England crushed Pakistan by an innings and 103 runs to win a one-sided first test at Headingley and launch Joe Root’s second spell as permanent captain in style.
The convulsions which accompanied the series defeat by New Zealand eight weeks ago, with Ben Stokes stepping down and coach Brendon McCullum being relieved of his red-ball duties, were emphatically put behind them by England.
A dominant display against a hugely disappointing Pakistan side saw the game wrapped up before tea on the third day despite the loss of more than half a day’s play to rain.
After England had added 43 runs to their overnight score to reach 409 and gain a first innings lead of 238, their pace attack routed the tourists. Mohammad Rizwan top scored with 41 as Pakistan were bowled out for 135 in 37.3 overs.
England’s Josh Tongue, who was playing in The Hundred final three days before the start of the test match, finished with 3-43 and Ollie Robinson 3-29. Their match figures of 8-89 and 8-80 respectively were test-career bests.
For the second time in the match, Pakistan lost their first wicket without a run on the board as Imam-ul-Haq gloved Jofra Archer to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith in the second over and it was something of a procession thereafter.
In Archer’s second over, Azan Awais was caught at leg slip by Root, who had just moved himself there in a prescient piece of captaincy. It was Root’s 219th test catch, taking him back ahead of Australia’s Steve Smith atop the all-time non-wicketkeeper list.
Everything Root touched turned to gold with Saud Shakeel clipping Tongue to an unusual backward square leg position where Dan Lawrence took a fine diving catch.
When Shan Masood went for 29 from 56 balls, edging Tongue to Ben Duckett at slip, the Nottinghamshire quick was on a hat-trick for the second time in the match.
Salman Ali Agha foiled the attempt but the Pakistan captain was trapped lbw later in the over.
Everything was going England’s way and when Ali Usman nicked Robinson into wicketkeeper Jamie Smith’s leg, the ball ricocheted into the diving Jamie Cox’s hands at slip.
Cox took another sharp catch off Robinson to remove Khurram Shahzad before Archer, who took 3-50, dismissed Mohammad Abbas to finish the match.
For Pakistan, the shared series in the West Indies earlier this month was made to look like a false dawn.
The gulf between the penetration of the two sides’ seam attacks, the comfort of the two batting lineups in English conditions and their athleticism in the field was glaring.
The second test in the three-match series starts at Lord’s on Thursday when Pakistan will hope to have captain Babar Azam back after a finger injury.
Source: Khaleej Times