England take full control as Pakistan struggle after 1st 2 days of 1st Test at Leeds

 


Report on the First Two Days of the 1st Test: England vs Pakistan, 2026

Venue: Headingley, Leeds

Dates: 19–20 August 2026

Series: Pakistan tour of England, 2026

Test: 1st of 3

The opening two days of the first Test between England and Pakistan at Headingley have produced a strongly one-sided contest in favour of the hosts. England, under the returning captaincy of Joe Root, dominated Pakistan with the ball on the opening day and then built a substantial first-innings lead with the bat on a rain-affected second day.

Day 1: England's bowlers dominate

England won the toss and Joe Root elected to bowl first in conditions that offered considerable assistance to the seamers. The decision proved immediately successful. Ollie Robinson dismissed Azan Awais with the first ball of the Test, the first time an English bowler had taken a wicket with the opening delivery of an England Test series.

Pakistan were soon reduced to 6 for 2, but Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique produced a valuable partnership of 91 to steady the innings. Imam made 42, while Shafique top-scored with 61. Once the partnership was broken, however, Pakistan's innings collapsed.

Pakistan were eventually dismissed for only 171 in 48.1 overs. Robinson and Josh Tongue shared all ten wickets, an extraordinary achievement. Robinson finished with 5 for 51, while Tongue took 5 for 46. It was the first time since 2006 that two England bowlers had each taken five wickets in the same Test innings.

The final five Pakistan wickets fell for only 21 runs, highlighting the severity of the collapse.

Pakistan's first innings — 171 all out

Batter

Runs

Abdullah Shafique

61

Imam-ul-Haq

42

Others

68

Total

171

England bowling:

Ollie Robinson: 5/51

Josh Tongue: 5/46

England then began their reply. Ben Duckett was dismissed for 15, while debutant Emilio Gay made 33 before edging to slip. Joe Root and Jordan Cox then steadied England's innings with an unbeaten partnership of 64. At stumps, England were 112/2, with Root on 37* and Cox on 23*, only 59 runs behind Pakistan.

Day 2: England seize complete control

Rain delayed the start of the second day's play, and only 57 overs were possible during the day. Despite the interruption, England's batsmen made excellent use of the available time and transformed their promising position into a commanding one.

Jordan Cox, playing at No. 3, continued his impressive innings and reached 73, his maiden Test fifty. He and Joe Root added exactly 150 runs for the third wicket, giving England a strong platform. Root subsequently fell for 66.

Harry Brook then produced an aggressive innings of 91 from 93 balls. He was given an early reprieve after being dropped, but Pakistan paid heavily for the missed opportunity. Brook's dismissal left him nine runs short of a century and continued his remarkable record against Pakistan. His Test average against them remains above 85 after 12 Tests.

Dan Lawrence, returning to the England side, also scored a valuable 51, giving England four half-centuries during the innings: Cox 73, Root 66, Lawrence 51 and Brook 91.

Pakistan's main success on the second day came from left-arm spinner Ali Usman, who claimed his maiden Test five-wicket haul. He finished the day with 5 for 92, providing Pakistan with some resistance after their seam attack struggled to contain England.

At the close, England had reached 366 for 8 in 82 overs, giving them a massive 195-run first-innings lead. Jamie Smith was unbeaten on 16 and Jofra Archer was yet to score.

England's first innings at stumps on Day 2

Batter

Runs

Harry Brook

91

Jordan Cox

73

Joe Root

66

Dan Lawrence

51

Jamie Smith

16*

Others

69

Total

366/8

Pakistan bowling:

Ali Usman: 5/92

Mohammad Abbas: 1/61

Other Pakistan bowlers: 2 wickets

Statistical highlights after two days

Pakistan: 171 all out.

England: 366/8 at stumps on Day 2.

England's lead: 195 runs.

Ollie Robinson: 5/51.

Josh Tongue: 5/46.

Ali Usman: 5/92 — maiden Test five-for.

Abdullah Shafique: 61.

Jordan Cox: 73.

Joe Root: 66.

Dan Lawrence: 51.

Harry Brook: 91 off 93 balls.

Third-wicket partnership: Cox and Root added 150.

Day 2: Only 57 overs were bowled because of rain.

Overall assessment

The first two days have belonged overwhelmingly to England. Pakistan's 171 was far below what was required after losing the toss, while Robinson and Tongue's combined 10 wickets gave England an ideal start. England then capitalised through a succession of substantial contributions from Cox, Root, Brook and Lawrence.

Pakistan's only major positive on Day 2 was Ali Usman's five-wicket haul. However, England's lead of 195 runs with two wickets still in hand leaves Pakistan in an extremely difficult position. England will begin Day 3 looking to finish their innings quickly and put Pakistan under further pressure.

Conclusion: After two days, England are firmly in command at Headingley. Their outstanding pace bowling on Day 1, followed by four significant batting contributions on Day 2, has given them a substantial advantage. Pakistan now need a major batting recovery in their second innings to prevent England from taking a decisive lead in the three-Test series.

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