Mohammad Abbas and Mohammad Ali were the standout bowlers for Pakistan on the first day of the second Test at Lord's, exploiting the damp, overcast weather to put England under pressure and finish the innings at 248 for 9. The day began with a heavy downpour that delayed the start of play until 12:20 p.m. on Thursday, and the gloom that lingered over the ground mirrored England's shaky start.
After winning the toss and choosing to bowl, Pakistan made the hosts wobble early, with England sliding to 3 for 36 after just 10.3 overs. The backdrop to the match was a turbulent week for England off the field, dominated by the controversy surrounding bowler Brydon Carse. That tension seemed to follow captain Joe Root, who was caught out by Abbas for a meagre four runs. The early wickets continued as Abbas dismissed Ben Duckett for 17 and Emilio Gay for just eight, both falling cheaply to the left‑arm spinner's accurate deliveries.
Abbas finished with impressive figures of four for 56, while Ali contributed three for 67, each producing three spectacular "nip‑back" dismissals that saw Harry Brook caught behind for 15, Jamie Smith bowled for 61 and Ollie Robinson dismissed for 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 line‑up also featured Khurram Shahzad, who took 1 for 79. With Babar Azam back in the side, Pakistan showed a markedly better performance than the 103‑run loss at Headingley a week earlier.
Nevertheless, fielding lapses persisted; Mohammad Rizwan and his slip fielders were positioned too deep, allowing several catchable chances to slip through. As the afternoon progressed and the clouds began to thin, England managed to regroup. Jordan Cox, who had been struggling, produced back‑to‑back half‑centuries, eventually reaching 55.
His steady innings, combined with Smith’s fifty, gave the hosts a fighting chance after a period of low scores from the wicket‑keeper‑batsman. "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, who bowled 34 overs without taking a wicket, and Josh Tongue, who bowled a single over, were set to return on Friday morning after 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 on Thursday.
He first removed Gay with the assistance of Rizwan, who dived on the leg side to collect an edge. Early in the innings Pakistan nearly dismissed Duckett; the England opener edged a delivery into the slips but the ball failed to carry. After 20 balls, Abbas finally trapped Duckett 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’s entry was brief. After edging a ball to third slip, where Imam‑ul‑Haq took a close catch, Usman Khawaja nearly completed a catch at the edge of the slip cordon. In the following over, Abbas bowled a delivery that struck Root’s leg stump; the captain could not get his bat in time and was given out lbw. Harry Brook’s first ball was a four through square leg off Ali, but his stay was short.
Ali delivered a sharp ball that ricocheted off Brook’s off‑side and hit the off‑stump – a delivery many commentators called the ball of the day. At the lunch break England were 80 for 4 and needed stability.
A 43‑run partnership between Cox and Dan Lawrence provided some respite, though Lawrence was later run out after a confusing mix‑up. Cox went on to hit seven boundaries, reaching his half‑century. After solid starts from Brook and Lawrence, Cox and Smith forged a partnership of 67 runs from 97 balls, showcasing a blend of aggression and composure.
The partnership was broken by a spectacular catch from Pakistan all‑rounder Salman Agha, who dove mid‑air to take a one‑handed catch off a edge from Cox. Shortly thereafter, Ali claimed the wickets of both Smith and Ollie Robinson with two more swift nip‑backs within three deliveries, turning the momentum back in Pakistan’s favour. The final wicket to fall was England’s bowler Archer, who was dismissed by Abbas after slamming a six into the Lord’s Pavilion.
Abbas then removed the bails before the players left the field, ending the day’s play. Looking ahead, day two of the second Test will resume on Friday evening, with Sky Sports Cricket broadcasting live from 10:15 p.m. For those without a Sky subscription, the latest Sky Sports deals or contract‑free streaming options are available. The match promises further drama as both sides adjust to the conditions and seek to seize control of the series.