England thrash Pakistan by an innings and 103 runs to start new Joe Root captaincy at Headingley
England began Joe Root's second stint as captain with a crushing victory over Pakistan at Headingley on day three of the First Rothesay Test, winning by an innings and 103 runs and taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
The result provided a rare positive after months of off-field turmoil and poor Test results that culminated in the retirement of Ben Stokes and the sacking of Brendon McCullum, with this only England's third win in 11 matches; commentators noted the visitors' poor showing made the win straightforward and that the Stokes–McCullum era's Bazballers would likewise have enjoyed a comfortable success.
Root won the toss and elected to field; Ollie Robinson trapped Azan Awais lbw with the first ball of the match and England extended their overnight 366-8 to 409, leaving Pakistan needing 238 to make the hosts bat again. By lunch on Friday Pakistan were three wickets down, Jofra Archer having removed Imam-ul-Haq from the 11th delivery of the innings, and the tourists were dismissed for 135 inside three days.
Pakistan had earlier been bowled out for 171 on Wednesday, with Abdullah Shafique contributing 61 as Josh Tongue and Robinson shared the wickets. Tongue finished with innings figures of 5-46 and match figures of 8-89, while Robinson took 5-51 in an innings and completed a career-best match haul of 8-80.
Tongue caused rapid damage after lunch, taking three wickets in two overs and in the space of six deliveries induced dismissals of Saud Shakeel (clipping a leg-stump half-volley to square leg), Shan Masood (nick to first slip) and stand-in captain Salman Ali Agha (lbw to an inswinger). Robinson's sustained accuracy and movement off the seam repeatedly tested the Pakistan edge throughout the match.
Other wickets included Ali Usman and Khurram Shahzad edging to Jordan Cox at second slip, the latter via a deflection from wicketkeeper Jamie Smith, Mohammad Rizwan battling for 41 before being bowled, and Archer finishing the innings before tea when Mohammad Abbas skied to gully. England's batting had been powered by Zak Crawley? Brook 91, Jordan Cox 73 in only his second Test and Root 66 as the hosts compiled 409; England used four frontline seamers plus Dan Lawrence's off-spin in their attack and field placement featured two leg-side catches taken by players positioned on Root's instruction.
Headingley provided another strong result for England, their seventh consecutive win at the venue dating back to 2018; Pakistan have not won a Test series in this country in 30 years. Babar Azam missed this match with a hand injury but could return at Lord's.
England can secure the series with victory in the second Test at Lord's, beginning on Thursday.
