England's bowlers tore through Pakistan to seal a crushing innings victory in the first Test at Headingley, winning by an innings and 103 runs inside three days. The win came after England posted 409 all out for a 238-run lead, then bowled Pakistan out for 135.
England's clinical performance
The sounds heard from the Headingley area at 3.38pm on Friday were not simply the roars of the Western Terrace as England wrapped up the one-sided victory. A pressure valve had also been released.
One win against a team as ragged as this Pakistan might not have been reason for Joe Root to hang bunting off the Dickie Bird balcony at his home ground. But given events this year – events that have thrust Root back into the Test captaincy under an interim head coach – the alternative outcome was unthinkable.
There were banana skins ready to upend England this week, not least the rogue scheduling that asked players to make an instant switch from the Hundred to a Test match. In the case of Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson, this came less than three days after playing in Sunday's final.
Bowlers shine
While it would be wrong to say they didn't break a sweat – Harry Brook was seen rubbing the ball on Ollie Robinson's shudderingly moist lower back at one stage – England were clinical all the same. The chief difference was with the ball. Pakistan's seamers underwhelmed, not helped by some shambolic fielding, whereas England's were ruthlessly efficient.
Better sides would have struggled to cope with the blend of Robinson's metronomic wobble-seam and the pace of the other three arrows in Root's quiver.
Archer, Robinson and Tongue take three each
For the second time in the match, Pakistan found themselves one down before scoring, but this time it was Jofra Archer who made the incision. After adding 23 brisk runs with the bat first thing, his fifth ball angled into Imam-ul-Haq and flicked gloves that should have been lower as the opener swayed back.
It was the first of three strikes for Archer on the day, the second of which saw Root move himself to leg slip – a regular feature of his predecessor's playbook – before Azan Awais sprung the trap on nine. As was the case on day one, the combination of Robinson and Tongue then set to work once again.
Tongue first, who after splitting the ball with Robinson on the opening day finished with three for 43 and eight in the match. Now Tongue tucked up Saud Shakheel on 14 to send a catch to backward square leg, teased an edge off Shan Masood on 29, and pinned Salman Ali Agha lbw for one.
Emergence and re-emergence
For all that England have struggled in the past 12 months, Tongue's 34 victims at 25 in this time – plus the increased hardiness that has enabled him to play all through this summer, all formats – point to the emergence of a significant bowler.
Robinson, on the other hand, is a re-emergence, with his skills never in doubt but his attitude unfancied by the management for two years. After seven wickets on his return at Lord's in June, Robinson went one better here with eight for 80 across the two innings. This summer his wickets have cost 10 runs apiece.
