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England Bowled Out for 290 at Lord’s
England resumed their first innings at 248 for nine after rain and poor light restricted the opening day to only 56 overs.
The hosts had been under pressure for much of the innings, but their final-wicket pair extended the total considerably before Pakistan finally completed the innings. England added 42 runs on the second morning to reach 290 all out in 66.4 overs.
Gus Atkinson, who had been unbeaten on 34 overnight, eventually finished with 45 runs from 46 balls, including six boundaries. Josh Tongue remained unbeaten on 30, his best score in Test cricket, as the pair added 47 runs for the final wicket.
The late partnership prevented Pakistan from wrapping up the innings quickly and gave England a more competitive total after a difficult start.
Abbas Leads Pakistan’s Bowling Attack
Pakistan’s bowling effort was led by experienced seamer Mohammad Abbas, who finished with four wickets. His disciplined spell was particularly effective during the opening stages, when England’s top order struggled against movement in the conditions.
Abbas eventually completed figures of 4 for 73 from 20 overs. Mohammad Ali also made a significant contribution by taking three wickets, while Khurram Shahzad and Ali Usman claimed one wicket each.
Pakistan had won the toss and opted to field, and the decision initially appeared to pay dividends as England lost wickets regularly.
Ben Duckett fell for 17, Emilio Gay made 8 and captain Joe Root was dismissed for just 4, all three becoming victims of Abbas. Jofra Archer also fell to the veteran seamer after scoring 14.
Cox and Smith Rescue England
England’s recovery was built around important contributions from Jordan Cox and Jamie Smith.
Cox produced a composed 55 from 105 deliveries, while wicketkeeper-batter Smith top-scored with 61 from 80 balls, including 10 fours. Their partnership helped England recover after they had slipped to 120 for five.
The two batters demonstrated patience against Pakistan’s attack and provided the foundation for England’s lower-order resistance.
Cox was eventually dismissed by Khurram Shahzad, while Smith fell to Mohammad Ali as Pakistan regained control.
Atkinson and Tongue Frustrate Pakistan
After England lost their ninth wicket at 243, Atkinson and Tongue kept Pakistan waiting.
Their 47-run stand was the highest partnership of the final-wicket pair and proved crucial in pushing England towards 300. Atkinson attacked when opportunities arose, while Tongue showed impressive composure to reach 30 not out.
Ali Usman eventually ended the resistance by dismissing Atkinson, bringing England’s innings to an end at 290.
Pakistan’s Response
Pakistan began their reply under pressure after losing early wickets. By lunch on the second day, the visitors had slipped to 16 for two, with Shan Masood and Abdullah Shafique dismissed.
The situation subsequently deteriorated, with England eventually dismissing Pakistan for 110, securing a first-innings advantage of 180 runs. Ollie Robinson took four wickets and Jofra Archer claimed three.
The result underlined the importance of England’s late lower-order partnership, which transformed a potentially modest total into a substantial first-innings advantage.See More on Pulse Paksitan
