One Test series has been concluded while one has been decided. Pakistan vs. England was the former while India vs. New Zealand is the latter. Both matches ended in 3 days. With the results, Pakistan won the series 2-1 while New Zealand have an unassailable 2-0 lead with one Test to go. History has been made with the latest results.
According to ESPNCricinfo, this is the second time Pakistan have won a series after being one nil down. The previous instance was back in 1995, in a series against Zimbabwe. Once again, they had to come back from trailing 1-0 in the series.
In the first Test in Multan, England scored 823-7 in their first innings. This was the highest ever score that a team has scored upon losing the series. This record was previously held by Sri Lanka. This took place in 2009 during Sri Lanka's tour of India. They amassed a mammoth total of 760-7. Sri Lanka would lose the 3-match series 2-0.
What's appalling is the cumulative score that England scored in their subsequent four innings. In total, it adds up to 814-40. They couldn't even match what they scored in their very first innings of the series across a further four.
Going into this series, Pakistan hadn't won in four consecutive home series'. The last time they won a home series, it was against South Africa in 2021. Since then, they have lost series' against Australia; England and Bangladesh. Sandwiched between all that was a drawn 0-0 series against New Zealand.
There were 4 six-plus wicket hauls (the taking of 6 or more wickets) for Pakistan. This was achieved by two bowlers: Sajid Khan and Noman Ali. This is the most for a Pakistan team in a Test series. Pakistan are also the first nation since 2017 to achieve such a feat in a Test series. It was in this series that Pakistan had two with ten wicket hauls. This was last achieved back in 1999; where Pakistan toured India. Saqlain Mushtaq was the maestro on that tour.
The last time Pakistan won a series against England was in 2015. There were four further series'. England had won two while the other two were drawn.
As alluded to earlier, England scored big in their very first innings and were poor in their follow up innings. That 1st innings score amounted to 50.28% of their overall total for the series. This is the highest aggregate scored in a singular innings (when there are a minimum of 5 innings in a series).
The previous best was 44.26% by Australia when they went up against South Africa in 1997. Of the total of 1 419 runs they scored, nearly half of that came in the first Test - 628-8.
No fast bowlers were used in the last Test. This was the first time since Bangladesh did it in 2018 against the West Indies.
I was shocked by "Bazball" not being effective during the series. The main bowling options used in the sub-continent is spin. In my view, Bazball is perfect for these conditions. To me, T20 batting is primed for punishing spin bowlers. Perhaps former England captain, Nasser Hussain, was right when he said that Pakistan had found Bazball's kryptonite.
Over in India, the host nation had won 18 consecutive Test series' prior to this one. This is a record as no other nation had won more than ten. Their last home defeat came nearly a dozen years ago; when England toured India in 2012. That's 4 331 days ago.
This streak is the second longest unbeaten streak. The longest was by Australia between 1992/93 and 2008/09.
In the recently completed 2nd Test, Mitchell Santner took match figures of 13-157. This is the third best behind Richard Hadlee's 15-123 against Australia and Ajaz Patel's 14-225 against India in 2021.
India have suffered three defeats at home in this calender year. There are two instances of them losing three or more - in 1969 (4) and 1983 (3).
India have now lost four home Tests under captain, Rohit Sharma. This is joint-second most behind MAK Pataudi (9). Mohammad Azharuddin and Kapil Dev both lost four at home.
Washington Sundar's match figures of 11-115 is the second best for an Indian in a losing cause. The best is Javagal Srinath, who took 13-132 against Pakistan at Eden Gardens (Kolkata) in 1999. Pakistan won by 46 runs.
Tom Latham became just the 4th captain to win a series against India, in India. The others are: Hansie Cronje (2000); Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting (Australia) (2004) and Alastair Cook (England) (2012).
Although the series is done, there are still WTC points play for. Idia are in a strong position to play in the final next June. New Zealand can still reach the final but they a few and other results to go in their favour. England and Pakistan are unable to reach the final.