Dan Lawrence anchored England’s second innings on a rain-interrupted third day at Lord’s, steering the hosts toward a commanding position in the second Test against Pakistan. The 29-year-old, who returned to the Test side for this series following a two-year hiatus after Ben Stokes’ international retirement, remained unbeaten on 50. His performance helped England extend their lead to 357 runs with three wickets still in hand as play concluded for the day at 177-7.
The conditions at Lord’s proved challenging for batters, with Muhammad Abbas capitalizing on the bowler-friendly surface to claim three wickets, bringing his total match haul to seven. Despite Abbas’s efforts, Pakistan faces a daunting task to save the match. England resumed the day at 81-3, but lost Emilio Gay early when he was trapped lbw by Abbas after adding only a single to his overnight score. Harry Brook later contributed 34 before edging an Abbas delivery to wicket-keeper Muhammad Rizwan, who secured a sharp catch while standing up to the stumps.
Jamie Smith, who scored a half-century in the first innings, was dismissed for seven after chipping a ball from Abbas to Shan Masood at mid-wicket. Following the dismissal of Gus Atkinson, who fell lbw to Mohammad Ali shortly after tea, Lawrence took the initiative. He attacked spinner Ali Usman with two sixes—one over extra cover and a slog-sweep over mid-wicket—along with six fours during his 66-ball stay. A pulled single off Ali eventually secured his second consecutive half-century, following his 51-run effort in the first Test victory at Headingley.
England currently holds a 1-0 lead in the three-match series and is well-positioned to secure their first series win since December 2024. The outlook for Pakistan remains bleak; their batting lineup has struggled significantly throughout the series, failing to surpass 171 runs in any single innings. Their first-innings total was restricted to just 110 by England’s pace attack, and the tourists will be further hampered by the absence of opener Imam-ul-Haq, who is unable to bat due to a calf injury.
With two days remaining in the match, an uneven pitch, and a favorable weather forecast for Monday, England remains the heavy favorite to close out the victory. The combination of a substantial lead and Pakistan’s fragile batting form suggests the target is likely beyond the tourists’ reach. The report also notes that england, who resumed on 81-3 when play eventually got underway at 2.20pm, lost Emilio Gay early, lbw to Abbas, after only adding a single to his overnight score.
