Pakistan levelled the four match Test series against England 2-2, after completing an inspirational ten wicket win over England on Day 4 of the fourth and final Test at The Oval on Sunday. The victory was even more sweeter for Pakistani fans, considering that it came on Pakistan's Independence Day.
England resumed the day at 88/4, facing a deficit of 126 runs and things soon became worse for them as Gary Ballance nicked a Sohail Khan delivery to keeper Sarfraz Ahmad with England on 128. Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali tried to repair the damage with a 65-run partnership but once leg-spinner Yasir Shah dismissed England's first innings centurion Ali for 32, the writing was on the wall for England. Bairstow was dismissed for a fighting 81 soon after. Steven Finn and James Anderson managed to drag England past the 250 mark with Pakistan finally bowling them out for 253. Yasir Shah was their wrecker-in-chief, picking up 5/71.
Pakistan nonchalantly knocked off their target without losing a wicket to complete, what should rank as, one of their finest ever wins away from home.
Brief scores:
Pakistan 542 (Younis Khan 218; Asad Shafiq 109; Chris Woakes 3/82, Steven Finn 3/110) and 42/0 (Azhar Ali 30 not out; Sami Aslam 12 not out; Joe Root 0/1) beat England 328 (Moeen Ali 108; Jonny Bairstow 55; Sohail Khan 5/68; Wahab Riaz 3/93) and 253 (Jonny Bairstow 81; Joe Root 39; Yasir Shah 5/71; Wahab Riaz 2/48) by 10 wickets