Ollie Pope lauded his team's 'two greedy Yorkshiremen' for propelling his side into a winning position after England, powered by Joe Root and Harry Brook's mammoth total of 823 for seven declared across days three and four, secured a comprehensive victory over Pakistan by an innings and 47 runs in the first Test in Multan.
"We knew if we batted to our potential, we could achieve a significant score, and we had two determined Yorkshiremen who did precisely that," Pope remarked. "Credit is due to them for their skill and fitness. The knowledge that we needed a substantial score kept them focused on reaching those extraordinary numbers, and they deserve praise for putting us in a winning position. Their performance was truly exceptional and bodes well for our future. We recognize that throughout our batting lineup, there are players capable of achieving such monumental scores. As a batting unit, we anticipate that on different occasions, various players will step up."
Root's 262 and Brook's 317, combined with their record-breaking partnership of 454, made Pakistan's first-innings score of 556 seem inadequate and firmly established England's dominance in the game.
"It's hard to fully grasp what we've accomplished," said Chris Woakes. "When we reached 800, I was in disbelief, thinking 'This doesn't feel real, scoring 800 in a Test match.' I've never witnessed us coming close to such a score. Despite conceding 550 in the first innings, we knew the pitch's true nature only after both teams had batted. While it's disheartening to concede 550, in hindsight, it was below par."
In his first away Test in two and a half years, Woakes was the most economical bowler on either side, capturing two crucial wickets. "I never thought I'd get another chance to do this. I had almost given up," he admitted.
Having secured a result from a seemingly lifeless pitch, England now anticipates a different challenge when the second Test commences at the same venue on Tuesday. "There were discussions about green surfaces, but the pitch only improved," Woakes noted. "The ball is now in their court. In a home series of only three matches, losing the first one, you'd expect the next two to be result-oriented pitches."
The defeat extended Shan Masood's dismal record as Pakistan's captain, with six losses in six games over nearly a year. "The harsh reality is that England found a way to win, and we didn't," he acknowledged. "After two days of intense play, being 556 runs behind, they first took 10 wickets to create an opportunity to bat big, and then, when they returned to bowl, they executed their plans effectively. The harsh truth in Test cricket is that regardless of the pitch, quality sides will find a way to succeed, and England did just that."
