England concluded their first innings at 290 runs on the second morning of the Lord’s Test on Friday, before quickly turning the pressure on Pakistan. By the time the lunch interval arrived, the visitors were reeling at 16-2, struggling to gain a foothold in the match.
The hosts resumed their innings at 248-9, with Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson adding 47 runs for the final wicket. Tongue, who finished on 30 not out, achieved a career-best batting score. Atkinson contributed 45 runs before spinner Ali Usman eventually dismissed him, bringing the England total to 290 after 66.4 overs. Earlier, Pakistan’s Mohammad Abbas narrowly missed out on a five-wicket haul after dropping a difficult return catch from Atkinson.
Pakistan’s pursuit of a series-tying victory faced an immediate setback as they lost two key wickets before the break. Shan Masood, promoted to open due to an injury to Imam-ul-Haq, was caught behind off Jofra Archer for just one run. Pakistan confirmed that Imam suffered a low-grade left calf strain, noting that “his participation in the remainder of the test depends on treatment leading to recovery.”
Archer maintained a fierce pace, reaching 94 mph (152 kph) during his five-over spell and testing the batters with a 92 mph (148 kph) bouncer that clipped Abdullah Shafique’s glove. Shafique, considered Pakistan’s most in-form batter, was eventually dismissed by Josh Tongue for five runs in the final over before lunch.
Novice opener Azan Awais remained at the crease on 8 not out from 44 balls, having survived a turbulent start to his innings. England challenged Awais three times, including a review before he had scored and a successful appeal for caught behind on 7, which was overturned when replays confirmed the ball struck his shoulder. The luckless Gus Atkinson also saw a chance go begging when Harry Brook dropped an edge from Awais at second slip.
The early collapse leaves Pakistan in a precarious position, as the team has yet to surpass 200 runs in any innings during this three-Test series. With the momentum firmly with the hosts, Pakistan faces a difficult task to recover from the loss of their top-order stability. The report also notes that shafique drove at Josh Tongue and edged behind after clawing 5 runs from 32 balls.
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