That was almost two series in one. The first part, the opening Test, was played on an unpaved surface in Multan with England breaking some amazing run-scoring records.

Pakistan, beaten in six consecutive Tests and winless in 11 Tests at home, decided to make a radical change. Star batter Babar Azam and pace bowlers Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi were eliminated.

Noman and Sajid came in. The pitch in Multan was reused, then the surface in Rawalpindi was dried using heaters and fans. Coach Jason Gillespie was effectively sidelined by the tactic, but success was achieved.

Remarkably, England scored more runs in an innings in the first Test, 823-7, than they did in four innings in the other two Tests combined. It is the first time they have taken a 1-0 lead and then lost a three-Test series.

To blame the U-turn solely on conditions would be a disservice to Pakistan. England had the advantage of winning the toss in the third Test but then squandered it.

The tourists' spinners were no match for the home tweakers while England's batters struggled to find the right pace on the Rawalpindi pitch, perhaps intimidated by all the talk of a rampaging Turner.

On the second afternoon, when Saud Shakeel's century led Pakistan's recovery to 177/77, England were surprisingly passive in their tactics.

England, which preaches stability and cohesion, will not panic or make sweeping changes, not least because the conditions were so alien. After five test tours of Asia since the start of 2021, they will not return for a visit to Bangladesh until 2027.

Still, questions will travel with them to New Zealand, not least about the form of captain Stokes and vice-captain Ollie Pope.