LEEDS, England — England produced a commanding performance to defeat Pakistan by an innings and 103 runs in the first Test at Headingley on Friday, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Pakistan were dismissed for 171 in their first innings and 135 in their second after England posted 409, with Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue leading a relentless pace attack.
- England defeated Pakistan by an innings and 103 runs in the first Test at Headingley.
- Ollie Robinson took 5-51 and 3-29 and was named Player of the Match.
- Josh Tongue also claimed five wickets in the first innings and three in the second.
- Joe Root began his return as England captain with his first Test win in 11 matches as skipper.
England vs Pakistan 1st Test ends in emphatic win
England’s decision to field first after winning the toss immediately paid dividends. Robinson struck with the first delivery of the match, setting the tone for a Test in which England’s seamers consistently exploited movement and kept Pakistan’s batters under pressure.
Pakistan’s first innings lasted 48.1 overs and ended at 171. Abdullah Shafique top-scored with 61 and Imam-ul-Haq made 42, but Robinson and Tongue both finished with five-wicket hauls.
England then built a 238-run first-innings advantage by making 409 in 89.5 overs. Jordan Cox scored 73, Joe Root made 66, Harry Brook contributed 91 and Dan Lawrence added 51.
Pakistan needed a vastly improved second innings simply to make England bat again. Instead, the visitors were bowled out for 135 in 37.3 overs, allowing England to complete victory before tea on the third day.
Pakistan 1st innings: 171 all out
| 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 | 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 | 9 | |||||
| Total | 171 | 48.1 overs, RR 3.55 | ||||
England bowling — Pakistan 1st innings
| 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 briefly recovered after losing Azan Awais and Shan Masood early. Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique put together a 91-run stand, but the partnership ended when Imam edged Josh Tongue to Harry Brook.
Shafique continued to 61 before Robinson breached his defence. Pakistan then lost Saud Shakeel, Salman Agha, Mohammad Rizwan and Ali Usman in a short sequence before the innings ended at 171.
England 1st innings: 409 all out
| 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 | c Mohammad Rizwan b Ali Usman | 73 | 100 | 14 | 0 | 73.00 |
| Joe Root | lbw b Khurram Shahzad | 66 | 112 | 10 | 0 | 58.92 |
| Harry Brook | b Ali Usman | 91 | 93 | 13 | 0 | 97.84 |
| Dan Lawrence | c Mohammad Rizwan b Ali Usman | 51 | 79 | 9 | 0 | 64.55 |
| Jamie Smith | c Shan Masood b Khurram Shahzad | 25 | 52 | 2 | 0 | 48.07 |
| Gus Atkinson | lbw b Ali Usman | 3 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 20.00 |
| Ollie Robinson | b Ali Usman | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Jofra Archer | not out | 23 | 25 | 2 | 1 | 92.00 |
| Josh Tongue | b Khurram Shahzad | 8 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 80.00 |
| Extras | 21 | |||||
| Total | 409 | 89.5 overs, RR 4.55 | ||||
Pakistan bowling — England 1st innings
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohammad Abbas | 25 | 5 | 78 | 1 | 3.12 |
| Khurram Shahzad | 21.5 | 1 | 133 | 3 | 6.09 |
| Mohammad Ali | 19 | 2 | 89 | 1 | 4.68 |
| Ali Usman | 24 | 1 | 95 | 5 | 3.95 |
England’s middle order turned a useful start into a major advantage. Cox made 73 before Ali Usman claimed his wicket, while Root and Brook continued to control the innings. Root was dismissed for 66, but Brook moved to 91 before Usman bowled him.
Lawrence added 51 and Archer’s unbeaten 23 helped England reach 409. Ali Usman was Pakistan’s standout bowler, taking five wickets, while Khurram Shahzad claimed three.
Pakistan 2nd innings: 135 all out
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Azan Awais | c Root b Archer | 9 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 64.28 |
| Imam-ul-Haq | c Jamie Smith b Archer | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Shan Masood | c Duckett b Tongue | 29 | 56 | 5 | 0 | 51.78 |
| Abdullah Shafique | c Brook b Robinson | 15 | 29 | 2 | 0 | 51.72 |
| Saud Shakeel | c Lawrence b Tongue | 14 | 24 | 3 | 0 | 58.33 |
| Salman Agha | lbw b Tongue | 4 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Mohammad Rizwan | b Atkinson | 41 | 39 | 5 | 0 | 105.12 |
| Ali Usman | c Cox b Robinson | 7 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 31.81 |
| Khurram Shahzad | c Cox b Robinson | 8 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 88.88 |
| Mohammad Abbas | c Lawrence b Archer | 6 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 31.57 |
| Mohammad Ali | not out | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| Extras | 2 | |||||
| Total | 135 | 37.3 overs, RR 3.60 | ||||
England bowling — Pakistan 2nd innings
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ollie Robinson | 11 | 3 | 29 | 3 | 2.63 |
| Jofra Archer | 10.3 | 1 | 50 | 3 | 4.76 |
| Gus Atkinson | 8 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 1.37 |
| Josh Tongue | 7 | 0 | 43 | 3 | 6.14 |
| Dan Lawrence | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Pakistan’s second innings started disastrously. Imam-ul-Haq fell for a duck to Archer, followed shortly by Azan Awais for nine. Abdullah Shafique made only 15 before Robinson struck again.
Shan Masood’s 29 and Mohammad Rizwan’s aggressive 41 offered some resistance, but England continued to take wickets at regular intervals. Tongue removed Saud Shakeel and Salman Agha, while Atkinson finally dismissed Rizwan for 41.
Robinson then removed Ali Usman and Khurram Shahzad in successive stages before Archer returned to finish the innings. Mohammad Abbas was caught for six, leaving Mohammad Ali unbeaten on nought and Pakistan all out for 135.
Root’s return as captain begins with victory
The victory marked Joe Root’s first Test win as England captain in 11 matches. His previous victory in the role had also come at Headingley, against India in 2021, when Robinson was named Player of the Match after taking seven wickets.
Root’s captaincy was notably calm. He spent considerable time around mid-off and mid-on, allowing his bowlers to operate with clear plans while making tactical adjustments when required. His influence was also visible in the dismissal of Azan Awais during the second innings.
With the bat, Root made 66 from 112 balls and formed an important partnership with Cox. He later acknowledged that England had managed the conditions well and praised the variety available within the bowling attack.
Robinson and Tongue dominate with the ball
Robinson’s match figures of 8-80 earned him the Player of the Match award. His first-innings five-for included the wickets of Azan Awais, Shan Masood, Saud Shakeel, Abdullah Shafique and Khurram Shahzad.
Tongue matched Robinson’s five-wicket haul in the first innings and added three more wickets in the second. Jofra Archer also played a decisive role, taking three wickets in each innings.
England’s seamers ultimately claimed all 20 Pakistan wickets. It was only the second time England’s pace bowlers had taken every Pakistan wicket in a Test, following their previous achievement at Lord’s in 2001.
Key records from the Headingley Test
| Record | Detail |
|---|---|
| England’s winning margin | Innings and 103 runs |
| England’s Headingley streak | Seven successive Test wins |
| Pakistan’s first innings | 171 |
| Pakistan’s second innings | 135 |
| England’s total | 409 |
| England’s first-innings lead | 238 runs |
| Pakistan’s match aggregate | 306 runs |
| England pace wickets | 20 |
| Robinson’s match wickets | 8 |
| Tongue’s match wickets | 8 |
Pakistan’s combined total of 306 runs was their sixth-lowest match aggregate in a Test in England. Their 135 in the second innings was also their lowest total in England since 2000 among the figures supplied for comparison, behind earlier totals of 72, 74, 80, 119 and 134.
The result also extended Pakistan’s difficult overseas record. They have now gone 17 Tests without a win in SENA countries since their last victory there in 2018.
Salman Agha admits Pakistan were outplayed
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha accepted that England had been the better side. He said his team needed greater consistency with both bat and ball and acknowledged that the conditions demanded more discipline from the Pakistani batting lineup.
Salman also highlighted Ali Usman’s five-wicket performance as a positive and praised Abdullah Shafique’s batting. He added that Pakistan would assess possible changes before Lord’s and hoped Babar Azam would return, saying his comeback would provide a significant boost.
Series moves to Lord’s
England now lead the three-match series 1-0, with the second Test scheduled at Lord’s. Root’s side can take confidence from a complete performance in Leeds, while Pakistan must find a way to improve their batting and make better use of their bowling opportunities.
For England, the Headingley victory was also a strong response after their 2-1 Test series defeat by New Zealand in June. For Pakistan, the immediate priority is to recover quickly before the series moves to London.
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.
