ENG Vs PAK, 1st Test: Robinson, Tongue Star As England Crush Pakistan Inside Three Days

England wrapped up an innings win over Pakistan inside three days in the first test on Friday, delivering a strong start to the post-Bazball era under returning captain Joe Root.

Dismissed for 409 around 40 minutes into day three, England took a 238-run advantage into the second innings and skittled Pakistan for 135 in 37.3 overs before tea.

England won by an innings and 103 runs for a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The second test starts on Thursday at Lord’s.

“Brilliant performance,” Root said. “You look at the prep we had leading in, coming straight from the Hundred, the fact we're in a slight transition stage. I thought the way that we dealt with all of that, the clarity and the way the guys approached this week has been outstanding.”

England's battery of four seamers pestered consistently at a fuller length that's required at Headingley and Pakistan couldn't endure it.

Jofra Archer removed the openers with the new ball, Ollie Robinson got three more wickets, Josh Tongue was introduced after lunch and took three wickets averaging 143 kph (89 mph), and Gus Atkinson bowled superbly for the late reward of Pakistan top scorer Mohammad Rizwan.

Robinson and Tongue each took eight wickets in the match. They took five each in the first innings and literally split the match ball in half. Robinson was named the player of the match for his 8-80 compared to Tongue's 8-89.

This was Robinson's first test since June when he took 7-77 against New Zealand. He'd been working on his fitness, he said, and his partner had their first baby last week. “I'm going to try and get as much sleep as I can before the next test,” he said.

England is in a new era following the retirement of captain Ben Stokes and the firing of Brendon McCullum as test coach after the 2-1 series loss to New Zealand in June.

‘England Outplayed Us’

Pakistan arrived with a semblance of confidence after drawing the series in the West Indies this month and playing a warmup match last week. But Pakistan looked rusty and the bowling and fielding was less than ordinary. The question, after finishing England's first innings in the morning, was whether the visitor could force play into a fourth day.

England, 366-8 overnight, added 43 runs for its first 400-plus total in 10 tests. Archer pulled the only six of the match. Khurram Shahzad took both wickets and showed the pitch was still offering plenty for the bowlers.

Pakistan started 0-1 for the second time in the match.

Imam-ul-Haq bent backwards to an Archer bouncer and the ball brushed a glove. Azan Awais, who fell to the first ball of the series, then nicked to Root at leg slip and Archer had dismissed both openers.

The pressure was on veterans Shan Masood and Abdullah Shafique to endure, but Robinson broke their partnership in the 14th over. Robinson busted through Shafique's determined defense with a nick to second slip.

Pakistan went to lunch at 59-3 with Masood set at the ground where he spent two seasons playing for Yorkshire.

But straight after the interval Tongue was given the ball and Root's field placement paid off. Dan Lawrence had just been sent to backward square when Saud Shakeel whipped Tongue straight to him.

Masood then tried pushing at Tongue and edged to England's new first slip, Ben Duckett. Tongue had two wickets in two balls as he did in the first innings and couldn't nail the hat trick.

But Tongue soon had 3-7 in 11 balls when he pinned stand-in skipper Salman Agha on 8 and was hastening Pakistan's demise at 76-6.

Rizwan, Pakistan's last recognized batter at No. 7, top-scored with 41 but, for someone playing his 46th test, surprisingly failed to shepherd the tail.

Rizwan was the ninth man out. Five minutes later the game was over.

“England have outplayed us, they've been outstanding in every department,” Agha told the BBC. "We need to flush this game out and turn it around at Lord's.