Root and Robinson drive England on opening day as Pakistan folded for 171 at Headingley
Joe Root and Ollie Robinson spearheaded England's opening-day attack at Headingley in the first Test against Pakistan on 19 August 2026, helping bowl the visitors out for 171. Robinson bowled the opening over of Root's second stint as captain and claimed key wickets as England closed with Root at the crease.
Five years earlier at the same ground England recorded a rare success in a difficult run, the tourists bowled out for 78 while Joe Root reached three figures and celebrated his 27th win as Test captain; that solitary victory was one of England's last 17 Tests and greeted Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes when they took charge in 2022. Ollie Robinson played a central role in that Headingley win, finishing player of the match in his first summer as an England cricketer, and he and Root are the only survivors from that XI involved in this week’s contest in Leeds.
Robinson’s route back into the side included two years out of favour under the previous hierarchy, yet Root has selected him in 10 of the seamer’s 22 Tests and handed him the first over upon returning as captain. Rob Key’s assessment in May — “Ollie Robinson, when he’s fit and bowling at a decent pace for him, which is around 82-83 mph, he is world-class” — was cited by the touring coverage ahead of the match.
The first over set the tone: Robinson, operating in the 70s mph, pitched a 76mph delivery from around the wicket that trapped Azan Awais lbw with the umpire raising his finger, and later produced a 79mph inswinger to take the scalp of Shan Masood. That double blow left Pakistan struggling at 6 for 2 early in the innings.
Pakistan entered the Test with low expectations, sitting second last in the World Test Championship table and without a series win away from home since 2023, and their captain Babar Azam absent through injury. Babar did briefly appear before the toss in full whites, cap and blazer, for a photograph with his opposite number and the series trophy, but could not contribute on the field as the tourists collapsed from 97 for two to 171 all out in around 20 overs.
Abdullah Shafique offered resistance for Pakistan, a player who made his Test debut at 22 in his fourth first-class match, scored a century against Australia soon after and once batted for more than eight hours in Colombo to set up an innings victory over Sri Lanka. An unbeaten 160 against West Indies in Trinidad earlier this month had lifted his Test average back above 40; at Leeds he produced elegant punches through mid-on and a cover drive off Robinson before being bowled for 61 by a wobbling delivery with Jamie Smith positioned close.
England’s seam unit continued to apply pressure: Robinson kept probing while Josh Tongue supplied the pace and short-ball bite the visitors had lacked, and Pakistan’s new-ball craft was exemplified when Mohammad Abbas dismissed Ben Duckett. With the collapse complete, Root was left batting as the day ended and an England first-innings lead now beckons as the next tangible outcome of this Test.
