Rain delays Headingley Test as Root and Cox steady England after Robinson-Tongue demolition of Pakistan
Rain held up day two of the first Test between England and Pakistan at Headingley, with full covers on the outfield and two unmanned super soppers standing idle beside the wicket. The forecast was poor for most of the day, with a possible improvement in the afternoon, according to The Guardian's live blog The Guardian.
When play did resume, England reached 112 for 2 from 25 overs in their first innings, trailing Pakistan by 59 runs. Joe Root, returning as England Test captain for this match, and the batter Cox were the unbeaten pair at the close BBC Sport.
Pakistan had earlier been bowled out for 171 in 48.1 overs. Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue each took five wickets, sharing all ten between them as Pakistan collapsed from 117 for 3 to 171 all out BBC Sport. A Test innings runs across two batting turns per side; a collapse like this — losing seven wickets for 54 runs — hands the bowling side control of the match's momentum.
For England, this opening day was also a chapter in a new story. Cricinfo's match preview framed the first Test as England's entry into the post-Bazball era, a reference to the aggressive style cultivated by coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes since they took charge in 2022 ESPNcricinfo. Before that appointment, England had won only one of their previous 17 Tests. That lone victory came at Headingley against India in August 2021, when India were bowled out for 78 and Root scored a century in his 27th win as captain The Guardian. Now Root is back in the role, leading a side that had won two of their last ten Tests coming into this match. Pakistan had won two of their last seven.
Robinson and Tongue dominating with the ball also follows a curious detail from day one, reported by The Guardian: the match ball — a Dukes, the brand traditionally used in English Tests — was found sawn in half. The day-one report also highlighted Robinson and Tongue as the protagonists of England's bowling effort.
The first Test is scheduled across five days, from 19 to 23 August, and is the opening match of a three-Test series ESPNcricinfo. England's batters will resume on day three needing 59 more runs to erase Pakistan's first-innings total, with Root and Cox at the crease and eight wickets still in hand.
For fans, the stage is set plainly enough. England's bowlers did the hard work; now the batters need to capitalise. If Root and Cox can build a lead, Pakistan will face a fourth-innings chase on a pitch that has already started to misbehave. If the rain returns, the match could drift towards a draw — and in a three-Test series, every result matters.
