England thrash Pakistan by 194 runs at Lord’s
England beat Pakistan by 194 runs in four days of the second test at Lord’s on Sunday and won its first series since December 2024 with a match to spare.
Pakistan was inevitably bowled for 194 in a daunting chase of 389 about 45 minutes after tea. Saud Shakeel led his team’s first batting resistance in the series and was caught on the boundary for an agonizing 97, the highest score in the series for either team.
England had to take only 18 wickets because opening batter Imam-ul-Haq never appeared after tearing his left calf on the first day.
Seamer Ollie Robinson took eight wickets, 4-24 on Sunday and a staggering 8-35 in the match.
The third and last test doesn’t start until Sept. 9 in Birmingham.
Pakistan’s lack of batting grit in the series - it still hasn’t cracked a 200 total - made Shakeel’s resilience against Robinson and Jofra Archer the highlight of the afternoon.
Shakeel and Shan Masood fashioned a 97-run partnership from 14-3 that frustrated England for nearly four hours.
But Robinson broke the partnership an hour out from a delayed tea when he pinned Masood. Robinson quickly added Mohammad Rizwan, his 99th Test wicket, and didn’t bowl again.
Earlier, England reduced Pakistan to 53-3 in a chase of 389 on the fourth morning of the second test at Lord’s on Sunday. Ollie Robinson dismissed Azan Awais and Abdullah Shafique and Jofra Archer bounced out captain Babar Azam in the first eight overs. Saud Shakeel, 23 off 36 balls, and opener Shan Masood, 15 off 42, hung on to lunch. Under partial sunshine, Pakistan finished England’s second innings at 208 before noon but the host had a mountainous lead of 388 runs. That had to be daunting for a Pakistan side that hasn’t cracked 200 in three previous innings in the series. The first at Lord’s was only 110 on Friday, and two days later England’s all-seam attack was ruthlessly picking apart the top order again. Robinson pinned Awais on his back thigh in the crease. Awais, on 6, reviewed but it was plumb on middle stump. In the same fifth over, Shafique was bowled without scoring, and Robinson had 2-2 at that point.
