The sun was just rising in England when the final wicket fell in Pakistan. Jack Leach was skillfully stumped by Mohammad Rizwan as he charged down the pitch, swinging and missing at a wide delivery. Noman Ali had deliberately bowled the ball fast and flat after noticing Leach advancing. It was a simple trick, akin to an uncle magically pulling off his thumb. England held a precarious lead of 35 at that moment, and on television, Ramiz Raja prematurely declared a famous victory for Pakistan. He was not far off. The match effectively ended when Joe Root was caught behind for 33, but it officially concluded 30 minutes later when Shan Masood hit the winning six.
It's always five o'clock somewhere, and this has become one of those English winters where the cricket team seems perpetually on the brink of defeat. It happens gradually, then suddenly. This is how the game unfolds in Pakistan, where losses unravel like bankruptcies. Not long ago, England was basking in the glory of 823 for seven, the fourth-highest total in Test history. Now, they were struggling to find enough runs to stay competitive.
This series has been unusual, pivoting on Pakistan's decision to bench their star players, Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah, and recall journeyman finger-spinners, Noman Ali and Sajid Khan. They were deployed on a used pitch in the second Test and a damaged pitch in the third, both attempts to replicate the worn surface they had previously won on. Across these two matches, Sajid and Noman bowled 206 out of 224 overs England faced, taking 39 wickets at an average of just over 17 runs each. They form a formidable duo, the best Pakistan has seen since Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman, who dismantled another strong England team in the UAE in 2012.
Sajid performs as if auditioning for the Genie role in a Christmas pantomime, while Noman operates subtly until it's too late. He tricked Ben Stokes into leaving a ball that did nothing off the pitch. Stokes seemed still frustrated during his post-match interviews. He's had a lean year, with a top score of 70 in 10 Tests and six wickets at 36 each when he bowled. His captaincy has also seemed off this series, evident in the second Test when he apologized for his negative body language and again in the third when he allowed Saud Shakeel to bat slowly while Pakistan built a lead.
Stokes, 33, said the team would move on from the loss. "You face challenges worldwide; in a couple of weeks, we head to New Zealand and must match them." The schedule is relentless, with the first Test in Christchurch just over a month away. The unique circumstances of this series make it understandable why he'd want to forget it. England isn't due to play another Test in Asia until 2027, and with all the injuries, one wonders if Stokes will still be playing then.
It's beginning to feel like Stokes's England might fall into the old trap of looking too far ahead. They've had one eye on next year's Ashes since returning from India in March, with Stokes clearly seeing that series as his next, possibly final, challenge. This focus led to dropping James Anderson, sticking with Shoaib Bashir all summer, and debuting Josh Hull against Sri Lanka. The result? They've lost three of their last four matches. Each loss widens the cracks and amplifies doubts, such as Ollie Pope's position at No 3.
Last time England visited Pakistan, they lived by Brendon McCullum's mantra of "be where your feet are." They should return to the basics of focusing on winning the next session, day, Test, and series. Australia looms, but the best approach is one win at a time, as always.
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