England asserted their dominance in the opening Test at Headingley, handing Pakistan a crushing defeat by an innings and 103 runs. After posting 409 in their first innings—highlighted by Harry Brook’s 91 and Ali Usman’s 5-95—England’s bowlers dismantled the visitors twice, restricting them to 171 and 135 respectively.
The third day began with Jofra Archer pushing England’s lead beyond 200 runs. Although Jamie Smith fell for 25, the hosts quickly wrapped up their innings. Archer then immediately shifted his focus to the ball, dismissing Imam-ul-Haq in his opening over. While Shan Masood attempted a brief counter-attack, Ollie Robinson applied pressure at the other end, eventually forcing an edge from Abdullah Shafique to second slip just before the lunch break.
Pakistan’s collapse accelerated in the afternoon session as Josh Tongue tore through the middle order. He claimed the wickets of Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood, and Salman Agha in rapid succession, effectively ending any hopes of a resistance. Mohammad Rizwan offered some late defiance with a knock of 41, but Robinson continued to chip away, finishing with figures of 3-29.
Gus Atkinson eventually secured the wicket of Rizwan, and Archer returned to finalize the proceedings in the 38th over. The combined efforts of Archer, Tongue, and Robinson accounted for nine wickets in the second innings, confirming a comprehensive victory for the home side. The final scorecard saw Pakistan dismissed for 171 and 135, while Josh Tongue’s first-innings haul of 5-46 proved pivotal in setting up the result. The report also notes that archer first had a role to play with the bat as he took little time to drag England’s lead past the 200-run mark once play commenced on the third day. The report also notes that brief scores: Pakistan 171 (Abdullah Shafique 61; Josh Tongue 5-46) & 135 (Mohammad Rizwan 41; Ollie Robinson 3-29) lost to England 409 (Harry Brook 91; Ali Usman 5-95) by an innings and 103 runs.
