PAKISTAN’S domination over England at Lord’s for the last three days deservedly ended in complete capitulation of the home team as Sarfraz Ahmed and his young charges achieved an emphatic nine wicket win and that too in less than three and half days to assert their authority.

This obviously speaks volumes of how well they gelled together to come out of this match with such forceful message that if you believe in yourself and in the potential of the team and its conviction to perform, then nothing is beyond reach.

This back to back victory for Pakistan at Lord’s after the 2016 win under Misbah-ul-Haq by 75 runs would remain, however, one of the most satisfying outing ever here at the headquarters of the game since Pakistan won on this ground in 1982 for the first time.

More so for the fact that this untested and untried young team with seven of their players playing for the first time in a Test in England stood up to the challenge with as much professionalism as those who have tasted this experience before them.

The beauty of a Test is in its unpredictability in testing circumstances and this match was as much was no exception as it has been all through the history with the match tilting from one side to the other.

On Saturday, the third day of the game, with England down and out with half of their side back in the dressing room and still trailing behind no one would have given any chance to England to stage a fight back. But they did, frustrating Pakistan thus in their bid to finish the game within three days.

But Jos Buttler and the debutant Dominic Bess defied strongly to halt Pakistan’s bid to swallow them completely, frustrating the visiting side by scoring fifty each and end the day with a lead and a lot of promise.

But things do change on a fresh day and especially when the new ball is due after two overs.

Pakistan’s Mohammad Abbas and Mohammad Amir then turned the game on its head after Abbas dismissed Buttler.

And that was it as wickets fell and Pakistan made short work to bowl England out to get a paltry 64 runs to win which they did.

That England were outplayed in every department of the game owed Pakistan’s all-round display in the field with ball, bat and by accepting even the difficult chances that came their way. This was for once a remarkable turnover in a team which is reputed to have this tendency of buckling down under pressure.

Against Ireland and also here in this Test this surprising transformation in their approach to game and in their psyche is no less than admirable when one thinks of the inexperience that that they carry along with them and also not forgetting their recent results in Tests against Australia and in New Zealand away from home.

When Pakistan captain Sarfraz speaks in admiration of his young team and their capacity to put up a fight as they did at Lord’s then it has to be taken seriously.

Amir’s return to form and the way Abbas is improving along with his consistency gives us all hope as much as watching our batsmen like Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Fahim Ashraf and Shadab Khan grow in stature to form a future outfit to put on as much an impressive show as they have done so far on this tour.

England captain Joe Root had no hesitation in accepting the fact that Pakistan had not only outplayed them in every respect but in fact impressed us all with their bowling, batting and fielding which won them the Test.

If Pakistan play with as much determination and application in the second and last Test of this tour at Headingley from the beginning of next month then there is every opportunity for Pakistan to win this brief series.

At least, with this victory, Pakistan cannot be on the losing side in this rubber which no doubt would give England sleepless nights and Pakistan the opportunity to cash on to it.

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2018