Pakistan dismissed England for 409 in their first innings on the third day of the opening Test at Headingley on Friday, but still trailed by 238 runs after being bowled out for 171 in their own first innings.
England, who resumed the day on 364-8, added another 45 runs before being all out in 89.5 overs.
Jamie Smith and Jofra Archer initially frustrated Pakistan with a 28-run partnership that took England beyond the 400-run mark and further extended their advantage.
Khurram Shahzad eventually broke the stand, claiming his second wicket of the innings by dismissing Smith for 25 off 52 balls. The batter struck two boundaries during his stay at the crease.
Archer continued to add valuable runs before Josh Tongue joined him. Tongue hit Abbas straight down the ground for a boundary as England moved past 400.
Shahzad then claimed his third wicket to wrap up England’s innings, dismissing Tongue for eight off 10 deliveries, with the batter hitting two boundaries.
Ali Usman was Pakistan’s standout bowler, finishing with 5/95 in 24 overs to register his maiden five-wicket haul in Test cricket. Shahzad claimed three wickets, while Mohammad Abbas and Mohammad Ali took one wicket apiece.
The second day’s final session began with Dan Lawrence and Harry Brook resuming England’s innings at 239-4. The pair took their fifth-wicket partnership beyond 120 runs, with both batters completing half-centuries and pushing England beyond 300.
Usman eventually broke the partnership in the 70th over when he had Lawrence caught behind. The left-handed batter scored 51 off 79 balls, including seven boundaries.
Brook then added 34 runs with Smith before Usman dismissed him in the 76th over, leaving the batter agonisingly short of a deserved century. Brook top-scored for England with 91 off 93 balls, hitting 13 fours.
Usman struck twice more in the 80th over, dismissing Gus Atkinson for three and Ollie Robinson for a duck to complete his five-wicket haul and reduce England to 364-8.
Smith and Archer added just two more runs before the umpires called stumps on day two.
Earlier, persistent rain washed out the opening session before England resumed their innings after lunch in response to Pakistan’s 171 all out.
Joe Root and Zak Crawley had laid the platform for England, with their third-wicket partnership reaching 150 before Usman ended the stand in the 44th over.
Usman dismissed Crawley, who scored 73 off 100 balls with 14 boundaries, before Root followed in the next over after being dismissed by Shahzad.
Root made 66 off 112 deliveries, hitting 10 fours, as England slipped to 202-4.
Lawrence then joined Brook at the crease, and the pair steadied the innings with an unbeaten 37-run partnership to ensure England reached the interval without further damage.
2026-08-21 17:15:00
