England 366 for 8 (Brook 91, Cox 73, Root 66, Lawrence 51, Usman 5-92) beat Pakistan 171 (Tongue 5-46, Robinson 5-51) and 135 (Rizwan 41, Robinson 3-29, Tongue 3-43, Archer 3-50) by an innings and 103 runs
In collapsing to 135 all out in just 37.3 overs, Pakistan surrendered the match in just 1053 balls, making it the joint-second fastest win of Root’s 66-match tenure, behind their win over India at Lord’s in 2018, and level with their defeat of Ireland at the same venue the following summer.
In fact, had it not been for more than four hours of rain on the second morning, it’s debatable whether the contest would have made it into day three – a familiar scenario for this England team, after their experiences at Perth and the MCG during last winter’s Ashes.
Unlike those performances, however, England were clinical and measured in their approach to victory, with the relentlessness of their bowling backed up by Root’s imaginative field placings and fittingly sharp catching, albeit against a thoroughly outclassed opposition.
After resuming with a hefty overnight lead of 195, England extended their total past 400, and their advantage to 238, in the first 38 minutes of the day. That was thanks largely to a sparky 23 not out from 25 balls from Archer, who quickly translated that joie de vivre into his primary suit. The result had never rarely been in doubt, but if there had been some signs of red-ball rust in Archer’s first-innings spell, they had all been sandpapered off by the contest’s end.
As for Pakistan, there was simply no place to hide as their second innings began. Azan Awais at least avoided the indignity of a king pair, as he played out a tight maiden from Robinson, but Pakistan still slumped to 0 for 1 for the second innings running. Archer, steaming up the hill from the Football Stand End, found pace and lift to the left-handed Imam-ul-Haq, who tried to sway out of the way of his fifth delivery, but kept his gloves too high as Jamie Smith snaffled the deflection.
Azan, a highly-rated prospect at the age of 21, notched his first runs in England, including a sweetly timed boundary through point, but Archer soon had his number … aided by another glimpse of Root’s new, proactive approach on his return to the Test captaincy. After consulting with his bowler, Root posted himself at leg gully, and instantly had the ball following him, as Azan flicked loosely off the full length to traipse off for 9 from 14 balls.
At 13 for 2, Pakistan needed an urgent response. Abdullah Shafique and Shan Masood regrouped for a time in a stand of 38, including a flurry of boundaries as Archer and Robinson strained for the next breakthrough. But they didn’t have to wait too long. Soon after Smith had donned the helmet to stand up to the stumps, Shafique pressed forward with his back foot anchored in the crease; Robinson found just enough movement for Harry Brook to scoop up a low edge at second slip.
Pakistan went to lunch at 59 for 3, but their woes were only just beginning. Tongue had not been needed in the morning session, but having seen off their first innings with four wickets in the space of 11 balls, he made it seven in the space of 22 with another wrecking-ball resumption.
First to fall was Saud Shakeel, who seemingly had no idea that Root had stationed a deep-set catcher just behind square. Whether it was funky captaincy, poor batting or just a fluke, Dan Lawrence had only to reach to his right to pick off a careless flick off the toes.
Then, with the first ball of his next over, Tongue was back on a hat-trick as Shan Masood – a Headingley local from his time at Yorkshire – pushed too hard to a length ball from round the wicket, and Ben Duckett, Root’s designated replacement at first slip, gobbled a clean take in his midriff.
Before Tongue’s over was done, Salman Agha, Pakistan’s beleaguered captain, had also joined the procession at 76 for 6. Once again, it was an exceptional piece of umpiring, this time from Allahuddien Paleker, who adjudged another nipbacker to be hitting the top of leg, even as Lawrence appealed for the double-jeopardy catch to point. By the time Ali Usman had survived another review for lbw in Tongue’s next over, 13 referrals had been upheld by DRS, with none overturned (even if that tally did include Saud’s failure to do so in the first innings).
Pakistan’s race for the bottom briefly turned into England’s race for the ten-wicket haul, as Robinson joined Tongue in the attack and struck once again with his first ball. Usman pressed down the line of off stump, snicked a fat deflection onto Smith’s thigh behind the stumps, and Jordan Cox was on red alert at third slip as he flung himself forward to complete the dismissal.
Robinson then drew level with Tongue on eight wickets in his next over, thanks to Mohammad Rizwan’s lack of game awareness. Pakistan’s last recognised batter opted to take the first-ball single, and Cox was again in business as Khurram pushed forward to another perfect length ball.
Rizwan tried to redeem himself with some late resistance, making 41 from 39 balls to threaten the prospect of a post-tea session. But then he ruined that good impression with an ungainly wipe across the line to give Gus Atkinson his first scalp of the match, and three balls later it was all done and dusted as Abbas gave up the ghost with a top-edged swipe to point.
Andrew Miller is UK editor of Cricinfo. @miller_cricket
