BBC SPORT | Special Events | 2001 | England v Pakistan

BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew reviews the final day of the second Test at Old Trafford.

This must rank as one of the most remarkable Test victories in the history of the game.

At tea, the draw seemed inevitable as England, with eight wickets in hand and Trescothick unbeaten on 112, seemed as safe as houses.

The match had gone to sleep.

But the second new ball did the trick for Pakistan - despite the first delivery being clubbed to the boundary by Trescothick - as both he and Thorpe succumbed to hostile, fast bowling by Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis.

Suddenly the door was open and Saqlain Mushtaq, who had toiled away for 40 wicketless overs, deceived Alec Stewart into offering no stroke to an absolutely straight ball.

He made 19 and, moments later, Nick Knight was trapped lbw first ball despite the fact that Wasim, the bowler, appeared to have overstepped by at least six inches.

Pakistan start their celebrations
All over: Waqar dismisses Darren Gough

This was a final insult to poor old Knight who dropped three catches and made just 15 in the first innings of his one-off recall.

Ian Ward had looked very secure until he edged an attempted, and unwise, forcing stroke off Saqlain who then cleaned up Andy Caddick with his famous 'mystery delivery - another first-baller.

Cork and Gough battled away for three quarters of an hour, adding 31, but Saqlain trapped Cork lbw for four and the catch by Imran Nazir at point to dismiss Gough and clinch the match was absolutely breathtaking.

Pakistan thoroughly deserved to win the game having played superior cricket throughout.

England will have disappointed many of their new-found supporters with their negative approach to chasing the total that, at the start of the final day, seemed well within their grasp.

Atherton and Trescothick played carefully and, indeed, sensibly throughout the morning until Atherton was bowled by a reverse inswinger from Waqar for 51.

Even this should not have upset England too much and at lunch they needed 221 more to win with nine wickets in hand.

What followed was difficult to comprehend as, during the afternoon, only 47 runs were added in 29 overs.

Saqlain Mushtaq bowls Andy Caddick
A golden duck for Andy Caddick

Saqlain made things awkward by bowling over the wicket to the left-handers but, even so, there was no enterprise whatsoever and, mentally, England's players must have started to switch off.

Even though history dictated that the odds were stacked well against England winning - and let us not forget that a draw was enough for them to win the series - it would have sent out a thoroughly positive message to the Australians had they at least been bold enough to have launched even a token attempt.

In every respect this was a great Test match.

The superb pitch prepared in desperate circumstances by Peter Marron and his team produced some superb stroke play which allowed Inzamam, Vaughan, Thorpe and Trescothick to score wonderful centuries, each in their own particular way.

The runs flowed at a spectacular rate and the finale was gripping.

What a shame that the majority of cricket lovers did not watch a single ball of it since this Test match was shown exclusively on satellite television.