We evaluate England's squad after their decisive 194-run victory over Pakistan at Lord's, a win that once more highlighted the potency of the seam attack. The Test itself was largely unremarkable, with the opening batsman managing just 26 balls across his two innings. Several of the top‑order men felt a little unlucky, being given out leg‑before‑wicket in the first innings to deliveries that initially appeared to be heading for the stumps, only for a timely Pakistani review to overturn the on‑field decision. In the second innings his dismissal was more straightforward – a mistimed shot that was caught cleanly at mid‑off.
The match report also notes that viewers should use Chrome for an optimal video experience, and it promotes streaming the England‑Pakistan clash on NOW, listening to the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast, and downloading the Sky Sports app for full coverage. Gay experienced a double dose of misfortune. In the first innings, Mohammad Rizwan produced a spectacular diving catch off a modest leg‑side edge, while in the rain‑affected third day a low‑bouncing delivery trapped him lbw during a difficult batting spell.
Gay had shown resolve by batting through to stumps on the second evening – a quality he has displayed since his debut this summer – but his place is under scrutiny with Jacob Bethell still absent and other contenders waiting in the wings. One of those contenders is Tom Cox, who is pushing for a permanent spot after notching a second half‑century in as many Tests since being recalled to replace the injured Bethell at number three. Speaking to Sky Sports Cricket before the Lord's Test, Cox admitted, "This could be your only shot, make sure this counts." He has come close to fulfilling that promise, playing with confidence in the middle order much as he did at Headingley. A century again slipped away, this time because of an extraordinary slip catch taken by Salman Ali Agha – arguably one of the finest catches seen in recent memory.
There is also a debate about whether Joe Root has a growing lbw problem. Michael Atherton of Sky Sports observed that even a veteran with more than 160 Tests and an average above 50 – arguably one of England's greatest batsmen – is now being examined for a pattern of leg‑before‑wicket dismissals.
Root fell lbw in both innings, marking his seventh such dismissal of the summer and ninth in his last twelve Tests. While lbw dismissals have risen across the board in seam‑friendly conditions, Root will be eager to silence critics with a big score at the forthcoming Edgbaston Test.
Tom Brook performed better than his modest run tally suggests, especially in the second innings where he navigated a testing period on the second evening before forging a promising partnership with Dan Lawrence on day three, when the conditions were at their toughest. In the first innings, however, he was bowled by a lethal in‑ducker from Mohammad Ali after edging a faint shoulder‑length ball to Rizwan, who was standing up to the stumps. Brook has been a reliable slip fielder all summer, taking a catch to dismiss Azan Awais on eight and later contributing 46 runs in the first innings. Dan Lawrence continues to stake his claim for a regular spot, particularly at number six, a role that seems tailor‑made to fill the void left by Ben Stokes.
While Lawrence cannot be expected to replicate Stokes' extraordinary feats, he brings a similar counter‑attacking flair with the bat, evident in his second‑innings half‑century under difficult conditions. Additionally, his occasional off‑spin offers a useful variety to England's four‑pronged pace attack, which, despite its depth, has yet to be fully exploited. James Smith also returned to form with the bat, scoring 61 off 80 balls in the first innings and striking ten boundaries.
His aggressive approach was the hallmark of his early Test career, though a subsequent slump during the Ashes led to criticism. Smith admitted to Sky Sports Cricket that he has found the recent period "tough". His wicket‑keeping, especially when standing up to the stumps, remains exemplary and earns him additional credit. The bowling department saw varied fortunes.
Sam Atkinson felt the squeeze of England's deep seam pool, often relegated to second change and denied the preferred new‑ball spell. With Ollie Robinson and Jofra Archer dominating the opening overs and Josh Tongue targeting the tail, opportunities were limited. Nevertheless, Atkinson delivered a respectable pace spell before tea on day four and claimed his solitary wicket of the series.
With the bat, he enjoyed a brief resurgence at Lord's, scoring 45 in the first innings – the same venue where he recorded his Test hundred. Robinson, meanwhile, produced a career‑defining performance, claiming match figures of 8‑35 from 27 overs of incisive seam bowling. He now boasts 99 wickets in 23 Tests at an average of 19.53, which improves dramatically to 15.45 at Lord's and an astonishing 8.34 in this summer's three Tests. Nasser Hussain praised Robinson, noting that despite a period out of the side, he has emerged as England's premier bowler in the current conditions.
Hussain also urged Robinson to collaborate with senior pacemen like Stuart Broad and James Anderson to refine his craft and become a complete bowler. Jofra Archer delivered a blistering opening spell, averaging 90.7 mph with occasional deliveries touching 94 mph, and claimed the wicket of Shan Masood caught behind.
He repeatedly threatened both edges of the bat, though without immediate reward, before eventually dismantling the tail later in the innings. In the second innings, Archer delivered a punishing bouncer to Babar Azam, contributing to a devastating new‑ball spell that reduced Pakistan to 14‑3. Josh Tongue took the wickets of Abdullah Shafique and Babar Azam just before lunch on day two, and later removed Saud Shakeel, who had been flirting with a century before being caught. While Tongue has proven his value in the attack, he tends to leak runs, especially to left‑handers, as evidenced by an economy of over five runs per over in his 14.5‑over spell.
He also contributed with the bat, forming a vital 47‑run partnership for the last wicket with Atkinson, adding some much‑needed runs at the bottom of the order. Overall, England's seamers have once again been the decisive factor, with the series‑sealing win underscoring their dominance.
The batting unit, though showing flashes of brilliance from players like Cox, Lawrence, and Smith, will need to address recurring lbw dismissals and convert starts into bigger scores as the tour moves to Edgbaston. The next Test promises to be a crucial showdown for both the bowlers seeking to maintain their momentum and the batsmen aiming to silence critics and secure England's position at the top of the world rankings.