London: Pakistan bowlers make early impact against England in second Test
Pakistan’s Strong Start on Day One
Pakistan made a strong start in the second ICC World Test Championship Test against England, with their bowlers making early inroads on a rain-affected first day. Opting to bowl first under overcast conditions in London, Pakistan‘s seamers capitalized on the pitch’s lateral movement. This decision paid dividends, as they quickly disrupted England‘s top order, despite the hosts reaching 248/9 at stumps after 56 overs.
Veteran bowler Mohammad Abbas led the charge for Pakistan, with Ben Duckett (17) and Emilio Gay (8) being dismissed early. Mohammad Ali also maintained pressure on the England batsmen. England captain Joe Root, who had recently overseen a significant victory, fell for 4. Harry Brook (15) and Dan Lawrence (17) were also unable to build substantial innings, leaving England in a challenging position during the shortened early sessions.
England’s Middle Order Resilience
Despite the early wickets, England‘s middle order showed resilience. Jordan Cox played a patient innings, scoring 55 runs off 105 deliveries, absorbing pressure and blunting the older ball. He formed a partnership with wicketkeeper-batsman Jamie Smith, who top-scored with a fluent 61 runs off 80 balls. Smith successfully counter-attacked Pakistan‘s seamers before Khurram Shahzad dismissed Cox, claiming his first wicket of the match.
Smith praised Cox‘s composure, noting their shared history in age-group cricket. Gus Atkinson contributed an entertaining cameo, blasting 34 runs from 27 balls at a strike rate of 125.93, helping England surpass the 200-run mark. Mohammad Abbas, with figures of 4-56, returned to bowl at the tail end, but Jofra Archer (14*) and Josh Tongue (1*) managed to survive until the close of play on day one.
Day Two Sees Further Wickets and Rain Interruption
On day two, Pakistan continued their bowling efforts. Josh Tongue was in good form, taking the wicket of Babar Azam for 8 runs. Tongue found the edge of Babar‘s bat, with Jordan Cox safely catching the ball at third slip. Azan Awais, who had quietly survived the testing hour before lunch, began to accelerate his scoring, hitting a four past gully off Atkinson‘s first ball of the afternoon session.
Ollie Robinson also made an impact, taking his first wicket of the match by dismissing Saud Shakeel for 16 runs. Shakeel had shown intent, racing to his score off 16 balls. Robinson‘s delivery curled in, and although the umpire initially ruled it too high, a review confirmed it would hit the leg bail. This wicket was Robinson‘s 16th for England this summer.
The match saw a period of rapid scoring, with Awais hitting a cover drive for four, a miscued drive for four more, and a push down the ground for three runs in one over from Atkinson. However, the skies began to darken, and play was eventually stopped due to rain. Before the interruption, Jofra Archer had a strong over against Awais, beating him with a lifter and a length ball. Archer also had an appeal for LBW against Awais, but a review showed the ball doing too much, leading to a reprieve for the batsman.
The rain interruption brought an end to the day’s play, with Pakistan facing a challenging situation. Mohammad Rizwan was at the crease alongside Azan Awais when play was halted.
Source: theguardian.com
Priya Menon 