Ben Stokes hails 'special' England Test win against Pakistan

‘Beating Pakistan in Pakistan is MASSIVE’: Ben Stokes hails ‘special’ England Test win after claiming series with dramatic 26-run victory in Multan, as he reserves praise for Mark Wood and Harry Brook

  • Ben Stokes heaped praise on his England side after they beat Pakistan by 26 runs
  • Stokes claimed the series in Pakistan with his eighth win in nine Tests as captain
  • Harry Brook hit an impressive century in the second innings to set a target of 355
  • Mark Wood took four wickets to thwart Pakistan’s plucky chase and seal the win
  • England could become the first side ever to win three Tests in Pakistan in Karachi

Ben Stokes hailed a ‘massive’ win after England clinched their historic Test series in Pakistan with a heart-stopping 26-run victory in the second Test at Multan.

Chasing 355, the Pakistanis reached 290 for five before being bowled out for 328, with Mark Wood claiming four wickets to send England to Karachi in search of an unprecedented clean sweep.

No team has ever won three Tests in a series in this country, and Stokes was under no illusions about the magnitude of England’s achievement.

Ben Stokes heaped praise on his team after England secured a ‘very special’ win in Pakistan

Mark Wood (centre) took four key wickets in Pakistan’s second innings as the hosts chased 355

‘Not for one minute are we going to think, nah, it’s just another Test series win,’ he said. ‘Beating Pakistan in Pakistan is massive. We know what we’ve achieved, we know that it’s a very special thing in English cricket to come here and win.’

Stokes was especially grateful for the performance of Wood, who broke open the Pakistan chase with the wickets of Mohammad Nawaz for 45 and Saud Shakeel for 94 shortly before lunch, then added another after the break as England closed in.

‘I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t want to be facing bouncers at 145/150kph, even if I had faced as many balls as those two,’ he said. ‘That’s what we picked him for – to come in and change the game.’

Stokes and Brendon McCullum could make history with a clean sweep in Karachi next week

Stokes insisted Ollie Pope had caught Shakeel cleanly down the leg side, despite replays appearing to suggest a gap between the wicketkeeper’s gloves as he slid them along the ground after catching the ball.

‘The only doubt was when you’re waiting for a decision,’ he said. ‘The longer the third umpire takes is when you start thinking it might get overturned. But there was no doubt in my mind about that carrying.

‘You’ve just got to go with the umpire’s decision. Obviously it went our way, but I’ve been involved in a few decisions where stuff like that has gone against us.’

Stokes reserved special praise for Wood, who dismissed Saud Shakeel on 94 runs before lunch

Speaking to Sky, Stokes also compared Harry Brook, who added a century here to the one he made in Rawalpindi, to Indian superstar Virat Kohli. ‘It’s a massive shout, but Virat Kohli is one of those guys whose technique is so simple and works everywhere. 

The pressure Harry puts back on to opposition is exactly what we’re about, and he’s won another game for England.’

Stokes, who has now led England to eight wins out of nine since replacing Joe Root as captain, said the only moment he was worried was when Abrar Ahmed thrashed 17 off 12 balls from No 9.

Player of the Match Harry Brook knocked a crucial century in the second innings for England

‘I was thinking he could get 30 not out and be the next superstar of Pakistani cricket,’ he said. ‘But I always felt we were just one wicket away.’

And he suggested England’s celebrations had been slightly more subdued than they were in Rawalpindi because of the team’s levels of exhaustion after another monumental effort from their seamers in merciless conditions.

‘We’ve got this bug still floating around the dressing-room that we just can’t seem to get rid of,’ he said. ‘I think it was just a sign of how tired the lads were there – mentally and physically. We know what we’ve achieved and it’s another great win for us.’




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