Jofra Archer delivered the quickest opening burst of his Test career, setting the tone for an unrelenting, top‑class English bowling display on the second day of the second Test against Pakistan at Lord's. England’s bowlers ripped through the Pakistani line‑up, skittling them for a meagre 110 in their first innings. Ollie Robinson claimed four wickets for just 11 runs, Archer took three for 26 and Josh Tongue added two for 27, with Archer’s ferocious five‑over spell before lunch providing the first breakthrough. CricViz calculated that Archer’s opening spell averaged an eye‑popping 90.7 miles per hour, with a few deliveries even touching 94 mph.
His early strike saw the unsuspecting Shan Masood caught behind, leaving Pakistan wobbling at 16 for 2 after just 14.1 overs of blistering pace. "That was quality, high quality," England fast‑bowler Mark Wood declared on Sky Sports Cricket.
"If you want to watch international sport at its very best, this was it. England were relentless with their line and length and passed it on to the next bowler and the next.
It was top quality. Pakistan didn't do a lot wrong but the scoreboard didn't go anywhere because they were under pressure. Archer was very fast and intimidating, he ran in hard and just kept getting quicker and quicker.
You could almost feel how uncomfortable it was for the batters from the commentary box." Sky Sports' Nasser Hussain highlighted the variety within England’s attack, noting that the differing paces, skills and angles made life even harder for the visitors. "Robinson has a very high release point and is bang on the perpendicular, which allows him to get bounce. Tongue is so far past the perpendicular, so that's why he finds angles to open the right‑handers up and make them vulnerable to nicking off. And it was a box‑office opening spell from Archer," he said.
Tongue struck twice around the lunch interval, prompting edges from Abdullah Shafique (caught at slip) and Babar Azam (caught at third slip). Robinson, meanwhile, overturned two on‑field LBW calls to finish with astonishing figures of 4‑11 from 13 overs, an average of just 8.84 runs per wicket since his summer recall.
Archer continued to menace the Pakistani batsmen throughout the day, though luck did not always favour him. He repeatedly forced edges, with Azan Awais (46) missing an astonishing fourteen attempts against the quick. Archer’s persistence paid off as he helped dismantle the tail, with the final five wickets falling for a mere 19 runs, and he wrapped up with figures of 3‑26.
Former England seamer Stuart Broad reflected on Archer’s performance: "He had no luck. He could have been walking away with a five‑for today, Archer. The pace, the skill, he swung and seamed the ball, while he also bowled a couple of beautiful bouncers. England have been brilliant with the ball.
We know this pitch is moving, but you still have to get the ball in the right areas and threaten, and England, to a man, were on the money. They were relentless, they gave no free, cheap boundaries away. It looked a really impressive bowling unit." Archer himself admitted that a run of misfortune has plagued him lately. "I haven't had luck for a few weeks now but when you are bowling you have to hang in there because when wickets come, they come in buckets," he told Sky Sports.
He added, "With Azan today, I have never seen someone play and miss so many balls and not get out, so whatever he did, fair play to him." Feeling fresh and confident, Archer praised the depth of England’s seam options: "It is nice having extra seamers in the line‑up. Everybody is fit and firing and every day it will be someone else's turn. I bowled 12 overs today; in the last game I bowled nine, so it's unbelievable.
I can probably play until 40 at this rate!" The day’s action underscored England’s dominance with the ball, a combination of raw speed, disciplined line and length, and tactical variation that left Pakistan scrambling for answers. The relentless pressure not only forced early wickets but also stifled any momentum the visitors hoped to build, keeping the scoreboard static while England piled on a substantial lead.
Looking ahead, England will aim to maintain this intensity, using their multi‑faceted attack to keep Pakistan under the pump. The blend of Archer’s sheer pace, Robinson’s bounce‑inducing height, and Tongue’s angle‑craft gives England a formidable arsenal capable of exploiting any weakness in the opposition’s technique. If they can sustain this level of aggression and precision, the series could tilt decisively in England’s favour.
Fans can catch the third day of the England‑Pakistan Test live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10:15 am on Saturday. For those without a Sky subscription, streaming options and the latest deals are available online.