Pakistan’s England tour could hardly have begun in more damaging fashion. They surrendered tamely at Headingley, suffering an innings-and-103-run defeat inside three days as Joe Root’s return to permanent Test captaincy began with a commanding England victory.
The defeat was particularly emphatic given the uncertainty surrounding England’s red-ball setup. Ben Stokes had stepped down from Test cricket, while Brendon McCullum was relieved of his red-ball coaching duties after the series loss to New Zealand. Root’s return came under scrutiny, but England delivered an emphatic response.
England vs Pakistan,1st Test Day 3: Highlights | Scorecard
Pakistan, fresh from sharing a Test series in the West Indies, never carried that form into Leeds. Their batting repeatedly struggled against England’s seamers, while their fielding lacked intensity. By the third morning, they were staring at a huge deficit.
England resumed the day with two wickets in hand and a 195-run lead already in the bag. The hosts added 43 runs to reach 409, stretching their first-innings advantage to 238 and leaving Pakistan with an enormous task.
ENGLAND SEAMERS RIP PAKISTAN APART
Pakistan’s second innings began disastrously as Imam-ul-Haq fell without scoring, gloving Jofra Archer to Jamie Smith in the second over. It was the second time in the match Pakistan had lost their first wicket without a run on the board.
Azan Awais soon followed, caught at leg slip by Root after the England captain had cleverly moved into position. It was Root’s 219th Test catch, taking him ahead of Australia’s Steve Smith for the most by a non-wicketkeeper.
Josh Tongue then produced another breakthrough when Saud Shakeel clipped him to backward square leg, where Dan Lawrence took a fine diving catch. Shan Masood made 29 before edging Tongue to Ben Duckett at slip, leaving the bowler on a hat-trick for the second time in the match.
Salman Ali Agha survived the hat-trick ball but fell lbw later in the over. Pakistan continued to unravel as Ali Usman nicked Ollie Robinson into Jamie Smith’s leg, with the ricochet finding Jamie Cox at slip. Cox then took another sharp catch off Robinson to dismiss Khurram Shahzad.
Mohammad Rizwan offered some resistance with 41, but Pakistan were eventually bowled out for 135 in 37.3 overs. Archer finished with 3/50, while Tongue and Robinson claimed three wickets each in the innings.
PAKISTAN BATTING COLLAPSE COMPLETES HEADINGLEY NIGHTMARE
The capitulation was a continuation of Pakistan’s first-innings struggles. They had been bowled out for 171, with Abdullah Shafique’s 61 their only substantial contribution. Tongue and Robinson had taken five wickets apiece.
England then capitalised with the bat. Harry Brook top-scored with 91, while Jordan Cox made 73, Root scored 66 and Dan Lawrence added 51. England eventually reached 409, with Ali Usman claiming 5/92 for Pakistan.
England’s superiority was evident across all departments. Their seamers consistently found movement, their fielding was sharp and Root’s captaincy repeatedly produced dividends. Tongue and Robinson finished with eight wickets each in the match, both recording career-best match figures.
Despite rain washing away significant playing time, England wrapped up the contest before tea on the third day. They needed only 1,053 balls to complete the victory, underlining the one-sided nature of the Test.
The second Test at Lord’s now becomes an early chance to respond. Pakistan will hope Babar Azam can return from his finger injury, but after such a comprehensive defeat, they need a major turnaround to prevent England from taking an early stranglehold on the three-match series.
– Ends
