Pakistan opener Imam-ul-Haq endured another disappointing outing against England, being dismissed for a five-ball duck in the second innings of the first Test at Headingley, Leeds, on Friday. The dismissal added to Imam’s struggles against England, with the left-hander now having three ducks in 10 Test innings against the hosts.
Imam’s latest failure further increased the pressure on Pakistan as they began their second innings after conceding a sizeable first-innings lead to England. Pakistan, who were bowled out for 171 in their first innings, saw England post 407 in response. Imam’s dismissal left Pakistan at 0/1 in the third innings of the match.
Imam faced four consecutive dot balls in the second over before Jofra Archer dismissed him. The England pacer bowled a sharp short delivery that did not rise as much as Imam expected, with the ball striking his gloves on its way through. The dismissal marked Imam’s sixth duck in Test cricket. The left-hander was playing his 30th Test and 58th innings, having scored 1,865 runs at an average of 34.53, including three centuries and 11 fifties.
His record against England has also taken another hit. According to media reports, Imam has now registered three ducks in 10 Test innings against England. He has scored 327 runs in five Tests against them at an average of 36.23. Imam also recorded his fourth duck in away Tests, in countries other than Pakistan.
It is worth mentioning here that 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.