Jordan Cox laments missed chances as England close day two of first Test against Pakistan in Leeds

Jordan Cox reflected on missed opportunities after England finished day two of the first Test against Pakistan in Leeds on 20 August 2026. England closed on 366 for eight, extending their first-innings lead to 195.

Cox, making his first Test innings at No 3, scored 73 and said: "We were hoping one of us would have kicked on and instead of make it just a hundred, make it 150, 160, 170." Four England batsmen passed fifty on day two, with Harry Brook top-scoring on 91 and Joe Root and Dan Lawrence contributing 66 and 51 respectively. Play was delayed by rain until 2.45pm.

There were mixed emotions for Cox after he edged behind off Ali Usman and missed a first international century while covering for the absent Jacob Bethell. "I let myself down a tiny bit, but at the end of the day, you take 70, don’t you? Once I got to 50, I got to about 60 quite quickly, and I was thinking, there’s a chance here – just keep being disciplined. I definitely had it in the back of my mind thinking, you know, you’ve worked so hard, don’t give this opportunity up," he said.

Pakistan’s left-arm spinner Ali Usman provided the main bowling success for the tourists, claiming five for 92 on a difficult day for his side. Cox said he hoped the batting group could add a small but useful total the following day: "Hopefully, the boys can get 50 runs tomorrow," said Cox. "You never know, we’ve still got Jamie [Smith] at the crease there and Jofra [Archer], who can still give it a good whack. So hopefully 50-odd runs and then get to our work."

A Test return for Sam Curran has been postponed after the all-rounder was ruled out for the rest of the English summer with a groin injury. The left-armer was not included in the squad for the first two Tests against Pakistan as he was not considered fully fit but has been namechecked by Marcus North, the men's national selector, as an option to balance England's XI; Curran is an option England are considering as they figure out life after Ben Stokes.

He will undergo surgery on Friday, ruling him out of the third Test against Pakistan, starting on 9 September at Edgbaston, and the white-ball series against Sri Lanka that month. While a regular member of the two limited-overs teams, Curran — who made his debut as a 19-year-old against Pakistan in 2018 — has not played Test cricket since August 2021.