Pakistan’s seam attack proved decisive on a damp, overcast afternoon at Lord's, as Mohammad Abbas and Mohammad Ali extracted movement from the air and reduced England to 248 for nine wickets on the first day of the second Test. The match was delayed by a heavy shower that forced play to start only at 12:20 p.m. on Thursday, and the gloomy weather set the tone for a difficult opening session for the hosts.
England’s innings began poorly, slipping to 3 for 36 after just 10.3 overs. Pakistan had won the toss and chosen to bowl, a decision that paid immediate dividends.
After a week dominated by off‑field controversy surrounding England bowler Brydon Carse, captain Joe Root could not find any respite; he fell to Abbas for a mere four runs. The early wicket was quickly followed by cheap dismissals of Ben Duckett (17) and Emilio Gay (8), both caught by Abbas, who was in lethal rhythm.
Abbas finished with impressive figures of four for 56, while Ali claimed three for 67, delivering three sharp back‑of‑the‑hand catches that removed Harry Brook (15), Jamie Smith (61) and Ollie Robinson for a duck. England’s scoreboard read: Duckett 17 off 20 balls, Gay 8 off 17, Root 4 off 13, Cox 55 off 105, Brook 14 off 26, Smith 61 off 80. Pakistan’s bowling summary listed Abbas 4‑56, Ali 3‑67 and Khurram 1‑79. The return of captain Babar Azam to the Pakistani side marked a clear improvement from the 103‑run loss at Headingley the previous week.
Nevertheless, Pakistan’s fielding still left something to be desired; Mohammad Rizwan and his slip fielders were positioned too deep, allowing several catchable chances to slip away in front of the wicket. As the afternoon progressed and the clouds began to clear, England showed signs of recovery. Jordan Cox produced a steady knock of 55, becoming the second half‑century of the day, while Smith, after a lean spell, reached his own fifty.
Their partnership offered a brief respite from the early collapse and hinted at a possible fightback. "I was trying to ride the wave a little bit," Smith told Sky Sports. "It is not the most free‑scoring at times here – you can feel a bit out of rhythm but then catch up.
I felt I scratched around at the start, but once I found the middle of the bat, it was slightly different to how I usually play, which is almost at top tempo to start with. That seemed to help today." Gus Atkinson (34 not out) also contributed useful runs before play was halted at 6:10 p.m.
due to bad light. The umpires decided not to resume, leaving the day’s action unfinished. Abbas, who had managed only a single wicket at Headingley, was in prolific form at Lord's.
He first dismissed Gay with a sharp catch taken by Rizwan, who dived on the leg side to collect an edge. Early in the innings Pakistan almost had Duckett out in the very first over; the opener edged a delivery to the slips but the ball fell short of the fielder. Duckett survived 20 deliveries before Abbas finally trapped him lbw.
The on‑field decision was initially not out, as the ball appeared to glance over the stumps, but a review confirmed the dismissal. Root then came to the crease and survived a close edge caught at third slip by Imam‑ul‑Haq, before Usman Khurram nearly completed the catch. In the following over, Abbas bowled a delivery that struck Root’s leg stump; the captain failed to bring his bat into line and was given out lbw. Harry Brook entered the attack with aggression, slamming Ali for four through square leg on his first ball.
His momentum was short‑lived, however, as Ali produced a stunning delivery that snapped the ball back onto the off‑stump, dismissing Brook in what many observers called the delivery of the day. At the lunch interval England were 80 for 4, desperate for stability.
A partnership of 43 between Cox and Dan Lawrence steadied the innings, but Lawrence was later run out after a confusing mix‑up. Cox went on to hit seven boundaries en route to his half‑century. After brief contributions from Brook and Lawrence, Cox and Smith built a more substantial stand of 67 runs from 97 balls, showcasing a blend of patience and aggression.
Their partnership was broken by a spectacular one‑handed catch from Pakistan’s all‑rounder Salman Agha, who dove to take an edge off Cox. Shortly thereafter, Ali claimed the wickets of both Smith and Ollie Robinson with two back‑of‑the‑hand catches in three deliveries, further denting England’s hopes. The final wicket to fall was that of Archer, who was dismissed by Abbas after slogging a six into the Lord's Pavilion.
Abbas then removed the bails before the players left the field, concluding a day that highlighted Pakistan’s seam dominance and England’s fragile top order. Looking ahead, the second day of the Test will resume on Friday evening, with Sky Sports broadcasting live from 10:15 p.m. Fans without a Sky subscription can explore the latest Sky Sports deals or consider streaming options that do not require a contract.
The match remains poised for a potential swing in momentum, depending on how England’s middle order negotiates the persistent swing and seam movement that has so far favored the Pakistani bowlers.