LEEDS, England — England vs Pakistan 1st Test: England reached 139/2 at the close of the second session on Day 2 of the first Test against Pakistan at Headingley on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, after bowling the visitors out for 171. Joe Root was unbeaten on 44 from 78 balls and Jordan Cox was 41 not out from 57 as England reduced Pakistan’s first-innings advantage to 32 runs.
Key Highlights
- Pakistan were bowled out for 171 in 48.1 overs after England elected to field.
- Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue claimed five wickets apiece for England.
- England finished on 139/2 after 32 overs, with Joe Root unbeaten on 44 and Jordan Cox on 41.
- Robinson’s first wicket of the match was also his 500th first-class wicket.
England fight back after Pakistan’s 171
Pakistan’s innings lasted 48.1 overs and produced 171 runs at a scoring rate of 3.55. Abdullah Shafique top-scored with 61 from 104 deliveries, while Imam-ul-Haq made 42 from 74 balls.
Pakistan’s lower order struggled against England’s seam attack. Salman Agha contributed 21 from 29 balls, while Khurram Shahzad scored 14 from 12 deliveries. Mohammad Rizwan made 12 before becoming one of Josh Tongue’s five victims.
England’s bowling attack shared the wickets between Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue, with each finishing with five wickets. Robinson conceded 51 runs from 18 overs, including three maidens, while Tongue took 5/46 from 9.1 overs.
Ollie Robinson marks return with five-wicket haul
Robinson made an immediate impact by dismissing Azan Awais for a duck with the first wicket of the innings. The dismissal also brought up his 500th first-class wicket, according to the supplied scorecard.
He then removed Shan Masood for 5, Saud Shakeel for 5, Abdullah Shafique for 61 and Khurram Shahzad for 14. His final figures were 18-3-51-5.
Shafique’s dismissal was particularly important as Pakistan slipped to 118/5. Robinson found enough movement to breach the gap between bat and pad and hit the top of middle and leg.
Josh Tongue also claims five wickets
Tongue matched Robinson’s five-wicket haul as Pakistan’s innings collapsed late in the day. His first wicket came when Imam-ul-Haq edged a fuller delivery to Brook at second slip for 42.
He subsequently dismissed Pakistan captain Salman Agha for 21, Ali Usman for a duck, Mohammad Rizwan for 12 and Mohammad Abbas for 2. Tongue finished with 5/46 from 9.1 overs.
Rizwan’s dismissal came after a review that resulted in umpire’s call on impact, with the delivery projected to hit the top of off stump. Tongue completed his five-for by bowling Abbas for 2 with the final wicket of the Pakistan innings.
Joe Root and Jordan Cox steady England
England’s reply began with Ben Duckett falling for 15 after Mohammad Abbas struck him in front of the stumps in the ninth over. DRS confirmed that there was no inside edge and that the ball was projected to hit middle stump.
Emilio Gay then made a brisk 33 from 31 balls, including seven fours, before Mohammad Ali found his outside edge. Salman Agha took the catch at second slip, leaving England 48/2 after 9.6 overs.
Since then, Root and Cox have kept England’s innings under control. Cox has reached 41 from 57 balls with eight fours, while Root’s 44 from 78 deliveries includes seven boundaries.
The pair had already taken England to 112/2 from 25 overs at the close of play on Day 1, with rain, lunch and a wet ground affecting the schedule. On Day 2, they continued the partnership and moved England to 139/2 after 32 overs.
England vs Pakistan scorecard: Pakistan first innings
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Azan Awais | lbw b Robinson | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Imam-ul-Haq | c Brook b Tongue | 42 | 74 | 6 | 0 | 56.75 |
| Shan Masood | lbw b Robinson | 5 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 25.00 |
| Abdullah Shafique | b Robinson | 61 | 104 | 8 | 0 | 58.65 |
| Saud Shakeel | lbw b Robinson | 5 | 25 | 1 | 0 | 20.00 |
| Salman Agha (c) | b Tongue | 21 | 29 | 4 | 0 | 72.41 |
| Mohammad Rizwan | lbw b Tongue | 12 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 63.15 |
| Ali Usman | lbw b Tongue | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Khurram Shahzad | c Atkinson b Robinson | 14 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 116.66 |
| Mohammad Abbas | b Tongue | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 40.00 |
| Mohammad Ali | not out | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| Extras | 4 b, 4 lb, 1 nb | 9 | ||||
| Total | 48.1 overs | 171 | RR 3.55 | |||
England first innings scorecard
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Duckett | lbw b Mohammad Abbas | 15 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 53.57 |
| Emilio Gay | c Salman Agha b Mohammad Ali | 33 | 31 | 7 | 0 | 106.45 |
| Jordan Cox | not out | 41 | 57 | 8 | 0 | 71.92 |
| Joe Root (c) | not out | 44 | 78 | 7 | 0 | 56.41 |
| Extras | 4 lb, 2 nb | 6 | ||||
| Total | 32 overs | 139/2 | RR 4.34 | |||
England bowling figures
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ollie Robinson | 18 | 3 | 51 | 5 | 2.83 |
| Jofra Archer | 9 | 4 | 26 | 0 | 2.88 |
| Gus Atkinson | 12 | 1 | 40 | 0 | 3.33 |
| Josh Tongue | 9.1 | 0 | 46 | 5 | 5.01 |
Pakistan bowling figures at 32 overs
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohammad Abbas | 13 | 3 | 39 | 1 | 3.00 |
| Khurram Shahzad | 10 | 0 | 48 | 0 | 4.80 |
| Mohammad Ali | 8 | 0 | 40 | 1 | 5.00 |
| Ali Usman | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 8.00 |
Match position after 32 overs
England were 139/2 after 32 overs, with a current run rate of 4.34. The hosts still needed 33 runs to move ahead of Pakistan’s first-innings total of 171 and had eight wickets in hand.
Root and Cox had put together an unbeaten partnership of 91 runs from 132 balls at the reported score of 139/2. Mohammad Abbas had bowled 13 overs for 39 runs and taken one wicket, while Mohammad Ali had figures of 8-0-40-1.
England began the Test after winning the toss and choosing to field. The match is scheduled for five days at Leeds from August 19 to 23, with play scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m. local time.
Fall of wickets
- Pakistan: 1-0 (Azan Awais, 0.1 overs)
- Pakistan: 2-6 (Shan Masood, 4.5 overs)
- Pakistan: 3-97 (Imam-ul-Haq, 28.1 overs)
- Pakistan: 4-117 (Saud Shakeel, 35.5 overs)
- Pakistan: 5-118 (Abdullah Shafique, 37.3 overs)
- Pakistan: 6-150 (Salman Agha, 44.3 overs)
- Pakistan: 7-150 (Ali Usman, 44.4 overs)
- Pakistan: 8-159 (Mohammad Rizwan, 46.3 overs)
- Pakistan: 9-171 (Khurram Shahzad, 47.6 overs)
- Pakistan: 10-171 (Mohammad Abbas, 48.1 overs)
- England: 1-36 (Ben Duckett, 8.5 overs)
- England: 2-48 (Emilio Gay, 9.6 overs)
What happens next
With England at 139/2, the immediate target is to erase Pakistan’s 32-run lead before building a substantial first-innings advantage. Root and Cox remain at the crease, giving England a strong platform after Pakistan were dismissed for 171.
Who were Pakistan’s top scorers?
Abdullah Shafique was Pakistan’s highest scorer with 61 from 104 balls, followed by Imam-ul-Haq’s 42 from 74 deliveries.
Who took five wickets for England?
Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue both claimed five wickets. Robinson finished with 5/51 and Tongue returned 5/46.
Match status: England 139/2 after 32 overs, trailing Pakistan’s 171 by 32 runs. Jordan Cox 41*, Joe Root 44*.
Praveen Yadav is the Founder and Content Creator of The Nation Bulletin, an independent digital news platform focused on delivering timely, reliable and meaningful news from India and around the world.
