Joe Root celebrated his inaugural Test win as England's permanent captain, steering his side to an innings and 103‑run triumph after Pakistan were dismissed 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, could not recover and were skittled again in 37.3 overs in their second innings, leaving England with a massive 409‑run total from their only batting effort. The English bowlers were the true architects of the collapse. Jofra Archer, who had a modest showing in the first innings, turned the tide dramatically, claiming three wickets for 50 runs early in Pakistan's second innings and reducing them to 13 for 2.
After the lunch interval, Josh Tongue delivered a devastating spell, taking three wickets for 43 runs, including the dismissal of Shan Masood, who had made 29. Their combined pressure effectively extinguished any realistic chance for the tourists to reach a fourth day. **First‑innings figures** - Pakistan 171 all out (48.1 overs): top scores from Abdullah Shafique (61) and Imam‑ul‑Haq (42). England's seam attack was led by Josh Tongue (5‑46) and Ollie Robinson (5‑51).
- England 409 all out (89.5 overs): Harry Brook (91), Jordan Cox (73), Joe Root (66) and Dan Lawrence (51) provided the bulk of the runs. Pakistan’s bowlers Ali Usman (5‑95) and Khurram Shahzad (3‑133) shared the wickets. - Pakistan 135 all out (37.3 overs): Mohammad Rizwan top‑scored with 41, while England’s bowlers shared the wickets – Ollie Robinson (3‑29), Josh Tongue (3‑43), Jofra Archer (3‑50) and Gus Atkinson (1‑11). Root’s captaincy was rewarded with some spectacular fielding moments.
Azan Awais (9) clipped a ball to Archer at leg‑slip, while Saud Shakeel (14) was caught in an unconventional backward‑square position off Tongue, underscoring England's dominance in a one‑sided contest. Gus Atkinson’s economical spell (1‑11) helped to finish off a stubborn Rizwan, who had been the only Pakistani batsman to reach a half‑century. The final wicket fell when Mohammad Abbas (6) over‑hit a delivery that Archer fielded and tossed to Lawrence for the catch, sealing a match in which both Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue claimed eight wickets each. England now celebrate a third victory in their last eleven Tests.
If they can replicate this performance in the second Test at Lord’s, starting Thursday at 11 am (live on Sky Sports), they will secure 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 has been mixed, with two losses and a draw in their last three multi‑match series – a 2‑2 dead‑heat against India, a 4‑1 drubbing in Australia, and a 2‑1 home defeat to New Zealand. Looking ahead, the challenges for Root’s captaincy will intensify. The three‑match series against Pakistan may still test his leadership, especially if Pakistan’s lack of depth and an elusive "x‑factor" continue to hamper their competitiveness.
More demanding still will be the upcoming South African tour in the winter, which will be Stephen Fleming’s first series as England’s permanent head coach, and the much‑anticipated Ashes in the summer of 2027. Nevertheless, the opening Test provided a promising start. England’s run‑rate of 4.55 per over was driven largely by Pakistan’s erratic bowling and sub‑par fielding rather than the aggressive "Bazball" approach. Harry Brook displayed admirable restraint, crafting a measured 91 off 93 balls on his home ground, while the seamers Robinson and Tongue each produced five‑wicket hauls, underlining England’s relentless bowling attack.
Half‑centuries from Root, Brook, Lawrence and the recalled Jordan Cox added further weight to the victory. A low point came when Jamie Smith was dismissed for 25, edging a short ball from Khurram Shahzad (3‑133) to mid‑wicket. At that stage England were 366‑8, leading by 195 runs. Shortly after, Archer and Tongue struck a few boundaries – Archer even hit the only six of the match off Shahzad’s delivery.
Archer then turned his attention to Pakistan’s top order, forcing Imam‑ul‑Haq into a defensive glove and extracting the wicket of Azan Awais, who had escaped a pair earlier when he was bowled by Robinson on the very first ball of the match. Abdullah Shafique (15) and Shan Masood steadied the innings briefly, but Shafique soon edged a delivery from Robinson to Brook at second slip, falling just before lunch. Tongue continued his on‑fire spell, removing Saud Shakeel, Masood and stand‑in skipper Salman Ali Agha (who was covering for the injured Babar Azam) in quick succession.
Masood was caught at slip, while Agha was out lbw to a sharp‑bouncing delivery in the same over. Ali Usman, who had taken five wickets – one of Pakistan’s few bright spots over three harsh days – was caught by a spectacular diving slip catch taken by Jordan Cox after the ball glanced off Smith’s thigh. With that wicket, the tourists were effectively finished.
Pakistan found themselves eight down when Rizwan, in a moment of misjudgment, offered a tail‑ender, Khurram Shahzad (8), a simple catch to Robinson just one ball into an over, and the No 9 was nicked off. This was one of many costly errors made by Salman’s side in Yorkshire. The second Test at Lord’s is set to begin on Thursday at 11 am, with live coverage on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event. England will look to build on this dominant performance, while Pakistan will seek redemption after a disappointing start to the series.
All matches are broadcast live on Sky Sports, with 11 am starts across the UK and Ireland.