Second Test: Pakistan bowlers shine as Day 1 ends early due to bad light

• Mohammad Abbas leads Pakistan attack with four wickets. 
• Only 56 overs can be bowled during the opening day. 
• Babar returns to playing XI; Salman Ali Agha dropped. 

LONDON: Pakistan’s bowlers struck at regular intervals to put England under pressure on a rain-hit opening day of the second Test at Lord’s, with Mohammad Abbas leading the attack with four wickets. 

Only 56 overs could be bowled during the opening day, which got off to a delayed start due to the rain, and ultimately came to a close around an hour before the scheduled time due to the bad light.

At the stumps, the home side were reeling at 248/9 with lower-order batters Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue, unbeaten on 34 and one, respectively.

The final session, comprising just 12 overs, saw Pakistan force their comeback through their pace trio of Mohammad Ali, Khurram Shahzad and Abbas, respectively, as England could muster 68 runs for the loss of four wickets, including that of both set batters, Jordan Cox and Jamie Smith.

Cox and Smith resumed England's first innings in the final session from 180/5 and could add seven more to their sixth-wicket partnership before the former was dismissed by Shahzad, courtesy of a sensational catch by substitute fielder Salman Ali Agha at the second slip.

The 25-year-old remained a notable scorer for England in the first innings, making 55 off 105 deliveries with the help of seven boundaries.

Smith then shared a 35-run partnership for the seventh wicket with Atkinson until falling victim to Ali in the 53rd over. The wicketkeeper batter walked back after top-scoring for England in the first innings with an 80-ball 61, studded with 10 fours.

Ali struck again in the same over, cleaning up Ollie Robinson (zero) and England slipped further to 222/8.

Atkinson and No.10 batter Jofra Archer (14) then briefly frustrated Pakistan's bowling attack by putting together a handy 21 runs for the ninth wicket until Abbas cleaned up the latter to bag his fourth wicket in what turned out to be the final over of the day.

Abbas has been the standout bowler for Pakistan, having taken four wickets for 56 runs in 15 overs, followed by Ali with three, while Shahzad has claimed one.

At the Tea break, the home side were 180/5, with set-batter Cox and Jamie Smith, unbeaten on 55 and 44, respectively.

The pulsating session of the opening day got underway when Cox and Dan Lawrence resumed England's first innings from 80/4 and stretched their fifth-wicket partnership to 43 runs until the latter got run out due to a mix-up.

Lawrence remained a notable run-getter for England, making 17 off 41 deliveries with the help of one four.

Following the dismissal, wicketkeeper batter Smith joined Cox in the middle, and the duo frustrated the momentum-filled Pakistan bowling attack as they batted sensibly to put together an unbeaten 60-run partnership to close out the session, during which the home side piled up 100 runs for one wicket.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan captain Babar Azam won the toss and opted to field first, and the decision paid dividends as the touring side's under-criticised bowling attack dictated the proceedings in the opening session, which was delayed due to intermittent rain here.

England's opening pair of Ben Duckett and Emilio Gay started spiritedly and put together 21 runs inside five overs before Abbas got the latter caught behind.

The 36-year-old struck again in his next over, dismissing Duckett, who made a 20-ball 17, reducing England further to 26/2.

Following the back-to-back setbacks, England captain Joe Root joined Jordan Cox in the middle for a brief 10-run partnership until he, too, fell victim to Abbas, and walked back after mustering four off 13 deliveries.

Root's dismissal paved the way for top-ranked batter Brook (15) to walk out, and he, alongside Cox, batted sensibly to raise a 31-run partnership for the fourth wicket before being cleaned up by Ali in the final over of the session.

Playing XI

Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Azan Awais, Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam (c), Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Ali Usman, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Ali and Mohammad Abbas.

England: Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jordan Cox, Joe Root (c), Harry Brook, Dan Lawrence, Jamie Smith (wk), Ollie Robinson, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue.