Joe Root celebrated his inaugural Test as England's permanent captain with a commanding win, dismissing Pakistan for just 135 runs before the tea break on the third day at Headingley. The visitors, who had been bundled out for 171 in 48.1 overs on day one, were skittished again in 37.3 overs in their second innings, following England's imposing total of 409 in their only innings. The English bowlers were the architects of the collapse. Jofra Archer, who had a modest first‑innings spell, turned the tide early in the second innings, taking two quick wickets to reduce Pakistan to 13 for 2.
After the lunch interval, Josh Tongue produced a devastating three‑wicket burst, including the dismissal of Shan Masood, who had made 29, effectively ending any realistic chance of the tourists seeing a fourth day. **First‑innings figures** - Pakistan 171 all out (48.1 overs): Abdullah Shafique 61, Imam‑ul‑Haq 42; Josh Tongue 5‑46, Ollie Robinson 5‑51 - England 409 all out (89.5 overs): Harry Brook 91, Jordan Cox 73, Joe Root 66, Dan Lawrence 51; Ali Usman 5‑95, Khurram Shahzad 3‑133 - Pakistan 135 all out (37.3 overs): Mohammad Rizwan 41; Ollie Robinson 3‑29, Josh Tongue 3‑43, Jofra Archer 3‑50, Gus Atkinson 1‑11 Root’s captaincy was rewarded with some spectacular fielding moments. Azan Awais (9) clipped a ball from Archer to the leg‑slip, while Saud Shakeel (14) produced a rare backward‑square catch to dismiss Dan Lawrence off Tongue’s delivery. These highlights underscored England’s dominance in a one‑sided contest.
Gus Atkinson’s tidy 1‑11 spell helped to mop up the top‑order scorer Mohammad Rizwan (41) and set the stage for a dramatic finish, where Ollie Robinson (3‑29) and Tongue each claimed four wickets, sealing the victory. England’s recent form has been mixed: this win marks only their third success in the last eleven Tests. A victory in the upcoming second Test at Lord's, scheduled for Thursday at 11 am (live on Sky Sports), would give them their first series triumph since the 2‑1 win in New Zealand in December 2024.
The team had previously thrashed Zimbabwe in a one‑off at Trent Bridge, but they have lost two and drawn one of their last three multi‑match series, including a 2‑2 stalemate with India, a 4‑1 drubbing in Australia, and a 2‑1 home defeat to New Zealand. Looking ahead, the challenges for Root’s captaincy are far from over.
The three‑match series against Pakistan may test his leadership, but the real tests will arrive in South Africa during the winter—a series that will be Stephen Fleming’s first as England’s permanent head coach—and the Ashes next summer. Nevertheless, the start was encouraging.
England’s run rate of 4.55 runs per over reflected both Pakistan’s erratic bowling and occasional fielding lapses, rather than a pure Bazball onslaught. Harry Brook displayed admirable restraint, scoring a brisk 91 off 93 balls on his home ground. Key performances that stood out included five‑wicket hauls for both Robinson and Tongue, England’s relentless bowling pressure, and half‑centuries from Root, Brook, Lawrence and the recalled Jordan Cox.
Jamie Smith’s dismissal for 25, caught off a short ball from Khurram Shahzad, was a rare low point for England as they entered day three at 366‑8, leading by 195 runs. Around the time of Smith’s wicket, Archer (23 not out) and Tongue (8) added valuable runs, with Archer hitting the only six of the match off Shahzad.
Archer then attacked Pakistan’s openers, forcing Imam‑ul‑Haq into a gloving error and eventually removing Azan Awais, who had escaped a pair after being lbw to Robinson on the very first ball of the game. Abdullah Shafique (15) and Shan Masood steadied Pakistan briefly, but Shafique edged a Robinson delivery to Brook at second slip just before lunch, ending his resistance.
Tongue then ripped through the middle order, dismissing Saud Shakeel, Masood and stand‑in captain Salman Ali Agha (who was covering for the injured Babar Azam) in quick succession. Masood was caught at slip, while Salman fell lbw to a sharp nip‑bouncer in the same over. Ali Usman’s five‑wicket haul was one of the few bright spots for Pakistan over the three‑day drubbing. He was eventually caught in a spectacular diving slip catch by Cox after the ball deflected off Smith’s thigh.
With that wicket, the tourists were effectively finished. Pakistan found themselves eight down when Rizwan, in a baffling moment, offered a tail‑ender, Khurram Shahzad (8), a simple catch to Robinson just one ball into an over; the No 9 was nicked off, adding to the cascade of errors from the Pakistani side. The second Test at Lord’s will commence on Thursday at 11 am, with live coverage on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event.
All matches are broadcast live on Sky Sports, with 11 am starts for the UK and Ireland. Overall, England’s performance at Headingley provided a solid platform for Root’s tenure as captain. The bowlers delivered relentless pressure, the batsmen contributed crucial runs, and the fielders produced moments of brilliance.
While the series is still open, the English side have set a high benchmark, and the upcoming fixtures will determine whether they can sustain this momentum and claim a series victory for the first time in over a year.