Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue took five wickets each to dismiss Pakistan for 171 before Joe Root guided England to 112-2 on the opening day of the first Test at Headingley.
England's post-Bazball era under reappointed captain Joe Root began in dominant fashion on Day 1 of the first Test at Headingley, with pacers Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue picking up five wickets apiece to bowl Pakistan out for 171. In response, England reached 112-2 by the close of play, trailing by just 59 runs.
Robinson made history off the very first ball of the three-match series when he pinned Azan Awais, marking the first time a team has taken a wicket off the opening ball of a Test series in England. He then trapped Shan Masood (5) trying to drive to reduce Pakistan to 6-2. Following a two-hour rain delay, Imam-ul-Haq (42) and Abdullah Shafique (61) mounted a 91-run stand for the third wicket, but Robinson (5-51) and Tongue (5-46) ran through the rest of the order as Pakistan lost their final five wickets for 21 runs in 22 balls.
With both pacers claiming five-wicket hauls, Tongue revealed after stumps that the match ball was literally cut in half so both bowlers could keep a piece. "The groundsman has kindly split the ball in half so I'm sure I'll be able to get that mounted somewhere at home," said Tongue, who picked up his fourth five-wicket haul in his 13th Test. "It's crazy — it's the first time I've seen that happen."
Robinson was playing his first Test since June after a knee injury, returning to a revamped England side following Ben Stokes' retirement and Brendon McCullum's firing as Test coach. Pakistan, led by deputising skipper Salman Agha due to Babar Azam's finger injury, found the going tough. "They bowled very well, we have to give credit to the England bowlers. They were decent with their length and they were hitting the right spots," Imam noted after the day's play.
In England's reply, Mohammad Abbas trapped Ben Duckett for 15 and Emilio Gay was caught at second slip off Mohammad Ali for 33. However, Root (37 not out) and Jordan Cox (23 not out) settled the home side, with Root hitting six fours in a 53-ball knock as he pursues his 42nd Test century.
Reporting sourced from The Hindu Sport. Photo courtesy The Hindu Sport.