Just another day of Pakistan being Pakistan. On December 11, 2000, the mercurial team produced a dramatic yet glorious collapse by Pakistan that helped visitors England claim their second-ever Test series win in Pakistan. Not just their second series, but their win after a long wait of 39 years. The match seemed to be going towards a draw after the end of the 4th day’s play.
The match was poised for a draw. Pakistan had 88 runs and 7 wickets in hand going into the final day. With the first two matches of the series drawn, it all fell on the final day to decide the fate of the series.
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Pakistan’s dramatic collapse helps England script history
On what could be considered a placid pitch, Pakistan lost 7 wickets for just 87 runs.
The hosts started the proceedings well and were 145 runs ahead at one point with 5 wickets in hand. However, Mohammed Yousuf’s wicket started a collapse that saw them go from 128-4 to 158-10.
In the space of 19.5 overs, Pakistan lost 7 wickets for just 30 runs. This meant England had to chase 176 in about 40 overs. It was a tall task at the time, with the light fading and the likes of Waqar Younis and Saqlain Mushtaq in the Pakistani lineup.
However, the English batters made the chase look like a walk in the park. Batting at 4 runs an over, Graham Thorpe led with help from Graeme Hick as England won by 6 wickets with the light fading. Skipper Naseer Hussain stood at the other end as Thorpe led the side to victory, and a huge roar from the English dressing room erupted.