Robinson, Tongue Shine as England Bowl Pakistan Out for 171 in First Innings

Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue ran through Pakistan’s lower order to finish with five wickets apiece as England dismissed the visitors for 171 on the first day of the Headingley Test.

Pakistan were 150/7 at the tea break but their innings did not last much longer after play resumed. The remaining batters added just 21 runs before the innings came to an end in 48.1 overs.

England got an early breakthrough in the final session when Tongue sent Mohammad Rizwan back in the second over after tea. The wicket left Pakistan heavily dependent on their tailenders to add some useful runs.

Khurram Shahzad and Mohammad Abbas managed to keep England waiting for a short while, scoring 12 runs together for the 10th wicket. Robinson eventually ended their resistance by removing Shahzad, bringing up his fifth five-wicket haul in Test cricket.

Tongue then completed the job in the following over. He bowled Abbas to wrap up Pakistan’s innings and claim his fourth five-wicket haul in Tests.

Earlier, Pakistan were asked to bat first and lost a wicket straight away. Ollie Robinson trapped opener Azan Awais LBW with the very first ball, giving England an early breakthrough.

Robinson struck again in the fifth over, removing Shan Masood for just five runs from 20 balls. His dismissal left Pakistan in trouble at 6/2.

Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique then tried to steady the innings. The pair added some important runs and took Pakistan to 23/2 before heavy rain forced the players off the field.

The green shirts started the second session carefully, with Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique at the crease. The two experienced batters played smartly and put together a valuable 91-run stand for the third wicket.

Josh Tongue finally ended the partnership in the 29th over when he got rid of Imam. The opener missed out on a half-century by just eight runs, scoring 42 from 74 balls, including six fours.

Shafique then added 20 runs with Saud Shakeel, but their partnership did not last long. Ollie Robinson struck in back-to-back overs to send both batters back to the pavilion.

After these dismissals, the middle and lower middle order of the team crumbled quickly, ending Pakistan’s fight for just 171 in the first innings.

From the bowling perspective, Ollie Robinson led England's attack in the first innings, picking up five wickets for just 51 runs. Josh Tongue has also made an impact, taking a brilliant five-wicket haul while conceding just 46 runs.