England suffer humiliating defeat

Abu Dhabi: The batting line-up of the world's number one Test team looked like a bunch of novices as Pakistan inflicted a humiliating 72-run win after dismissing England for 72 all out to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-Test series yesterday.

The win, with over a day to spare, comes close on the heels of Pakistan's win inside three days in the first Test in Dubai, when Ajmal picked up 10 wickets.

Earlier, Pakistan were bowled out for 214 in their second innings with Monty Panesar picking up six wickets for 62 midway through the post-lunch session at the Zayed International Cricket Stadium.

Abdul Rahman's career-best haul of six for 25 and Saeed Ajmal's three for 22 left England stunned as they capitulated to their lowest ever score against Pakistan — the previous lowest being 130 at the Oval in 1954 and at Lahore in 1987.

Chasing 145 for a win, England were reduced to 39 for four at tea with Abdul Rehman picking up two of them and after tea, he took another four, while Ajmal scalped the other two — sending the Pakistan fans in a tizzy.

Bad stomach

Mohammad Hafeez opened the bowling in the second innings and, after Andrew Strauss and Alaistair Cook had meandered to 29, the spinner had Cook caught and bowled for 11. Cook went in the 15th over and soon, Saeed Ajmal sent back Ian Bell (3) who came in for Jonathan Trott, the England number three suffering from a bad stomach. Kevin Pieterson joined his skipper, and Strauss finally got England's first boundary in the 20th over when he cut Ajmal to the fence.

In the very next over, Abdul Rahman sent back Pietersen who was caught plumb in front and two balls later, Eion Morgan's horrific series went worse when he was bowled for a duck.

Strauss looked like finally coming good, but after two more boundaries Abdul Rahman trapped him, even the review failing to come to his rescue and at 56 for five, England only had the ‘sick' Trott and Matt Prior, with Stuart Broad after that, to salvage their sinking ship.

Shell-shocked

But England were done in by both the poor form of their batsmen as well as their inability to handle spin in sub-continental conditions.

Abdul Rahman took two wickets in three balls to send back Trott (lbw) and Broad (bowled), while Ajmal repeated that feat in the next over, accounting for Swann and Prior. Amidst unbelievable scenes of agony and ecstasy, Abdul Rahman capped his best-ever display when Anderson skied one to Omar Gul and England's powerful Test team were left shell-shocked at both the manner and margin of victory in the low-scoring game.

Abdul Rahman was named man of the match but the irony is that England will still remain Test number one even if they lose the final Test in Dubai, and Pakistan will continue to stay at number five even if they triumph 3-0.

But Misbah-ul Haq's team have surely exorcised the ghosts of that infamous 2010 tour of England, and Pakistan cricket can hold now its head in pride, being unbeaten in a Test series since then.

Scoreboard

Pakistan first innings: 257
England first innings: 327

Pakistan second innings (overnight 125-4)

England 2nd innings: