Joe Root celebrated his inaugural Test win as England's permanent captain with a commanding innings and 103‑run triumph, as Pakistan were bundled out for just 135 before tea on the third day at Headingley. The visitors, who had been dismissed for 171 in 48.1 overs on day one, collapsed again in 37.3 overs in the second innings, unable to recover after England posted a massive 409 in their only batting effort.
England's bowlers turned the match on its head. Jofra Archer, who had a shaky first‑innings spell, bounced back spectacularly, claiming three wickets for 50 runs and delivering two early breakthroughs that reduced Pakistan to 13 for 2.
After the lunch interval, Josh Tongue added a three‑wicket burst, dismissing Shan Masood for 29 and effectively dashing any hopes of the tourists reaching 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 fielding also earned praise.
Azan Awais clipped a delivery from Archer to the leg‑slip where Root took a spectacular catch, while Saud Shakeel was caught off Tongue in an unconventional backward‑square position, underscoring England’s dominance in both batting and fielding. Gus Atkinson’s economical spell (1‑11) helped to dismiss the top‑scoring Rizwan, leaving England on the brink of victory. The final wicket fell when Mohammad Abbas inadvertently offered a catch to Archer, who then dismissed Dan Lawrence, sealing a match in which Ollie Robinson and Tongue each claimed eight wickets overall.
England have now recorded just three wins in their last eleven Tests. A victory in the second Test at Lord’s, scheduled for Thursday at 11 am and broadcast live on Sky Sports, would give them their first series win since the 2‑1 triumph in New Zealand in December 2024. The team had previously thrashed Zimbabwe in a one‑off at Trent Bridge, but recent form includes two defeats and a draw in their last three multi‑match series – a 2‑2 deadlock with India, a 4‑1 loss in Australia, and a 2‑1 home series defeat to New Zealand.
The upcoming series against Pakistan is a crucial stepping‑stone for Root’s captaincy. While Pakistan’s limited depth and lack of a decisive "X‑factor" may ease England’s path, tougher challenges loom later in the summer, notably the South African tour under new head coach Stephen Fleming and the next Ashes series. Despite the comprehensive win, England’s run rate of 4.55 runs per over was as much a product of Pakistan’s erratic bowling and fielding lapses as it was of the aggressive "Bazball" approach.
Harry Brook, batting on his home ground, displayed commendable restraint, scoring a brisk 91 off 93 balls. The match also featured five‑wicket hauls for both Robinson and Tongue, underlining England’s relentless bowling attack, while half‑centuries from Root, Brook, Lawrence and the returning Jordan Cox provided solid contributions. A low point came when Jamie Smith was dismissed for 25, caught off a short ball from Khurram Shahzad. At that stage England were 366‑8, leading by 195 runs.
Shortly after, Archer and Tongue added a few flashy boundaries, with Archer hitting the only six of the match off Shahzad. Archer’s aggressive spell forced Pakistan’s openers into mistakes, prompting Imam‑ul‑Haq to mis‑field and Smith to be caught. Abdullah Shafique and Shan Masood attempted to stabilise the innings, but Shafique edged a Robinson delivery to Brook at second slip just before lunch, ending his resistance.
Tongue then dismantled the middle order, removing 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, and Agha fell lbw to a sharp delivery in the same over. Ali Usman, who had taken five wickets and was one of Pakistan’s few bright spots, was caught in a spectacular diving slip catch by Cox after a ball glanced off Smith’s thigh. With that wicket, Pakistan were eight down and the match was effectively over.
Rizwan’s dismissal was equally unorthodox: he offered a simple catch to Robinson, who promptly removed the tail‑ender Khurram Shahzad, highlighting the numerous errors made by Pakistan’s batting line‑up in Yorkshire. Looking ahead, the second Test at Lord’s will be streamed live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event from 10 am (first ball at 11 am). All matches are broadcast live on Sky Sports, with 11 am starts across the UK and Ireland. England will aim to build on this encouraging start, hoping to secure a series win and give Root’s tenure a solid foundation before the more demanding contests in South Africa and the forthcoming Ashes series.