| Third Test, Karachi (day four of five) |
| Pakistan 304 (Babar 78) & 216 (Ahmed 5-48) |
| England 354 (Brook 111, Foakes 64) & 170-2 (Duckett 82*) |
| England won by eight wickets |
| Scorecard |
England completed a historic 3-0 clean sweep over Pakistan inside 40 minutes on the fourth day of the final Test in Karachi.
Needing 55 more runs, England took only 11.1 overs to reach their target of 167.
Ben Duckett ended 82 not out, while Ben Stokes was unbeaten on 35, the two left-handers sharing an unbroken partnership of 73.
England, on their first Test tour of Pakistan in 17 years, become the first visiting team to win three matches in a series in this country.
It also caps a year in which England have undergone a remarkable transformation under captain Ben Stokes – this is their ninth win in 10 matches since Stokes took charge.
Attention will now turn to next summer, when England will attempt to regain the Ashes from Australia.
Stokes’ side play two Tests against New Zealand in February, then complete their Ashes preparations with a one-off match against Ireland in June. The white-ball team has limited-overs tours of South Africa and Bangladesh in the early part of next year.
Stokes’ history boys
Before this tour, England had managed only two Test wins away to Pakistan in 30 attempts across 61 years. They have now won three in three weeks.
Not only that, but they have secured their first series win over Pakistan outside of the UK for 22 years and ended a run of three successive away series defeats stretching back to the beginning of 2021.
This is also only the fourth time in history that England have taken a clean sweep in an away series of three Tests or more.
What makes the achievement all the more remarkable – this is one of England’s greatest ever away wins – is the turmoil they were in at the beginning of the year.
When England were hammered in Hobart at the end of an Ashes humbling, then beaten in Grenada to tumble to a series defeat by West Indies, the idea they would win six of seven home Tests then win 3-0 in Pakistan was beyond fanciful.
Yet, under the inspirational leadership of Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, England are becoming one of the most feared Test sides in the world.
Their form has come too late to reach next year’s World Test Championship final, but the clash with Australia is shaping up to be one of the most eagerly anticipated Ashes series for some time.
More to follow.