Lord’s does not forgive muddled batting. Pakistan found that out in brutal fashion.
By the close of a truncated second day in the second Test, England stood 261 runs ahead and firmly in charge, their quicks having ripped through Pakistan for just 110 before the top order wobbled in fading light.
Tailenders set the tone
The day began with England’s lower order already hinting at mischief. Josh Tongue, 30 not out overnight, and Gus Atkinson, on 45, walked out with England seven down and in need of every scrap they could find.
They did far more than that.
The pair added 47 valuable runs, irritating Pakistan’s attack and dragging England up to a first-innings total of 290. Atkinson’s strokeplay kept the scoreboard moving, Tongue held firm, and Pakistan’s early optimism drained away with every clattered boundary and scrambled single.
That stand did more than swell the score. It set the mood. England’s bowlers jogged back out with runs behind them and a glint in the eye.
Robinson returns to his stage
Lord’s has become Ollie Robinson’s stage, and he played the lead again.
Back at the ground where he claimed seven wickets against New Zealand in June, Robinson tore through Pakistan with a spell that bristled with control and menace. He finished with figures of 4-11, the kind of return that looks almost unfair on a scoreboard but felt entirely inevitable once he found his rhythm.
Jofra Archer, sharing the new ball, hammered away at the other end. Between them, England’s seamers never let Pakistan breathe. Edges flew, pads were rapped, tempers frayed. The innings never settled; it lurched.
Pakistan were bundled out for 110 in just 37.2 overs. No late-order resistance, no sting in the tail. Just a procession.
From 290 all out to a lead of 180 after the first innings. Lord’s, once again, belonged to England’s quicks.
Top order stumble in the evening gloom
With such a cushion, England had the chance to bat Pakistan out of the match. Instead, the evening session brought a reminder that this pitch and this attack still have questions to ask.
Ben Duckett went early for 1, undone before he could impose his usual tempo. Jordan Cox followed for 11, and when Joe Root departed for 24, Pakistan had something to cling to at the end of a chastening day.
The pressure finally eased with the partnership that followed. Gay, compact and calm, moved to 30 not out, while Harry Brook, on 7 at stumps, began to settle in his familiar counter-punching role.
The light closed in, the umpires consulted, and at 6.50pm play was abandoned with England 81-3 in their second innings. The lead, already imposing, stood at 261.
A long road back for Pakistan
Pakistan’s bowlers have at least dragged the contest away from the brink of humiliation. Three wickets before stumps gives them a sliver of hope that a fourth-innings chase might stay within the realms of possibility.
But they know what looms on Saturday morning: fresh legs, a hard ball, and an England side intent on driving this advantage into something decisive.
If Robinson and Archer find the same rhythm again, how long can Pakistan keep this Test alive?
