England Seize Control of Second Test as Pakistan Collapse for 110 at Lord’s

KUALA LUMPUR, AUGUST 2026 – England moved into a commanding position in the second Test against Pakistan at Lord’s after their pace attack dismantled the visitors for 110 runs, leaving the hosts with a substantial 261-run lead by the close of play on Friday.

After recovering to post 290 in their first innings, England unleashed a relentless bowling performance led by Ollie Robinson and Jofra Archer. Pakistan struggled badly against the combination of accuracy, movement and raw pace, with only Azan Awais providing sustained resistance.

England eventually closed the day on 81-3 in their second innings, strengthening their advantage despite Pakistan claiming three wickets during the evening session. Bad light brought play to an early conclusion.

The hosts had resumed in a difficult position after finishing the opening day on 248-9, but their final-wicket partnership provided an important boost.

Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue added 47 runs for the final wicket, lifting England to 290. Atkinson scored 45, while Tongue remained unbeaten on 30.

Those additional runs proved increasingly valuable once Pakistan began their first innings.

The visitors had appeared to hold an advantage during portions of the opening day after England had slipped to 120-5, but the momentum changed dramatically as England’s lower order frustrated Pakistan before their fast bowlers took over.

Pakistan entered the innings without opener Imam-ul-Haq, who was unable to bat after suffering a calf injury.

Shan Masood was promoted to open but quickly encountered an England attack operating with both speed and precision.

Archer provided the first breakthrough when Masood edged behind to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith. The England fast bowler produced one of his quickest Test spells, regularly operating around 90mph and reaching approximately 95mph at his fastest.

Tongue then removed Abdullah Shafique with the final delivery before lunch after England successfully reviewed the original decision.

Pakistan attempted to rebuild through Babar Azam and Azan Awais, but Tongue struck again when Babar edged to Jordan Cox at slip.

From there, Robinson became the central figure in Pakistan’s collapse.

The seamer dismissed Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan lbw, with England successfully using reviews on both occasions. Robinson maintained exceptional control throughout the innings and repeatedly forced Pakistan’s batters into defensive positions.

Pakistan’s situation deteriorated further when Ali Usman dragged an Archer delivery onto his own stumps.

Robinson then removed Khurram Shahzad before ending Awais’ resistance. The opener had made 46, comfortably Pakistan’s most significant contribution, before an attempted pull resulted in a catch at deep square leg.

Archer completed the innings by bowling Mohammad Abbas.

Pakistan were eventually dismissed for only 110 in 37.2 overs, giving England a first-innings advantage of 180 runs.

Robinson finished with outstanding figures of 4-11 from 13 overs, while Archer took 3-26. Tongue also played a major role, claiming two wickets after his useful contribution with the bat.

The performance underlined the depth of England’s pace attack, with Robinson’s control complementing Archer’s ability to trouble batters with extreme speed.

Pakistan did manage to find some encouragement when England returned to bat.

Khurram Shahzad removed Ben Duckett cheaply before trapping Jordan Cox, leaving England 13-2 early in their second innings.

Captain Joe Root then made 24 before Mohammad Ali trapped him lbw.

Pakistan briefly appeared capable of creating further pressure, while Harry Brook survived an lbw decision after a review showed that he had edged the ball before it struck his pad.

However, opener Emilio Gay remained unbeaten on 30 when bad light stopped play, allowing England to finish the second day on 81-3.

Despite Pakistan’s late wickets, England’s enormous first-innings advantage means the hosts remain firmly in control heading into day three.

Pakistan’s latest batting collapse follows similarly modest totals earlier in the series, increasing the pressure on a batting unit that has struggled to establish substantial partnerships against England’s pace attack.

With England already holding an overall lead of 261 runs and seven second-innings wickets still available, the hosts are strongly positioned to push the match beyond Pakistan’s reach.

Weather could still influence proceedings, with rain expected to potentially interrupt the third day, but England’s commanding advantage gives them considerable flexibility over how they approach the remainder of the Test.

Robinson’s remarkable 4-11, Archer’s high-speed spell and England’s valuable lower-order resistance ultimately transformed the contest.

Pakistan showed some late fight with the ball, but after being bowled out for only 110, they face a major challenge to prevent England from converting their dominance at Lord’s into another Test victory.