Historic Win Sees Pakistan Complete Rare Hattrick to Silence Critics!

There were plenty of doubts clouding Pakistan's preparation for their highly-anticipated Test series against England. Fitness concerns led to question marks over their ability to put on a strong performance. But just as Jason Gillespie, Pakistan's red-ball head coach, was starting to show his worry, the opening pair of Abdullah Shafique and Shan Masood stepped up to ease the pressure.

Jason Gillespie, the former Australian cricketer, has been a part of the coaching setup of the Pakistan cricket team since 2022. He has been instrumental in preparing the team for the red-ball format. Ever since he took up the role, Gillespie has been working tirelessly to transform the team into a formidable force in Test cricket.

However, ahead of the England Test series, Gillespie had expressed his concerns over the fitness levels of his players. In such a high-intensity competition, each player needs to be at the top of their game. Pakistan has had issues with the fitness of their players in the recent past. They have struggled to cope with the tight schedules and the excessive traveling involved in Test cricket.

The fitness concerns have been quite an issue in Pakistan, especially after their home series against Sri Lanka. Many players had failed in endurance tests conducted by the national selectors. Gillespie had to therefore take collective efforts from team management and the support staff in order to prepare his players for the upcoming Test series against England.

However, Shafique and Shan Masood showed incredible grit and resilience as they chased down their first respective centuries in the longest format. Coming into this Test match, Pakistani fans had different levels of expectations from this match, knowing that their opening pair with only a Test century each couldn't promise to stand solid given the opposition at hand.

With both openers struggling for consistency, some changes are needed from the openers come this Test match to satisfy coach Gillespie's concern and bring balance on even fields. But against England, came what was much required – their most comprehensive Test win.

Abdullah Shafique's breakthrough – what looked like his longest partnership innings of the first Test so far – alongside being the team most dominant run getter at nearly seventy proved to have transformed team fortunes coming with England entering their tough game with full gear. What makes even greater impact - the rise of Pakistan’s cricketing performances and individual consistent touches have just elevated.