Pakistan spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan have partnered to guide Pakistan to win a Test match on home soil for the first time since 2021. The spinning duo stopped Pakistan's 11-Test match winless run as they defeated England by 152 runs in Multan and level the three-match series 1-1. (Match Blog | More Cricket News)
The spin bowling duo picked all 20 wickets to register themselves in the history books. Ali and Khan created a special record in Test cricket, a feat that has been achieved after 52 years! Australia's Bob Massie and Dennis Lillee were the last duo to pick 20 wickets of the opposition in 1972 at Lord's.
Massie had scalped 16 wickets whereas Lillee removed four to steer Australia to victory against England in the Test. Overall, this is the seventh instance in Test cricket history wherein two bowlers have picked all 20 wickets.
Instance when only two bowlers picked up all 20 wickets in a Test match
| No. | Bowlers | For | Against | Venue | Year |
| 1 | Monty Noble (13), Hugh Trumble (7) | Australia | England | Melbourne | 1902 |
| 2 | Colin Blythe (11), George Hirst (9) | England | Australia | Birmingham | 1909 |
| 3 | Bert Vogler (12), Aubrey Faulkner (8) | South Africa | England | Johannesburg | 1910 |
| 4 | Jim Laker (19), Tony Lock (1) | England | Australia | Manchester | 1956 |
| 5 | Fazal Mahmood (13), Khan Mohammad (7) | Pakistan | Australia | Karachi | 1956 |
| 6 | Bob Massie (16), Denis Lillee (4) | Australia | England | London (Lord's) | 1972 |
| 7 | Sajid Khan (9), Noman Ali (11) | Pakistan | England | Multan | 2024 |
Sajid picked up nine wickets in the Test against England in Multan including seven in the 1st innings whereas Noman Ali took eight in the second to take his tally to 11 wickets in the game.
As far as the Test match is concerned, Pakistan's 366 in the first innings was achieved thanks to a debut century by Kamran Ghulam. In reply, the visitors were bowled out for 291 runs as Sajid ran through the English batting order.
Salman Ali Agha scored a crucial 63 to help Pakistan post a target of 297 to which England could only muster 144.
The win was first for captain Shan Masood, who lost six tests in a row since being elevated as red-ball skipper last year and also ended Pakistan's winless 11-match home run that included four losses against England.
England won the first test by an innings and 47 runs last week after posting a record-breaking 823-7 declared. The series-deciding third test begins at Rawalpindi from next Thursday.
