PAK vs ENG 2022-23, 1st Test: England pulls off sensational win after 17 years; Stokes' captaincy applauded
PAK vs ENG 2022-23: Pakistan and England were engaged in a thrilling opening Test in Rawalpindi, while the visitors did the unthinkable, pulling off a sensational win on the most benign pitch, as Twitter was left stunned.
FollowHardly anyone had ever expected a Test match between Pakistan and England, and that too in the sub-continent would be so thrilling that the latter would walk away with a win. As the two sides clashed in the opening Test at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi, the visitors came up with a relentless performance to pull off a 74-run success on the most benign pitch the game was ever played. While the Three Lions created headlines on Day 1, piling up 506 runs, they came up with a bold decision to declare at 264/7 in the second innings, handing the hosts a target of 343, which the Men in Green failed to chase down, leaving Twitter in a shock, as it applauded Ben Stokes' leadership skills.
While England had four centurions in the opening innings, scoring 657, Pakistan had three, managing 579. The second innings saw no centurion from either side, as pacer Ollie Robinson's four-for in the final innings destroyed the hosts alongside veteran seamer James Anderson's four-for. Meanwhile, the English were applauded for their bold gameplay and Stokes' aggressive captaincy.
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Following the triumph, Stokes recorded, "Some of the things we can't plan for is what happened to the squad before the Test. It seemed like a long ago when we were running around to find players for the Test. Will Jacks got the message three minutes before toss, and Pope got the gloves."
"We've played 8-9 matches with myself and Brendon in charge. We should focus on ourselves and not the opposition. We know we're an inspiring team. It was a great batting surface, so it was an opportunity for our batting group. Having the lads truck in like they did today was amazing," added Stokes.
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"Extraordinary group of players. We wanted to come to Pakistan and continue our mantra of exciting cricket. I've got no interest in trying to play for a draw. The dressing room has no interest in playing for a draw. Felt on this kind of wicket, almost had to entice the batsmen to play an attacking shot," Stokes continued.
"Today, we were fortunate to get the ball reverse-swinging. James Anderson and Ollie Robinson were fantastic today. We won probably about eight minutes before we would've come off. This is probably one of England's greatest away wins," stated Stokes.
