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Tongue and Robinson claim career-best match figures at Headingley as tourists collapse for 135 inside 38 overs
LEEDS — England overwhelmed Pakistan by an innings and 103 runs to seal a thoroughly one-sided first Test at Headingley, giving Joe Root the ideal start to his second stint as permanent captain.
The upheaval that followed the series defeat to New Zealand eight weeks ago — Ben Stokes standing down and coach Brendon McCullum being relieved of his red-ball responsibilities — was emphatically consigned to the past. England’s command over a deeply disappointing Pakistan side was such that the match was concluded before tea on the third day, despite more than half a day’s play being lost to rain.
Pace attack completes the demolition
Having added 43 runs to their overnight total to reach 409 and establish a first-innings advantage of 238, England turned to their seamers, who dismantled the tourists. Pakistan were dismissed for 135 in 37.3 overs, with Mohammad Rizwan top-scoring on 41.
Josh Tongue, who had featured in The Hundred final three days before the Test began, returned 3-43, while Ollie Robinson took 3-29. Their match figures of 8-89 and 8-80 respectively were career bests at Test level.
For the second time in the match, Pakistan lost their opening wicket with the scoreboard blank, Imam-ul-Haq gloving Jofra Archer through to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith in the second over. Little resistance followed.
Root’s golden touch
In Archer’s next over, Azan Awais was taken at leg slip by Root, who had moved himself into position moments earlier in a prescient piece of captaincy. The catch was Root’s 219th in Test cricket, restoring him ahead of Australia’s Steve Smith at the head of the all-time list for non-wicketkeepers.
The captain’s instincts continued to pay off as Saud Shakeel clipped Tongue to an unconventional backward square leg placement, where Dan Lawrence held a fine diving catch.
When Shan Masood departed for 29 from 56 balls, edging Tongue to Ben Duckett at slip, the Nottinghamshire seamer was on a hat-trick for the second time in the match. Salman Ali Agha survived the delivery, but the Pakistan captain was trapped lbw later in the same over.
Fortune ran with England throughout. Ali Usman nicked Robinson into Smith’s leg, from where the ball ricocheted to the diving Jamie Cox at slip.
