England vs Pakistan 1st Test Full Commentary

We are back for England's reply now! The Pakistan players spread out from the huddle to take up their respective field positions. Ben Duckett and Emilio Gay are the two openers for England. Mohammad Abbas has the new red cherry in hand. Let's go...

... SECOND INNINGS ...

The five-fer pair - England kept their foot on the pedal in the final session, with Tongue making quick work of Mohammad Rizwan. Robinson then claimed Khurram Shahzad to complete a superb five-wicket haul, before Tongue matched him with a five-fer of his own to mop up the final wicket of Mohammad Abbas. Pakistan were finally bundled out for just 171, capping off a completely dominant opening day for the host nation. We will be back with England's reply in a short while...

The collapse - Play resumed with Imam and Shafique building a fine 91-run partnership to put England on the back foot. However, Josh Tongue broke the stand by removing Imam, opening the floodgates. Robinson returned to dismiss Saud Shakeel and bowl out a well-set Shafique before Tongue removed Ali Usman for a golden duck right on the stroke of Tea, reducing Pakistan to 150/7.

Pakistan have been bundled out for 171 runs - England took total advantage of the damp conditions as Ollie Robinson produced a lethal opening spell on Day 1. Robinson struck with the very first ball of the match to send Azan Awais back for a golden duck, before trapping Shan Masood to leave Pakistan reeling at 6/2. Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq showed solid resistance to carry the total to 23/2 before persistent drizzle brought an early Lunch break.

Mohammad Ali is the last man in.

Into the tail now. Mohammad Abbas comes out to the middle.

Ollie Robinson will bowl from the other end. He is eyeing a fifer here.

We are back for the final session! The players are making their way out to the middle now. Mohammad Rizwan has a new partner in Khurram Shahzad. He will face the hat-trick ball from Josh Tongue. Let's go...

Welcome back for Pakistan's reply. They trail by a mammoth 238 runs. The umpires and the players make their way out in the middle. Azan Awais and Imam-ul-Haq open up for Pakistan. Ollie Robinson has the new ball in hand and is raring to go. Let's play...

... THIRD INNINGS ...

Usman shines as Pakistan's bowlers struggle - Pakistan found it difficult to sustain pressure as England kept finding partnerships and scoring opportunities, with some untidy bowling and fielding adding to their problems, most notably Salman Agha dropping Brook on 1, a miss that proved costly. Ali Usman was the big exception, dragging Pakistan back into the contest with a maiden Test five-for, finishing with an impressive 5/95. Mohammad Abbas managed just one wicket, while Mohammad Ali and Khurram Shahzad struggled for consistency, although the latter did manage to wrap things up with a three-fer. The pacers otherwise failed to consistently trouble the hosts, leaving Pakistan with a tough task ahead. Their batters will need a vastly improved effort if they are to avoid an innings defeat. Join us in a bit for Pakistan's second innings.

England build commanding advantage - England have added 43 runs to their overnight score, moving to 409 and stretching their lead to 238. Earlier, Joe Root and Jordan Cox laid the platform with a 150-run partnership, both passing fifty before falling short of three figures. Harry Brook then took the attack to Pakistan with a rapid 91 off 93, putting on 120 with Dan Lawrence, who also made a brisk 51. The missed hundreds may be a slight frustration, but four substantial contributions have put England firmly in control of the game.

Josh Tongue is the last batter in.

See you at Lord's - That brings us to the end of a one-sided contest, with England dominating Pakistan to take a 1-0 lead in the series. The hosts will now look to finish the job at Lord's, while Pakistan will be desperate to bounce back and force the series into a decider. The second Test gets underway at the iconic Lord’s on Thursday, August 27, at 10 am GMT. As always, you can join us early for all the build-up to what promises to be a fascinating contest if Pakistan get their act together. Until then, cheers and goodbye!

Showed great maturity in managing conditions - The victorious skipper of England, Joe Root, hails a brilliant all-round performance from England, praising the clarity with which they approached the Test despite coming straight off the Hundred. He feels the bowlers consistently found the right areas and, once England got ahead, the team showed great maturity in managing the conditions. Root is particularly excited by the variety within the bowling attack and the complete performance they produced. He also praises Jordan Cox for coming in at No. 3 and showing great calmness in bowling-friendly conditions. Root says England took the game as it came and made the most of opportunities to put Pakistan under pressure by scoring quickly. With a different challenge awaiting at Lord’s, he knows there is time to prepare, but for now, he is simply keen for the team to enjoy a brilliant performance.

England have outplayed us - The captain of England, Salman Agha, admits that England have simply outplayed them and that his side have made too many mistakes throughout the game. He feels their batting is inexperienced in these conditions, while the bowlers failed to make the most of the moisture available when they had the ball. Despite that, Salman backs his pace attack, pointing out that they have bowlers capable of hitting 140kph and believes they can bounce back in more favourable conditions. He is particularly pleased with Ali Usman’s effort with the ball and also praises Abdullah Shafique’s batting. Salman stresses the need to cut out the mistakes and come back stronger in the next Test, while hoping Babar Azam’s return provides a boost to the batting unit.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Ollie Robinson wins the award for his amazing bowling display with match figures of 8/80. He reflects on an encouraging return, admitting he is pleased to make an immediate impact despite not feeling completely in rhythm. He says the pitch offered plenty for the seamers, with the ball moving both ways, and reveals that a demanding six-week period working with the ECB medical team on his fitness had helped him maintain his pace across both innings. Robinson acknowledges that he is still working his way back to his best, but was encouraged by the start. He also explains that he looked to bring the ball back into the batters in the second innings, as the surface had slowed and was offering less movement than it did earlier in the first innings.

Presentation Time...

Moving Day turned into Victory Day - They say a Test match moves along on Moving Day, but this one raced towards its conclusion. England added 43 runs to their overnight score, stretching their first-innings lead to 238, before Jofra Archer struck early to remove both Pakistan openers. Abdullah Shafique and Shan Masood offered some resistance, but Ollie Robinson broke that stand and, after Lunch, Josh Tongue blew the game wide open with three wickets in his first two overs, reducing Pakistan to 76/6. Robinson added two more to his tally, while Gus Atkinson fittingly picked up his first wicket of the game before Archer returned to seal the deal, bowling Pakistan out for 135. Mohammad Rizwan's 41 was the only resistance, but it was nowhere near enough as England wrapped up a crushing victory.

English batters tightened the screws - Rain wiped out the morning session on Day 2, but once play finally got underway, England’s batters took control and steadily turned their advantage into a commanding one. Cox went on to make 73, while Root added 66, with the pair putting together a 150-run partnership. Harry Brook then took the attack to Pakistan with a rapid 91 off 93, putting on 120 with Dan Lawrence, who added a brisk 51. Brook was given a life early on and made Pakistan pay, while Ali Usman was the only bright spot for Pakistan with his maiden Test five-for. England eventually closed on 366/8, holding a 195-run lead and firmly in the driving seat heading into the third day.

Robinson and Tongue ran riot - England made a statement right from the opening delivery as Ollie Robinson struck with the first ball of the Test, setting the tone for a dominant day with the ball. Pakistan struggled to cope with the movement and discipline of England’s seamers, although Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq briefly steadied things with a useful 91-runpartnership, which ended up being their highest in the entire game. Robinson then returned to break that stand and finished with 5/51, while Josh Tongue was equally destructive, claiming 5/46 as Pakistan’s lower order was blown away. England’s response was measured rather than reckless, but they lost Ben Duckett and Emilio Gay before reaching 112/2, with Joe Root and Jordan Cox steadying the ship.

Root era begins perfectly - England have wrapped up a thumping innings-and-103-run victory, giving Joe Root the perfect start to his return as Test captain and laying down an early marker for this new chapter. It has been a near-flawless display from England, who dominated with bat, ball and in the field, while Root’s calm game awareness and decision-making stood out throughout. Pakistan, in contrast, simply could not catch a break as the game slipped further away with every session. They now have plenty to ponder and a serious fightback to mount at Lord’s.

Mohammad Ali is the last batter in for Pakistan. Also, Jofra Archer comes back into the attack.