England thrashed Pakistan by an innings and 103 runs in the first Test at Leeds on Friday. The dominant win gives England a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Pakistan collapsed for just 135 in their second innings after a poor show with the bat.
Pakistan Batting Collapses Again
Pakistan were bowled out for 135 in their second innings. Seven Pakistan batsmen failed to reach double figures. Mohammad Rizwan was the top scorer with 41 runs.
Jofra Archer struck early to remove Imam-ul-Haq for a duck in the second over. Opener Azaan Owais made only 9 runs off 14 balls before falling to Archer. The top order simply had no answer to England’s pace attack.
Top Order Fails Once More
Abdullah Shafique, who scored a half-century in the first innings, managed just 15 runs off 29 balls. Saud Shakeel made 14 off 24 balls. Shan Masood scored 29 off 56 balls before returning to the pavilion.
Captain Salman Ali Agha could manage only 4 runs off 8 balls. Ali Usman made 7, while Khurram Shahzad added 8. Pakistan’s batting unit crumbled under pressure in both innings.
England Bowlers Set Up the Win
Pakistan were dismissed for 171 in their first innings. Josh Tongue took 5 for 46 and Ollie Robinson claimed 5 for 51. England replied with 409 all out in 89.5 overs to build a lead of 238 runs.
Tongue and Robinson were the most successful bowlers for England. Their combined effort left Pakistan facing a huge deficit from the start.
Leeds Remains a Nightmare for Pakistan
Pakistan have now lost by an innings at Leeds for the second straight time. In 2018, England defeated them by an innings and 55 runs at the same ground. The match lasted nearly three days before England sealed a convincing win.
England now carry strong momentum into the second Test. Pakistan will need a major turnaround to stay alive in the series.
