PAK vs ENG: Ollie Pope hails England's stunning Test win in Multan as 'one of their best'

England Test captain Ollie Pope has hailed his team's convincing win over Pakistan in the first Test at Multan, calling it one of the top victories for the team under the "Bazball" era.

Standing in as captain, Pope led England to a huge innings and 47 runs win, putting them 1-0 ahead in the three-match series.

After the match, Pope reflected on the victory, placing it among the top performances for the team under coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes.

"Ah, It would be right up there. I think there's probably top, definitely top three. I think I can think of probably Islamabad was right up there and then I think Hyderabad as well was right up there.

"And Trent Bridge, I think probably those four are four of the ones that as a team we really look back on and this is right up there with the rest of them too," said Ollie Pope.

Despite a strong start from Pakistan, who posted a massive first-innings total of 556 runs, England bounced back in stunning fashion. Shan Masood's 151 and Abdullah Shafique’s 102 set the stage for Pakistan, while Saud Shakeel (82) and Salman Ali Agha (a century) contributed key runs.

However, England responded with an even bigger total. Powered by Harry Brook’s brilliant 317 and Joe Root’s outstanding 262, England posted 823 runs in their first innings, taking a lead of over 200 runs. This aggressive display put Pakistan on the back foot.

In their second innings, Pakistan struggled against England’s well-executed bowling plans, getting all out for just 220 runs, securing an innings and 47 runs victory for England. Remarkably, this was the first time a team won by an innings after conceding over 500 runs in the first innings.

England will aim to keep up their momentum in the second Test, which will be played on October 15 at the Multan Cricket Stadium.