England complete historic 3-0 Test series win in Pakistan
Ben Duckett hit the winning runs as England completed a historic 3-0 Test series win over Pakistan on the subcontinent this morning.
Ben Stokes’ England have become the first team to ever whitewash Pakistan in a Test cricket series in Pakistan.
Needing just 55 runs on the fourth day of the third Test in Karachi, Stokes and Duckett added the necessary runs and finished the day 35 and 82 not out respectively.
England’s new era
The result rounds off a third Test series out of three for Stokes and new head coach Brendon McCullum and sees this new era of cricket complete the calendar year with nine victories in their 10 matches.
The result has further historic merit for England given Rehan Ahmed secured a five-for on debut at 18 years old and the national side, for the first time, won more than one Test in a series in Pakistan.
Batter | Runs | Strike Rate | |
Zak Crawley | lbw | 41 | 100 |
Ben Duckett | not out | 82 | 105.13 |
Rehan Ahmed | bowled | 10 | 125 |
Ben Stokes | not out | 35 | 81.40 |
‘I left some runs out there’
“I wanted to be there at the end. You don’t often get the chance when you are at the top of the order,” Duckett, whose brilliant return to the Test side has seen him score 357 runs in six innings at an average of 71.4, said after the win.
“I’m very happy. You face lots of spin bowling here which is nice. I tried to stick to my game. If I am being overcritical then I think I left some runs out there this series. But I’m just happy to stick to my strengths.
“The mindset of this team from the start of the summer. It is brilliant to come into as you have the full backing to play the game your way.”
But while this is a sensational result for England, it has also been a difficult one for Pakistan. They have never been whitewashed in a three-Test series at home before and they’re now on a run of four losses in a row at home – a new record for the side.
But it was 17 years between England’s current and previous tour to the country and given the reception Stokes and his side have been given over the last three weeks, it’s unlikely that it will be another 17 years before the side return to Pakistan again.