Mohammad Abbas and Mohammad Ali were the standout bowlers as Pakistan capitalised on the overcast weather at Lord's, skittling England for 248-9 on the opening day of the second Test. A heavy shower forced a delay, with play only restarting at 12:20 pm on Thursday. The damp conditions mirrored England’s sluggish start: after Pakistan chose to bowl, the hosts slumped to 3-36 in just 10.3 overs. The day was already clouded by off‑field controversy surrounding England paceman Brydon Carse, and the mood in the dressing room did not improve when captain Joe Root fell to Abbas for a modest four runs.
The early wickets kept tumbling as Abbas also dismissed Ben Duckett (17) and Emilio Gay (8), adding to the pressure on the English side. Abbas finished with impressive figures of 4‑56, while Ali claimed 3‑67, both delivering sharp, back‑of‑the‑hand deliveries that removed Harry Brook (15), Jamie Smith (61) and Ollie Robinson for a duck. The England innings featured Duckett’s quick 17 off 20 balls, Gay’s eight off 17, Root’s four off 13, Jordan Cox’s resilient 55 off 105, Brook’s 14 off 26 and Smith’s 61 off 80.
Pakistan’s bowling return was rounded out by Khurram’s 1‑79. Babar Azam’s return to the Pakistan line‑up marked a noticeable improvement from the 103‑run loss at Headingley the previous week.
Nevertheless, fielding lapses persisted; Mohammad Rizwan and his slip cordon were positioned too deep, allowing several catchable chances to slip away. As the clouds began to clear, England showed signs of recovery.
Jordan Cox produced back‑to‑back half‑centuries, and Smith, who had endured a lean spell, finally reached his own fifty. Their partnership offered a glimpse of stability after a precarious start. "I was trying to ride the wave a little bit," Smith told Sky Sports.
"It isn’t 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 solidly with the bat and was set to return on Friday morning alongside Josh Tongue (1 not out).
Play was suspended at 6:10 pm due to bad light, and the umpires elected not to resume the session. Abbas, who had taken only a single wicket at Headingley, was in prolific form on Thursday. He first dismissed Gay with a catch taken by the agile Rizwan, who dived on the leg side to grip the edge.
Pakistan had an early chance to remove Duckett in the first over when the opener edged a delivery to the slips, but the ball fell short of the fielder. After 20 deliveries, 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 then came in and survived a close edge caught at third slip by Imam‑ul‑Haq, with Usman Khawaja nearly taking a catch on the edge of the slip cordon.
In the following over Abbas bowled a delivery that struck Root’s leg stump; the captain failed to get his bat in time and was given out lbw. Brook entered the fray and immediately struck Ali for four through square leg, but his stay was brief.
Ali produced a stunning delivery that snapped Brook’s off‑stump, a moment many described as the delivery of the day. By lunch England were 80-4 and desperately needed a partnership. Cox and Dan Lawrence steadied the ship with a 43‑run stand before Lawrence was run out in a bizarre mix‑up. Cox went on to hit seven boundaries, reaching his half‑century, and after brief contributions from Brook and Lawrence, he and Smith forged a 67‑run partnership off 97 balls.
The partnership was broken by a spectacular one‑handed catch from Pakistan all‑rounder Salman Agha, who dove to take an edge off Cox. Shortly after, Ali claimed the wickets of Smith and Ollie Robinson with two back‑handed nips in three deliveries, further denting England’s hopes. The final wicket fell when Archer was dismissed by Abbas, though not before he lofted a six into the Lord’s Pavilion. Abbas then removed the bails as the players left the field.
Overall, the day highlighted Pakistan’s bowling firepower in damp conditions and exposed England’s vulnerability when the ball moves. The hosts will look to rebuild their innings on day two, while Pakistan will aim to maintain the pressure and capitalize on any further weather‑induced advantages. The next session is set to begin at 10:15 pm on Friday, with live coverage on Sky Sports Cricket for those with a subscription.