Pakistan vs England: Hosts’ desperate changes bring moment of salvation in second Test win

Fans rejoiced. After enduring what seemed like an endless spiral, there was a moment of salvation in Multan.

They had somewhat unlikely heroes to thank.

Saijd, a 31-year-old off-spinner from Peshawar who took match figures of 9-204 – more England wickets than the entire team managed in the first Test.

He is a man from humble upbringings, an orphan who pawned mobile phones and repaired bats for a living, who has become an inspiration for 260 million people.

Then there is the 38-year-old, perpetually smiling, slow left-armer Noman Ali, who claimed 11-147.

Between them they took all 20 opposition wickets – only the seventh time this has happened in Tests and first since 1972. The feat is all the more remarkable given neither featured in the first Test.

There was a century on debut from 29-year-old Kamran Ghulam, who has had to wait a long time for his opportunity.

Laden with the burden of replacing Babar, he batted beautifully on a difficult surface, laying the foundation on which Pakistan would build their victory.

The literal foundation, the used surface, was always a gamble from Pakistan.

Had it not worked out, it would have looked a foolish and kneejerk reaction to yet another embarrassing loss.

But it did work out. And for now, the selectors, the curator and the pitch management can feel justifiably smug.

There was outrage about the three big omissions but one can’t argue with the result of the selections.

However, it’s unlikely to be a sustainable model for Pakistan.

You can’t play on used pitches every game. And you certainly can’t go all-out spin in all conditions.

At some point, Babar, Shaheen and Naseem will all be back in Pakistan colours.

It’s unclear how Pakistan cricket moves forward from this moment. It could just be a one-off.

But for now, it has broken their winless run and provided an opportunity for Pakistan fans to revel.

They’ve waited long enough, haven’t they?