Pakistan have been frequent Test visitors to England since 2016 and, as far as statistics go, the most successful ones too. They have toured the English shores twice, in 2016 and 2018, and are now gearing up for another showdown.
Over the years, Pakistan has remained the one team that has resoundingly encountered fire with fire without batting an eye, a team that has adopted brilliantly to the demonic English conditions. Their players have always looked well-settled in their grooves when playing a Test match in England.
The Men in Green have tasted Test victory on twelve occasions on English shores, ten of which have come at Lord's and The Oval. In this piece, we delve deeper into three of their most famous and influential test wins in England.
Headingley 1987, Pakistan won by an innings and 18 runs
Leeds' Headingley used to be a bowling-friendly venue back in the '80s and '90s and specifically accommodated the pacers who relied more on lateral swing than on speed. England won the toss and decided to bat first but it all slid downhill right from the word go. Pakistan skipper, Imran Khan was all over them with his big booming indippers and the hosts were reduced to a meager 31 for 5 before being bundled out for 131.
Pakistan replied vehemently, courtesy Saleem Malik's 99 that assisted the tourists in notching up a lead in excess of 200 runs. England were only down and out when their openers strolled out to bat with a strenuous task looming ahead. But there was to be no respite as Imran Khan burst through their batting line up and plucked out a wicket after another - finishing with sublime figures of 7/40 which included his 300th Test scalp.
Young rookies like Wasim Akram and Ijaz Ahmed also impressed with their handy contributions. This victory paved way for Pakistan's first-ever Test series win on English shores as they won the five-match series 1-0.
The Oval 1992, Pakistan won by 10 wickets
Pakistan followed up their enthralling triumph at Lord's with a thumping victory at The Oval by 10 wickets to seal the silverware. The five-match Test series itself is hailed as one of the most closely fought series in the last three decades.
England's first innings was wrapped up at a below-par total of 207 with Wasim Akram preying six scalps. In response, four Pakistani players (Shoaib Mohammad, Javed Miandad, Asif Mujtaba, and Rashid Latif) registered half-centuries as Pakistan lingered along to 380 runs.
It was left to the two Ws to once again trample over a batting line-up and the pacemen did not disappoint. They shared eight wickets between them in the 2nd innings as England hobbled to 174 runs with Pakistan requiring merely 2 runs to win not only the match but also the series. It was a comprehensive performance all along.
Lord's 2016, Pakistan won by 75 runs
A Test victory that Pakistan's cricketing fraternity has savored for long for its sweetness as well as magnanimity. Pakistan arrived early in the United Kingdom to acclimatize to the English conditions. They had also undergone a tough training camp under the supervision of the Pakistan army prior to the tour. The Misbah-ul-Haq-led side was closely knitted and bonded and showed up on the English soils with a rare vitality in them.
It commenced in a dreamlike fashion as the 42-year old Misbah-ul-Haq notched up a terrific first-day century on his very first appearance at Lord's, the Home of Cricket. To top it off, he pulled off ten push-ups and that very celebration has forever been engraved in the history books.
Pakistan managed to secure a crucial 67-run lead in the first innings courtesy a bewitching performance from the leggie, Yasir Shah who entangled six preys. England were set up a tricky target of 284 runs. The game also marked Mohammad Amir's return to the same crime scene, i.e. Lord's, where he had been banished from the game more than half a decade ago. Befittingly, he put the last nail in England's coffin as Pakistan waltzed along to a memorable victory.
This win helped Pakistan become only the fifth side after Australia, England, India, and South Africa to top the ICC Test rankings and lift the Test mace, later that year.
