A series that started with England breaking records ended with England simply breaking records. Where they had to fight they faltered, where the situation required strength they surrendered as Pakistan raced to a nine-wicket victory and a 2-1 series success in Rawalpindi.

A morning session was billed as a chance for them to settle down and fight for the match and their reputation became a despicable procession, first of departing batters as England limped to a dismal total of 112, and then of boundaries as Pakistan limped to their ridiculous target frolicked. of 36 in three overs and one ball.

England trailed by 53 at the start of the game with three wickets already fallen, but also with two batters at the crease who had shared a partnership of 454 just two games ago, albeit on a very different surface and in a very other world. This time they just managed to get 10% of that total, and for the tourists that was as good as it gets. Once Harry Brook was dismissed the innings fell apart completely; England managed to add just 88 to their overnight score as their last seven wickets fell for just 49.

They did manage to take one Pakistani wicket, but that only allowed Shan Masood to emerge for a cameo that was dismissive to the point of contempt. Still out at 22, he had to hit his first four balls for four, his fifth for a single and his sixth for six. In six balls he scored 70% of the boundaries that England managed in the 224 that comprised their second innings.

Early in the day, the sun shone for about half an hour, the birds were singing, and it seemed like Brook and Root had things under control. It says a lot about England’s innings that this period, in which they scored 42 largely – if not entirely – trouble-free runs, was by far their best.

There was one half-chance, when Sajid Khan found Brook’s lead and the ball flew low to short leg, giving Abdullah Shafique just enough time to get his fingertips on it. There were some nice shots too, and just as importantly the sense that the batters approached the occasion with the careful vigilance the situation required. But when things started to go wrong, things went very wrong indeed.

Noman Ali provided the breakthrough, Brook made up for a little extra pace, just like in the first innings. The ball did not turn and the batter had no room to make his shot attempt as it clamped high on the bat, possibly touching only his thumb, on its way to the keeper’s gloves. England had scored 66 points and were still trailing by 11 points.

There was still a chance for the tourists as long as Ben Stokes was in the middle, which turned out not to last for long. His dismissal was bizarre, bordering on the inexplicable, with no shot offered to a ball that spun slightly against him and hit him on the thigh. The captain’s decision was one of a player with a lot on his mind, or one who had only just woken up. He turned to Root, looking for encouragement for a review, but none came. Stokes had scored three and England were behind by seven.

Jamie Smith had made 89 in the first innings, runs that felt crucial at the time and showed what he was capable of, even under pressure, on a turning surface, against quality spinners with the wind in his sails. He lasted 16 balls here before running down the track to Sajid, playing a farming hoik down the line on a ball that spun quite sharply, hitting him on the inside on its way to the stumps. Smith had scored three and England were trailing by two.

By then, England’s ambitions had shifted from setting a Test target for Pakistan to simply having them bat again. Root stayed long enough to at least ensure that before he was beaten by an excellent delivery from Noman that took the lead, well caught by Mohammad Rizwan behind the stumps. He had scored a measured 33: not exactly overwhelming, but it says everything about the England innings that his contribution can rightly be described as excellent – ​​Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Stokes and Smith had contributed just 21 between them.

It’s harsh to say the innings died down there, considering it was barely penetrated. Sajid turned the ball into Gus Atkinson’s bat and bowled it, after which he did the same as Rehan Ahmed, who tried to paddle it into the leg side but missed. and saw the bail light up. Noman flew one slow, short and wide, daring Jack Leach to get out of his crease to reach it. He came out of his fold, he didn’t get to it, and Rizwan did the rest.