Spin fingers write history

Man of the Series Ajmal finishes with 24 wickets as Pakistan blank England in Tests for the first time ever

Pakistans bowlers sealed an emphatic 71-run win in the third and final Test against England in Dubai on Monday,inflicting a humiliating 3-0 series whitewash in the process.

Set a daunting 324-run target,England were bowled out for 252 with paceman Umar Gul taking 4-61 and off-spinner Saeed Ajmal 4-67 to help Pakistan achieve a first-ever Test clean sweep against their opponents. With the ball turning again it was always a difficult task for Englands batsmen,who have been unable to play the Pakistani spinners throughout the series,on a weary fourth day pitch at Dubai Stadium. Pakistan won the first Test by ten wickets and the second by 72 runs in Abu Dhabi.

Pakistan have also become the first team to win a Test after being bowled out for under 100 since 1907 when England,shot out for 76,beat South Africa at Leeds. It was Englands seventh series whitewash,their first at the hands of Pakistan.

Pakistan have now recorded five series whitewashes,their last coming in a 3-0 win over Bangladesh in 2003. Englands last series whitewash came in 2007 when they were routed by Australia 5-0. So dominating have been Pakistan spinners that Ajmal finished the series with 24 wickets and Rehman with 19. Ajmal was named the Man of the Series while Azhar Ali was named Man of the Match for his 157 in Pakistans second innings.

England,89-2 at lunch,were still in with a chance with Alastair Cook 49 and Kevin Pietersen 18 batting well but lost four wickets in the space of 84 runs. They went to tea at 173-6. Pietersen,who struggled for runs in the series,hit Abdul Rehman for a boundary and then hoisted him for a six to post Englands 100.

But Ajmal struck from the other end. The off-spinner bowled Pietersen through the gate for 18. In his next over,Ajmal produced another sharp turning delivery which caught the edge of Cooks bat and was smartly held by a diving Younis Khan in the lone slip.

Ian Bell 10 and Eoin Morgan 31 added 37 for the fifth wicket but again failed to produce a big score as Gul dismissed them in the space of just three runs. Pakistan took the second new ball at 196-6 and the first ball saw Gul dismissing Stuart Broad 18 and then Graeme Swann on one.

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Matt Prior remained not out at 49 when Monty Panesar was dismissed by Rehman for nine. Pakistan could have wrapped the match earlier had they not dropped two crucial catches,the first off Strauss on 26 when wicket-keeper Adnan Akmal grassed a simple chance off Gul. But that didnt hurt Pakistan as Rehman trapped England captain in the very next over.

Gul then let off Cook at 24 when he failed to hold a top-edge sweep off Rehman. Cook had also benefited from a dropped catch on Saturday when Taufiq Umar let him off in the third slip off a miscued drive off Gul when he was four. Ajmal broke a dangerous looking 37-run stand between Cook and Jonathan Trott 18 by forcing the latter into a top-edge sweep which was smartly snapped up by Rehman at square-leg.

Brief scores: Pakistan 99 and 365 beat England 141 and 252 Matt Prior 49 n.o.,Alastair Cook 49; Umar Gul 4/61,Saeed Ajmal 4/67