In Rawalpindi England blasted their way ahead on a flat pitch, giving themselves time to take 20 wickets on a featherbed designed for a draw. Here, in much more challenging conditions against a new mystery spinner, they had to be patient and more methodical. At all times they were ahead of their opponents, only letting it slip with a second-innings collapse that gave Pakistan some hope of chasing 355 to win..

“Coming into this game, being 1-0 up before we’d bowled a ball, I think we all understood what we could achieve before we started this game,” said Stokes. “We’re not naive. We know what we’ve achieved here because we know how tough it is, not just for English teams to come and win here, but any team. Pakistan are a huge threat in their own conditions. Not for one minute are we going to think, ‘ah nah it’s just another Test series win. Beating Pakistan in Pakistan is massive.”

Harry Brook was man of the match and England can confidently believe they have unearthed a new batsman at the right age of 23. In Wood they have a matchwinner to be used sparingly. He was about the only player to extend his reputation in Australia and in his first Test match since March he bowled his heart out to snuff out Pakistan’s fightback with a lively six-over spell either side of lunch and tea.

He broke up Mohammad Nawaz and Saud Shakeel’s 80 run stand that had taken Pakistan within 85 of victory with five wickets in hand. Wood dug the ball in and made life uncomfortable for Shakeel who, in sight of a hundred on 94, looked flustered for the first time and feathered a catch down the leg side.

It would not be an England tour to Pakistan without controversy and the decision over whether the ball had brushed the turf as Ollie Pope swooped took an age. It was a borderline call by third umpire Joel Wilson and it snuffed out Pakistan's lingering hopes of victory. 

After lunch Wood produced a snorter to knock over Zahid Mahmood’s stumps and it was fitting that Ollie Robinson finished it off, taking one ball to dismiss the No 11. Robinson has cut the head off the Pakistan batting, his hold over their captain Babar Azam doing so much to dent their confidence. 

A touch more ruthlessness in Karachi, by avoiding a repeat of the second-innings collapse of this Test, and England could complete a clean sweep. It would be the first time Pakistan have been washed in their own country.

Stokes said he was a little worried when Abrar Ahmed, the debutant leg spinner who took 11 wickets, slogged a few fours to trim the target down to 45 but he never felt he had to bowl himself. The England captain, with the extra seamer in the attack, felt he had enough and saved his knee for future battles. It was perhaps a good bit of man-management too because the team won without his golden arm. He showed them faith, and they responded.

England started well with Joe Root opening the bowling and removing Faheem Ashraf to become the third cricketer to score 10,000 Test runs and take 50 wickets. Jack Leach struggled for any consistency and Stokes rotated his seamers to no avail as Shakeel and Nawaz forged a stand.

Stokes and Wood go back a long way and the captain knows how to cajole one more spell out of him. Nawaz and Shakeel played at balls they would have left against bowlers of lesser pace, losing their wickets in the process but that is why Wood is so precious and needs to be managed.

“All game I got my bouncer a bit too off side but in that spell, I got it right,” said Wood before insisting on sitting down to finish his post-match interviews. “I’m knackered.” 

Reward for winning early was supposed to be a day’s golf at Multan’s championship-standard course but most of the players decided that they are too tired. They have four days to rally themselves for Karachi but regardless of what happens there they have turned 2022 into an unforgettable year.