Jofra Archer delivered the quickest opening burst of his Test career, setting the tone for an unrelenting, high‑calibre English bowling performance 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 just 110 runs in the first innings. Ollie Robinson spearheaded the attack with figures of 4 for 11, Archer claimed 3 for 26, and Josh Tongue added 2 for 27.
Archer’s five‑over onslaught before lunch was the catalyst for the early wickets, ripping through the top order with sheer pace and precision. According to the analytics firm CricViz, Archer’s opening spell averaged an astonishing 90.7 mph, with a few deliveries even touching the 94 mph mark. His first breakthrough came when he trapped the immobile Shan Masood lbw, sending the Pakistani side staggering to lunch at 16‑2 after just 14.1 overs of blistering speed. The sheer velocity and aggression left the batsmen visibly unsettled, as commentators noted the difficulty of coping with such raw power.
"That was quality, high quality," England fast‑bowler Mark Wood exclaimed 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 move 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 analyst Nasser Hussain highlighted the diversity of England’s attack as a further hurdle for the visitors.
He pointed out that the combination of varying paces, skill sets and angles makes it difficult for any batting side to settle. "Robinson has a very high release point and is bang on the perpendicular, which allows him to extract bounce.
Tongue operates well beyond the perpendicular, finding angles that pry open the right‑handers and make them vulnerable to nicking. And it was a box‑office opening spell from Archer," Hussain said.
Tongue’s contributions were equally vital. He struck twice, once before lunch and again after, dismissing Abdullah Shafique (caught for five) and Babar Azam (caught for eight) with edges that flew to the keeper and third slip. Robinson, meanwhile, overturned two on‑field lbw calls and finished with an eye‑popping 4‑11 from 13 overs, bringing his post‑summer Test average to an astonishing 8.84 runs per wicket.
Archer continued to menace the Pakistani batsmen throughout the day, even though luck was not on his side. He repeatedly forced edges, most notably from Azan Awais, who survived an incredible 14 attempts at the same delivery without being dismissed. Archer’s persistence paid off in the tail, as Pakistan’s last five wickets crumbled for just 19 runs, cementing his final figures of 3‑26. Former England paceman Stuart Broad reflected on Archer’s performance, saying, "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 acknowledged a recent run of misfortune, noting, "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. 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." He also expressed optimism about his fitness and future longevity: "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 events underscored England’s ability to combine sheer speed with disciplined line and length, creating a bowling unit that was both intimidating and technically sound. The combination of Archer’s raw pace, Robinson’s high‑release bounce, and Tongue’s angle‑craft gave Pakistan very little room to breathe.
Their early collapse set up a substantial lead for England, putting pressure on the visitors to recover in the second innings. Looking ahead, England will aim to maintain this pressure, while Pakistan will need to regroup, adjust their technique, and find ways to counter the varied English attack. The match continues to be a showcase of high‑level Test cricket, with both sides demonstrating the fine margins that separate success from failure in the longest format.
Fans can follow the ongoing drama live on Sky Sports Cricket, with day three scheduled to begin at 10:15 am on Saturday. For those without a Sky subscription, alternative streaming options and the latest Sky Sports deals are available to ensure everyone can experience the excitement of this pivotal Test encounter.