England’s New Era off to a Flier

After a gap of more than seven weeks, England returned to Test match action, taking on Pakistan in a three-match series, starting at Headingley, where the question as to which Yorkshireman would replace Ben Stokes as England captain had already been answered, as Joe Root, rather than Harry Brook, stepped back into the hot seat to lead his side once more. With Stokes and Brendon McCullum both gone, Root’s call was to maintain the positive parts of the Bazball era, but also to respond more to the match situation – a crucial tweak in thinking: Bazball with brains, perhaps?

With Jacob Bethell injured, Jordan Cox came in at No 3, while Dan Lawrence was recalled to the side after a gap of two years to replace Stokes. England decided on an all-pace attack of Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue. Meanwhile, for Pakistan there was bad news as a finger injury kept skipper Babar Azam out of contention, so Agha Salman took over as captain for the first time. It has been 30 years since Pakistan last won a series in England, so this wasn’t the best way to start.

Root won the toss and decided to bowl, to take advantage of the overhead conditions – on a ground where England had won each of its previous six Tests. First ball of the match and Robinson trapped Azan Awais in front. Robinson continued to make the most of the conditions, and soon also had Shan Masood LBW. After 9.4 overs, and weeks of previous drought conditions, the rain began to fall and the players hurried in with the score on 23 for two, and that was it until lunch.

After the break, the runs began to flow more easily, as Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafiq began the recovery work, with the fifty partnership coming up in 81 balls. Soon after, Tongue was finally introduced into the attack and things began to look a little more uncomfortable for the batters. He soon found the edge of Imam’s bat and he was caught by Brook at second slip. Abdullah reached his fifty after 82 balls. Saud Shakil could not get going and was LBW for 5, with Robinson again the bowler; had he reviewed in time, Saud would have been reprieved as Hawkeye suggested the ball would have just gone over leg stump. Robinson followed it up by bowling Abdullah for 61 – when in rhythm in favourable conditions, few can match the Sussex man. Agha and Mohammad Rizwan had, you felt, got to add plenty if their side was to post anything like a decent total. It wasn’t to be, as Tongue bowled Agha for 21. Ali Usman was LBW first ball to Tongue, and at tea Pakistan were in trouble at 150 for seven.

Rizwan was LBW for 12 as Tongue struck again. Khurram Shehzad tried to swing the bat, and was put down by Atkinson. But Robinson wasn’t to be denied his five-fer, as Khurram hoiked another up to Atkinson. Tongue then removed Mohammad Abbas with a full, fast straight one. Pakistan were all out for 17, with Atkinson finishing with five for 51 off 18 overs while Tongue had five for 46 off 9.1.

Ben Duckett and Emilio Gay came out to open the batting, and Duckett could have been out third ball to Abbas, but the umpire turned down the appeal and DRS supported the decision only on umpire’s call. Unusually, Gay began by outscoring his partner, before Duckett was LBW to Abbas for 15. Having hit Mohammad Ali for three fours in his first over, Gay was beaten by one and edged to Agha for 33. Just as England had done when Robinson was bowling, Pakistan brought Rizwan up to the stumps against Abbas to try to discomfort Root, having noted how effective the tactic had been for New Zealand earlier in the summer. Cox and Root put on fifty in just 70 balls as the Pakistan outfit began to look at bit ragged, and at the close England were on 112 for two after 25 overs and well in control.

On the second day, there was no play before lunch because of a wet ground, but when they did get underway, Cox and Root continued to score freely, with their hundred partnership arriving after 157 balls. It was Root’s 88th century partnership, equalling the record set by Rahul Dravid. Cox was first to go to fifty, off 78 balls, with Root following him, taking 95 balls to reach the same landmark. England had just gone into the lead when Cox mistimed one back to Khurram, who could not hold on to the regulation catch. The partnership soon reached 150, off 206 balls, before things changed. First, Cox edged Usman behind to fall for 73 then Root followed, out for 66 (both the number on his shirt and the number of games he’s captained England), LBW to Khurram. England were 202 for four.

That brought Lawrence out to join Brook, who was dropped in the slips off Khurram second ball; it was to prove a costly miss. Lawrence, who had an average of just under 27 in 14 previous Tests, had some early difficulties against the spin of Usman, but his excellent form this summer helped give him confidence. The pair made it through to tea with the score on 239 for four.

In the evening session, Brook and Lawrence began to hurry the score along at more than five an over, with the fifty partnership coming up in 64 balls. Brook was the first to go to fifty, taking 55 balls to get there; then came the hundred partnership off 129 balls before Lawrence went to his fifth fifty off 76 balls. Lawrence finally fell trying to sweep Usman and the top edge was taken by Rizwan on 51. And it was Usman who accounted for Brook, on 91 off 93 balls, bowling the Yorkshireman just short of his century; it had been an innings of controlled positivity from Brook, rather than one of his more frenetic efforts. In this fashion, you can see why he is ranked the best in the world. Usman followed it up by trapping Atkinson LBW for 3, and then bowled a beauty that beat Robinson’s outside edge and crashed into the stumps to give him his maiden Test five-fer and put him on a hat-trick, which Archer saved. At the close, England were 366 for eight and in complete control.

England’s batters didn’t add too many more runs on the third morning, though Archer did hit the only six of the match. Smith top-edged a pull off Khurram to mid-on to fall for 25 and then Tongue was bowled by Khurram and England were all out for 409, a massive lead of 238. Usman finished with figures of five for 95, the best of his career. Pakistan needed a good start, but in his first over Archer bowled a bouncer that followed Imam, who couldn’t evade it and gloved it through to Smith. Azan then steered Archer to leg slip to fall for 9 and both openers were gone with just 13 on the board. Shafiq and Shan put together a bit of a partnership before the former edged Robinson to Brook on 15. At lunch, Pakistan were 59 for three.

After the break, Saud clipped one behind square off Tongue and was well caught by Lawrence, then in Tongue’s second over he found Shan’s edge and Duckett completed the job. Next up, Agha was LBW in the same over – Tongue had three wickets in his first 11 deliveries and Pakistan were 76 for six. Rizwan offered some resistance, but Usman could not avoid edging Robinson to Cox. Khurram edged two just wide of third slip, but a third one from Robinson was held by Cox again. Rizwan tried to swot Atkinson across the line but was bowled for 41. Abbas then lofted one to gully off Archer and was caught by Lawrence. Pakistan were all out for 135 and England had won by an innings and 103 runs. Robinson was named Player of the Match for his eight wickets. Pakistan had arrived with what looked, on paper, to be an ordinary side, and some of their efforts in the field and with the bat were barely that; they will need to improve dramatically for the second Test, which starts on Thursday. Meanwhile, England looked very good indeed: their batting was positive, not reckless; their pace bowling had variety and accuracy; and Root’s captaincy was imaginative without being needlessly funky.