As many as seven bowlers were used, and the ploy of playing three pacers and a frontline spinner in Abrar Ahmed failed miserably. Shaheen Afridi (26-1-120-1), Naseem Shah (31-0-157-2) and Aamer Jamal (24-0-126-0) stood motionless. Abrar (35-0-174-0) was a shadow of his former self.

Pakistan then scored 220 on a dead surface that offered little joy to bowlers and lost the match. The batting was terrible and the shots lacked maturity. Reaching a new low was painful and the selectors made a decisive decision.

Shaheen, Naseem and Babar Azam were shown the door. This was a brutal decision considering the three notable faces were on the side. Letting go of star names was a risk, but it paid off in the end. The main attraction was Babar, but for someone who has scored 148 runs in his last eight innings since the start of 2023 and scored zero scores above fifty, the moment had to come.

The introduction of Kamran Ghulam was a turning point

In the second Test, Pakistan replaced the dropped Babar with a debutant in Kamran Ghulam. The 29-year-old had to wait a long time to get his comeuppance and it was he who set the tone in shaping the series in Pakistan's favour. Ghulam recorded a fighting century on debut that helped Pakistan post a good total of 366 runs in the first innings. He scored a gritty 118-run knock from 224 balls. An innings with 11 fours and a six. Notably, Pakistan were 19/2 when Ghulam came in, but by the time he was dismissed, Pakistan were 243/5.

Ghulam came into the match with 59 first-class matches to his name. He also owned 16 tons and 20 fifties with an average of 50 plus. To come in and replace Babar, who himself had raised eyebrows, was a moment of pressure. However, Ghulam came in and brought his experience to the game. He dug in when England were at the top. Instead of following the modern approach, he batted like an old-fashioned hero and made everything work. It wasn't an innings of blocking and defending, but the shots were there when needed, and with that came versatility.

His century and the partnerships it created played a major role in Pakistan's positive sentiment.

The return of Noman and Sajid turns the tide in favor of the home team

Pakistan had to act, and that wasn't just the loss of key players, but also the return of two senior spinners who never quite got the point given the choice of pitches used. The decision to go spin-heavy worked wonders for Masood and Co. on a surface where more than 1600 runs were scored in the first Test. Both Sajid and Noman came in knowing how to go about their business, and they meant the goal.

Sajid was the one who caused a collapse late on Day 2 of the second Test, and Pakistan dominated proceedings thereafter. Pakistan gained a crucial 75-run lead before the two spinners spun a web, and England quickly succumbed. Sajid's 7/111 and Noman's 3/101 helped Pakistan get England out for 292. In the fourth innings, England made 144. Noman took eight scalps this time, and Sajid got two. It was striking that the two bowled 33.3 overs in one go.

The two formed a partnership and supported each other. As the field matured, it supported the two. Then in the Rawalpindi Test, these two combined again and picked 19 of the 20 wickets. For the second successive Test, all 20 wickets belonged to spinners. Such was their confidence that they also did well with the bat when it mattered.

Saud Shakeel and Agha Salman, the pillars of the middle class

Two Pakistani batters stood out in this series: Saud Shakeel and Agha Salman. They set the tone from Pakistan's first innings in the first Test in Multan. Shakeel scored 82 off 177 balls while Salman hit a ton (104*). Salman showed his character in the fourth innings of that match, scoring 63 off 84 balls and keeping Pakistan in with a chance of a draw.

During the second Test, Salman scored 31 and 63. Salman batted beautifully with the tail and helped his side set a target of almost 300. Interestingly, he reached the boundary when his side was 114/5. Without his astuteness, Pakistan would have struggled to contain England. In Rawalpindi, it was Shakeel whose magnificent 134 runs stole the English thunder. The likes of Noman and Sajid added quality runs alongside him.

Shakeel showed the technique and temperament needed on a slow and twisting track. Through sheer application he made hitting look easy.

Shan Masood's captaincy and getting back to basics helped the hosts

Shan Masood should be commended for his captaincy. The decision to opt for a spin-heavy attack and give his two big spinners the responsibility of going out as trumps was crucial. Masood showed that his team played with a lot of belief and had the hunger to succeed. They were playing for their captain, who was in charge after losing the series to Bangladesh and the first Test to England.

In both matches, Masood made bold decisions. Handing Noman and Sajid all 33.3 overs in the 4th innings of the 2nd Test and leaving pacer Aamer Jamal as a spectator on the field in the 3rd Test was another huge moment. After the series win, Masood said that his job comes with a lot of responsibility, and to be honest, he showed that he is very motivated and positive.

Pakistan moving away from batting surfaces to spin-friendly tracks proved fruitful. This helped their spinners in conditions they should enjoy more. Rawalpindi was more suited to pace, and by drying the pitch the management ensured the cards were played. The surface was not watered and it helped the team play to its strengths.

Pakistan has set the template for future home matches by moving away from simple battlefields.

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