England beat Pakistan by 194 runs to clinch series 2-0 with dominant Lord’s victory

The result and the box score

England beat Pakistan by 194 runs on the fourth day of the second Test at Lord’s, completing a series victory with a match to spare. This was England’s first series win since 2024, with captain Joe Root securing victories in both of the first two Tests.

England’s first innings totalled 290, built on scores of 61 from Jamie Smith and 55 from Jordan Cox, with Pakistan’s Naseem Abbas taking 4-73. Pakistan replied with just 110, managed only 46 by Azan Awais, as Ollie Robinson claimed 4-11. England’s second innings reached 208, Dan Lawrence scoring 54, while Abbas took 5-57. Pakistan’s fourth-innings target was 389, a Lord’s record chase, though their realistic aim was to survive to a fifth day; their highest total in the series to that point had been 171. Instead, Pakistan were dismissed for 194, with Saud Shakeel top-scoring at 97 before falling to Josh Tongue. Robinson finished with 4-24 in the second innings for match figures of 8-35.

England’s bowling dominance

Ollie Robinson has become the standout performer of England’s summer. His 8-35 across the match, added to eight wickets in the first Test, gives him 23 wickets in three Tests at an average of 8.34 since his recall. He was particularly efficient on day four, taking two wickets in his third over to reduce Pakistan to 14-3 early in their chase, then removing both Shan Masood and Muhammad Rizwan in successive overs.

Jofra Archer took three in the first innings and contributed a bouncer that dismissed Babar Azam on day four in a reminder of his threatening debut at the same ground. Josh Tongue removed key first-innings batsmen Babar Azam and Abdullah Shafique and took the crucial wicket of Shakeel as Pakistan’s resistance crumbled. Gus Atkinson, however, struggled to find the same rhythm, claiming only one scalp across the series to date despite bowling quickly on day four.

England’s batting and Pakistan’s collapse

Jordan Cox impressed again with 55 in England’s first innings, remaining composed as wickets fell around him, though he has yet to reach a score that fully forces the selectors’ hand. Dan Lawrence responded well after being dropped and run out for 17 in the first innings by scoring 54 in the second, suggesting he possesses the skills required at his role. Jamie Smith produced his best performance in a year with 61 in difficult first-innings conditions, played perfectly and executed glovework described as having risen a level. Josh Tongue also improved his Test high score to 30 not out.

Joe Root, England’s captain, fell lbw in both innings for 4 and 24. According to BBC Sport, seven of his nine Test dismissals this summer have been in that fashion. Emilio Gay and Ben Duckett both struggled; Gay reached 31 in the second innings before falling to the uneven bounce at Lord’s, while Duckett managed only 18 runs across the match, including a poor drive to mid-off in his second innings.

Pakistan’s batsmen were swept aside by England’s seam attack. Only Shakeel managed significant resistance with 97, while Azan Awais’s 46 was Pakistan’s next-highest contribution in either innings. Babar Azam, Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, and others fell cheaply, unable to handle the conditions and Robinson’s movement in particular. Shakeel’s eventual dismissal, caught off Tongue, signalled the end of any hopes of forcing the match into a fifth day.

The pitch and the weather

The Lord’s surface was improved compared to the one on which England had beaten New Zealand in June, though occasional uneven bounce troubled batsmen. Much of the exaggerated assistance offered to the seamers was attributable to wet weather as much as the pitch itself. These conditions have historically favoured England against Pakistan.

What is next

The third and final Test of the series is scheduled to begin at Edgbaston on Wednesday, 9 September, with the series already secured by England at 2-0.

Sources

• The Guardian
• Yahoo Sports
• BBC Sport — Clinical England power to series win over Pakistan · ‘His best Test for a year’ – England-Pakistan player ratings

Featured photo: Storm machine via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)