Mohammad Abbas and Mohammad Ali proved decisive with the ball on the opening day of the second Test at Lord's, using the damp, overcast weather to push England down to 248 for 9. A heavy shower forced play to be delayed until 12:20 pm on Thursday, and the English innings began under a grey sky with the hosts slumping to 3 for 36 after just 10.3 overs, following Pakistan's decision to bowl first after winning the toss. The day was already clouded by off‑field controversy surrounding England bowler Brydon Carse, and captain Joe Root’s mood did not improve when Abbas dismissed him for a meagre four runs.
The dismissal was quickly followed by two more cheap wickets for Abbas: Ben Duckett fell for 17 and Emilio Gay was out for eight, both falling to the same bowler. Abbas finished with impressive figures of 4‑56, while Ali contributed 3‑67, each producing three sharp "nip‑back" deliveries that removed Harry Brook (15), Jamie Smith (61) and Ollie Robinson (a duck).
The England batting summary 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 return was Abbas 4‑56, Ali 3‑67 and Khurram 1‑79.
With Babar Azam back in the side, Pakistan showed a markedly better performance than the 103‑run loss at Headingley the previous week. Nevertheless, their fielding remained a concern; wicket‑keeper Mohammad Rizwan and the slip cordon were positioned too deep, allowing several catchable chances to slip through. As the afternoon light improved, England began to recover. Jordan Cox steadied the innings with a patient 55, becoming the second half‑century of the day, while Smith also reached his fifty after a lean spell for the wicket‑keeping batsman.
Both players displayed resilience against the swinging ball and helped England inch towards a respectable total. "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 pm due to bad light. The umpires elected not to resume, and the teams withdrew to the pavilion.
On Friday morning, Atkinson will return to the crease alongside Josh Tongue, who was also not out when play stopped. Abbas, who had taken only a single wicket at Headingley, was in prolific form on Thursday. He first dismissed Gay with the assistance of Rizwan, who dived on the leg side to take a soft edge. Pakistan had earlier threatened to remove Duckett in the first over when the England opener edged a delivery to the slips, but the ball fell short of the fielder.
Duckett survived 20 balls 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 initially seemed lucky; Imam‑ul‑Haq nicked an edge to third slip and Usman Khawaja almost completed a catch at the edge of the cordon.
In the following over, Abbas bowled a delivery that struck Root’s leg stump, and the captain was given out lbw after failing to bring his bat in line. Harry Brook entered the attack and, on his very first ball, struck Ali for four through square leg. His stay was brief, however, as Ali produced a beautiful delivery that clipped Brook’s off‑stump – a moment many commentators called the ball of the day.
At the lunch interval England found themselves 80 for 4 and needed a stabilising partnership. Jordan Cox and Dan Lawrence provided a 43‑run stand before Lawrence was run out in a confusing mix‑up.
Cox went on to hit seven boundaries, reaching his half‑century, and after modest starts from Brook and Lawrence, he and Smith built a 67‑run partnership off 97 balls, injecting much‑needed momentum. The partnership was broken by Pakistan all‑rounder Salman Agha, who dove spectacularly to take a one‑handed catch off an edge from Cox.
Shortly after, Ali claimed the wickets of both Smith and Ollie Robinson with two more quick nip‑backs within three deliveries, further denting England’s hopes. The final wicket to fall was Archer, who was dismissed by Abbas after slogging a six into the Lord's Pavilion. Abbas then removed the bails as the players left the field, concluding a day dominated by Pakistani swing and seam. Looking ahead, the second day of the Test will see England attempting to post a competitive total despite the early setbacks, while Pakistan will aim to maintain pressure with their disciplined bowling attack.
The conditions at Lord's are expected to remain variable, with the possibility of further rain interruptions, making the contest as much a test of adaptability as of skill. Fans can catch the live action on Sky Sports Cricket from 10:15 pm on Friday, and those without a subscription can explore the latest Sky Sports deals for streaming options.