Rain and Early Wickets
Heavy morning rain pushed back the start at Lord's by 80 minutes. Pakistan's captain Babar Azam won the toss and opted to field first, exploiting the overcast conditions. England stumbled early, losing three wickets in the opening hour, including Joe Root, with Harry Brook falling just before lunch.[S1]
Mohammad Abbas proved to be the main threat, taking the first three wickets during a long morning spell. He dismissed Emilio Gay, Ben Duckett, and Root, who was trapped on the back leg. Along the way, Abbas also achieved his 900th first-class wicket.[S1]
Cox and Smith's Rescue
England was struggling at 120-5, but Jordan Cox and Jamie Smith combined for a 67-run partnership. Cox scored his second consecutive Test fifty, following his 73 in Leeds, while Smith reached his fifty off 63 balls. Pakistan's fielding was mixed, with three dropped catches, including a costly miss by wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan when Smith was on 15.[S1]
Smith eventually fell for 61, bowled by Mohammad Ali, who took two wickets in three balls. Cox was dismissed for 55 by a spectacular one-handed diving catch from Salman Ali Agha. Despite the setbacks, England managed to reach 248-9 before bad light ended play with an hour remaining.[S1]
Pakistan's Fielding and Babar's Return
Pakistan's fielding was a mix of sloppy and sublime. They dropped or missed three catches, but Rizwan and Agha took stunning diving catches. Agha, who was dropped for the second Test to accommodate Babar's return, was subbing for the injured Imam-ul-Haq and cartwheeled at second slip to dismiss Cox.[S1]
Babar, now recovered from a finger injury, was the sole alteration to the Pakistan side that suffered a heavy defeat in the first Test. Pakistan holds a favorable record at Lord's against England, winning 5 of 15 Tests, including their last two visits in 2016 and 2018.[S1]
