Joe Root’s second tenure as England’s Test skipper got off to a spectacular start at Headingley, where his side dismissed Pakistan for a modest 171 runs. The English bowlers, Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue, each claimed five‑wicket hauls, turning the match in England’s favour despite a long rain interruption and a brief resurgence from the visitors. Root has been reinstated as captain after Ben Stokes’ unexpected retirement in June. He inherits a side that has struggled, recording seven defeats and only one win in its last ten Tests against the likes of India, Australia and New Zealand.
The pressure is on him to reverse the trend and restore confidence in the England camp. The first day began under overcast skies, with rain preventing play from 11:50 am until 1:45 pm. When the umpires finally called the game back into action, Pakistan’s openers Abdullah Shafique (61) and Imam‑ul‑Haq (42) forged a solid 91‑run partnership, taking the score to 6‑2.
Their resistance was short‑lived, however, as the English bowlers struck back with precision. Robinson’s spell of 5‑51 and Tongue’s 5‑46 dismantled the Pakistani batting line‑up, wrapping up the innings in just 48.1 overs.
England’s reply was equally encouraging. After a cautious start, the hosts were 112‑2 after 25 overs, trailing by 59 runs.
Joe Root contributed a steady 37 not out, while Emilio Gay added 33 and Jordan Cox, drafted in for the injured Jacob Bethell, scored an unbeaten 23. Their partnership of 64 runs carried the side safely to the 7:30 pm stumps, leaving England in a commanding position.
Root’s decision to bowl first, after winning the toss on his home ground, proved decisive. The move echoed his earlier tenure from 2017‑2022, before the Bazball era, and the results were immediate. Robinson’s opening delivery trapped Azan Awais for a golden duck, the first wicket to fall on the very first ball of a Test in England in 19 years.
He then dismissed Shan Masood (5) leg‑before‑wicket, further unsettling the Pakistani top order. When play resumed after the rain, Pakistan slid from 23‑2 to 97‑3, only to collapse dramatically once Tongue entered the attack. He dismissed Imam‑ul‑Haq, triggering a chain reaction that saw the visitors lose their final eight wickets for just 74 runs, with the last five falling for a mere 21. Notable dismissals included Shafique, who fell to a sharp ball from Robinson, and Saud Shakeel (5), who was out lbw after a delayed review.
Tongue was on the brink of a hat‑trick after the tea break, having already taken the wicket of stand‑in captain Salman Ali Agha (21) and then trapping Ali Usman (0) lbw. Khurram Shahzad (14) interrupted the hat‑trick with a powerful cover‑driven boundary, but Tongue soon completed his five‑for by removing Mohammad Rizwan (12) lbw and then dismissing Mohammad Abbas (2) with a clean bowled. Robinson’s performance marked his fifth five‑wicket haul in Test cricket and his second of the summer.
He had previously shone in the series opener against New Zealand at Lord’s, where he claimed a triple‑wicket maiden and finished with seven wickets, earning Player of the Match. His accuracy and control were evident again at Headingley, despite a brief lapse when Gus Atkinson missed a catch off Khurram Shahzad. In contrast, Jofra Archer struggled to find his rhythm, delivering 0‑26 from nine overs and conceding 12 runs in his fourth over. His line and length were inconsistent, suggesting that his recent focus on limited‑overs cricket may have affected his red‑ball form.
Nevertheless, Archer’s experience will be vital as England look to maintain pressure on the Pakistani batting line‑up. Pakistan’s top order showed glimpses of quality. Shafique entered the Test after a fifty in a warm‑up match against a County Select XI and an unbeaten 160 in a recent West Indies victory. He adapted well to the longer format, reaching a sixth Test fifty from 82 balls before falling to Robinson’s well‑placed delivery.
Imam‑ul‑Haq also contributed a solid 42, but the middle order could not sustain the momentum. England’s own batting displayed resilience.
Gay, who had previously struggled in a County warm‑up, opened with a nervous single before finding his footing and scoring a composed 33. His ability to rotate the strike and find boundaries helped stabilize the innings after early wickets fell.
Looking ahead, the weather forecast for Thursday remains bleak, with the possibility of further rain delays. However, if play resumes, England will head into the second innings with a strong psychological edge.
Pakistan’s seamers, Khurram and Ali, have yet to match the precision of England’s bowlers, and the home side’s confidence is growing under Root’s steady leadership. In post‑match comments, Tongue highlighted the importance of the early session on day two, saying, “We’re in a great position now but that first hour tomorrow morning could be crucial.
If we focus on that first hour, we can build a solid lead. As a bowling unit we were very good and Robinson was excellent. It was similar to his performance at Lord’s against New Zealand.
He’s an exceptional bowler when he hits his lines and lengths and he showed that today.” Overall, the first day at Headingley set the tone for what could be a dominant series for England under Root’s renewed captaincy. The combination of disciplined bowling, resilient batting, and strategic decisions suggests that the team is well‑placed to bounce back from recent setbacks and re‑establish themselves as a formidable force in Test cricket.