'Pehli dafa akal aayi': Pakistan's victory over England in 2nd Test delights Basit Ali | Cricket News

Noman Ali thanks God after Pakistan's win (PTI photo)

Two Pakistan bowlers, spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan, who together took all 20 England wickets in Pakistan's 152-run win on the fourth day of the second Test Multan on Friday, helping the hosts level the three-game series at 1-1.
Left-arm spinner Noman Ali's eight wickets (8 for 46) in the second innings gave him a match haul of 11 for 147, while off-spinner Sajid Khan, who took seven wickets in England's first innings, had a match haul from 9 completed for 204.
England's second innings on day four ended at 144 within two hours, with skipper Ben Stokes' 37 the highest score on the visitors' batting list.

It was the first time since 1987 that two Pakistan spinners took a five-wicket haul in the same Test and only the seventh time in the history of Test cricket that two bowlers took all 20 opposition wickets.
“Sajid and Noman razed England to the ground,” said former Pakistan batsman Basit Ali on his YouTube channel.
The match was played on the same pitch at the Multan Stadium where England recorded an innings victory in the first Test despite the hosts scoring more than 500 runs in their first innings.

As a result, the route used offered more turns, which Noman and Sajid exploited to the home team's advantage.
Basit said the English media and former players will now begin to question why the same ground was used for two Test matches.
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“I will tell you what game England are going to play now. (They will call it) 6th day wicket, 7th day wicket, 8th day wicket, 9th day wicket, 10th day was not required,” Basit predicted The criticism of the pitch will be directed at Pakistan's win consequences.
“Every team uses the home advantage. (There are) fluctuating conditions in England, fluctuating conditions in Australia and South Africa, while tracks rotate in Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh,” he added. “The British media and former England cricketers who are now commentators will start saying 'same pitch pe match khila diya (the Test was played on the same track as the first one)'.”
“Is there a law that says you can't do that?” Basit, 53, was questioned.

He then praised the new Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) selection committee led by former pacer Aaqib Javed for their decision.
“Pehli dafa thodi si akal aayi, Management ko nahi, Aaqib Javed ne jo faisla kiya (for the first time a decision made sense, not by PCB but by Aaqib),” Basit said. “Some people in Pakistan, I don’t think it would be right to call them by their names, they don’t want there to be turning tracks because it could affect their batting performance.”
“Dosti-yaari nahi chalne di Aaqib ne (Aaqib did not allow friendships to determine selection issues).”
The Aaqib-led selectors had left Babar Azam, fast bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah and wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed out of the Test squad for the final two matches of the series.
The third and final Test of the series will be played in Rawalpindi from October 24.