Match overview

Pakistan beat England by 152 runs in the first Test of their 2024 home series, played at Multan Cricket Stadium on 15 October 2024. Pakistan posted 366 in their first innings and 221 in the second, setting England a target of 297. England, who had made 291 in reply to Pakistan's first innings, were then bowled out for 144. Sajid Khan was named Player of the Match. The result brought Pakistan their first Test win in four matches after consecutive defeats to Bangladesh and a prior loss to England in the immediately preceding Multan fixture.

Nauman Ali was the central figure with the ball, finishing with match figures of 11 wickets for 147 runs across 44.5 overs. That kind of return is consistent with what Multan's surface can produce: the ground has historically rewarded spin, and Pakistan's decision to bat first after winning the toss aligned closely with what the numbers at this venue suggest. England had scored 291 in the first innings, kept in contention largely by the form Harry Brook and Joe Root had shown in the previous Multan Test just days earlier. But the pitch played very differently in the final innings.

England's fourth-innings collapse was the decisive passage of play. Set 297 to win on a surface that was deteriorating, they managed only 144. It was a margin of defeat, 152 runs, that reflected how completely Pakistan's spinners had taken hold by the closing stages.

Venue and conditions

Multan Cricket Stadium has hosted 35 Test matches and the data points firmly towards sides batting first. The average first-innings score across those matches is 233; Pakistan's 366 in the first innings was therefore significantly above that mark and gave them a buffer England could never quite close. The average second-innings score is 212, which means England's 291 was competitive but not decisive. Crucially, the chase success rate at the ground is just 36 per cent. Four in ten chasing sides win, roughly. England bucked those odds in the previous Multan Test but could not repeat it here.

The pitch's behaviour in the fourth innings is the key variable at this ground. Once the surface has been used across three innings, turn becomes sharper and inconsistent bounce becomes more frequent. Pakistan's specialist spinners are well suited to those conditions. England's batters, even with recent high scores at this venue to draw confidence from, found it a different proposition under pressure with a large total to chase.

How to watch

Test matches in Pakistan involving England are available to UK viewers on Sky Sports Cricket. Coverage can be streamed via Sky Go for existing subscribers or through a NOW TV day or month pass. Five-day Tests are broadcast across the match schedule, with early-morning starts from Pakistan typically beginning around 05:00 BST during the summer months or adjusting for local daylight arrangements in October.

BBC Test Match Special provides live radio commentary on England's overseas Test tours, available via BBC Sounds and BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra. TMS is often the more accessible option for UK fans who cannot access the television broadcast during working hours.

Recent form

Pakistan came into this Test with a difficult run of results. They had lost three of their previous four matches: back-to-back defeats to Bangladesh in 2024 and, directly before this game, a loss to England by 47 runs at the same Multan ground. The wins in their recent five had come against Ireland and Canada. A Test victory over England, who carry significant weight in the head-to-head at 64 wins from 104 meetings, represented a meaningful shift.

England arrived with mixed form of their own. They had won three of their five most recent matches, including consecutive victories over Australia and the preceding Multan Test. A defeat to Australia had come between those wins, and another loss to Australia appeared in the five. Their recent form at this ground specifically had been strong, which made the 144 all out in the fourth innings a sharper drop than their broader record might have suggested.