It’s not so much that England lost this series decider inside two-and-a-half days or were skittled for 112, their lowest total of the Bazball era. It was more the complete and utter lack of fight and character that was most concerning. Pakistan were very good, especially their spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan, whose introduction after the hosts had lost the first Test in Multan by an innings utterly transformed this series.
The pair took 39 of the 40 England wickets to fall over the course of the final two Tests. Sajid, whose moustache and manic manner make him appear like a circus strongman, took 19 at 21.10.
Noman, a 38-year-old journeyman with an utterly ordinary record before this, took 20 at 13.85. On Merseyside they would have called him no-mark Ali.
Read Next 'Woeful' Pope scores 0 in England player ratings from Pakistan horrorshow Not since Mitchell Johnson in the 2013-14 Ashes in Australia have England been so badly exposed by one bowler in a single series. But even taking into account the extreme lengths Pakistan went to to ensure the pitches for the final two Tests were tailor-made for their bowlers, this was just awful from England. Turning up on this final morning on 24 for three, still 53 adrift of parity, was, to borrow George Clooney’s catchphrase in O Brother, Where Art Thou?, a tight spot.
But all hope had not been lost. Captain Ben Stokes admitted afterwards he felt like his team could still win from that position. It didn’t look like it as England l.