England thrashed Pakistan by an innings and 103 runs in the opening Test of the three-match series at Headingley on Friday. Chasing a 238-run deficit, Pakistan were bowled out for 135 in their second innings, handing England a convincing victory.
Shan Masood scored 29, Abdullah Shafique 15, Saud Shakeel 14, Azan Owais 9 and Khurram Shahzad 8. Salman Ali Agha managed just four runs, while Imam-ul-Haq was dismissed without scoring. For England, Harry Brook top-scored with 91 runs, while Jordan Cox made 73, Joe Root scored 66, and Dean Lawrence contributed 51.
For Pakistan, Ali Usman claimed five wickets, while Khurram Shahzad took three. Facing a deficit of 238 runs, Pakistan struggled against England’s bowlers in their second innings and were bowled out for 135. Josh Tongue led the bowling attack with a devastating spell, tearing through Pakistan’s batting lineup.
Ollie Robinson and the other bowlers also provided valuable support as England secured a convincing victory to take the lead in the series. The defeat was particularly disappointing for Pakistan, who were bowled out for just 171 in their first innings and 135 in their second, resulting in a heavy defeat.
On the other hand, British media have described Pakistan’s current Test team touring England as the country’s weakest side in 50 years, raising questions over the team’s batting, bowling and fielding standards. The assessment comes amid Pakistan’s struggles against England during the ongoing Test series, with the visitors facing criticism for their inconsistent performances across all departments.
According to British media reports, Pakistan’s last eight wickets fell for just 74 runs against England. The reports noted that Pakistan’s current batting lineup is significantly weaker than the great batsmen of the past, while the country’s fast-bowling attack has also declined in both pace and quality. The report described Pakistan’s current Test team as its weakest in five decades, highlighting that even on the dry Headingley pitch, the Pakistani bowlers struggled to trouble England’s batsmen.
Pakistan’s fielding also came under criticism, with several misfields and dropped catches allowing Joe Root, Harry Brook and Dan Lawrence to score freely. The report further noted that wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan and Pakistan’s spin-bowling pair could provide glimpses of the aggressive cricket the team displayed in the past.