Mohammad Abbas and Mohammad Ali did the damage, but Pakistan’s bowlers only got their chance because rain took nearly a third of the day away from England’s batters. Abbas struck four times, including a milestone wicket, and Ali removed Jamie Smith and Ollie Robinson in the same over to finish with three. England still limped to 248 for 9 from just 56 overs. A delayed start and an early finish for bad light compressed the innings into barely two-thirds of a normal day, and Pakistan made almost every over count.
A Day Built On Discipline And Pace
Mohammad Abbas led the attack with four wickets, removing Emilio Gay, Ben Duckett, Joe Root and Jofra Archer, and reached 900 first-class wickets for his career during the Duckett dismissal. Mohammad Ali took three, bowling Harry Brook with a nip-backer before removing Jamie Smith and Ollie Robinson in successive balls of the same over.
Khurram Shahzad picked up the other recognised wicket, Jordan Cox, caught by substitute fielder Salman Ali Agha in a one-handed take at second slip. Ali Usman went wicketless but conceded just two runs across his first three overs, a defensive spell that squeezed England when Pakistan needed control rather than wickets. The top order fell in a hurry once Abbas found his rhythm. Gay edged behind for 8, Duckett was given LBW on review for 17, and Root managed only 4 before also falling leg-before.
| Bowler | Overs | Runs Conceded | Wickets |
| Mohammad Abbas | 20 | 73 | 4 |
| Mohammad Ali | 17 | 67 | 3 |
| Khurram Shahzad | 15 | 79 | 1 |
| Ali Usman | 9.4 | 39 | 1 |
LBW And Bowled Go Missing Entirely
Play was scheduled to start at 11:00 local time but heavy morning rain pushed the first ball back by 80 minutes, and bad light then ended the day roughly an hour before the usual close. Only 56 overs were bowled against a possible 90, meaning around 34 overs simply vanished from the day.
That squeeze changed how both sides had to play. England had less time to rebuild after early losses, and Pakistan’s seamers stayed fresh enough to bowl in short, threatening bursts rather than long defensive spells through a full day’s cricket.
A Batting Order That Held Just Enough
England slipped to 120 for 5 before Jordan Cox and Jamie Smith added 67 for the sixth wicket, both reaching fifties before falling in the final session, Cox caught off Khurram Shahzad and Smith bowled by Ali. Cox’s 55, from 105 balls with seven fours, followed his 73 at Headingley, back-to-back Test half-centuries, while Smith’s fifty arrived off 63 balls after tea on his way to 61.
Earlier, Cox and Dan Lawrence had put on 43 before Lawrence was run out for 17 in a mix-up involving Shan Masood and Mohammad Rizwan, a dismissal that belonged to the fielding rather than the bowling. Gus Atkinson and Jofra Archer then added 21 off just 17 balls, with Archer clearing the boundary for England’s only six of the innings before Abbas bowled him. Atkinson finished 34 not out, and Josh Tongue 1 not out as bad light closed the day on 248 for 9.
Series Stakes Ahead Of Birmingham
England already lead this three-match series 1-0 after winning the opener at Headingley by an innings and 103 runs, a result built on 409 in reply to a Pakistan collapse for 171. A repeat win at Lord’s would hand England an unassailable 2-0 lead heading into the Birmingham decider in two weeks.
Pakistan arrive at this match on a run of nine defeats in their last ten away Tests, with captain Babar Azam back from a hand injury that kept him out of the series opener. At Headingley, Pakistan collapsed for 171 and then 135, with Mohammad Rizwan’s 41 the only real resistance, as England won by an innings and 103 runs.
Those results dropped Pakistan to the bottom of the World Test Championship table on percentage points won. Babar won the toss at Lord’s and chose to bowl first under cloud cover, a decision Abbas and Ali repaid inside the first session. Even with the weather cutting the day short, the story of Pakistan vs England 2026 Test bowlers’ rain totals is that Pakistan’s attack still swung this opener their way when it mattered.
Cricket never stops, and neither do we. Follow Six6slive for the latest news, in-depth features, and exciting updates from the world of cricket. Dive into the action now!