England in charge as Robinson, Tongue knock over Pakistan: 1st Test, Day 1 (Leeds)

England dominated the opening day at Headingley after Joe Root won the toss and elected to bowl.

Pakistan were skittled for just 171, with Abdullah Shafique (61) and Imam-ul-Haq (42) offering the only real resistance. England’s seamers exploited the seam-friendly conditions brilliantly, as Ollie Robinson (5–51) and Josh Tongue (5–46) shared all ten wickets.

England capped off a dominant day by reaching 112–2 at stumps, trailing by just 59 runs. Following the early dismissals of Ben Duckett and debutant Emilio Gay, Root (37*) and Jordan Cox (23*) steadied the innings.

It was an ideal start to Root’s return to the captaincy, leaving England in complete control and primed to build a massive first-innings lead on Day 2.

England 112 for 2 (Root 37*, Cox 23*) trail Pakistan 171 (Shafique 61, Imam 42, Tongue 5-46, Robinson 5-51) by 59 runs.

Aug 2026.