Ababbas Pins England Back as Cox and Smith Fight Rain and Pace at Lord's

Mohammad Abbas took four wickets to give Pakistan the upper hand on a rain-disrupted opening day of the Second Test against England at Lord's, where Jordan Cox and Jamie Smith led a spirited fightback to leave the hosts 180 for five at tea.

Pakistan won the toss and chose to bowl first under grey skies on Thursday, 27 August 2026 — the opening day of the second match of the three-Test Rothesay series between England and Pakistan. Rain swept across the ground before the first ball, delaying the start and reducing the overs available on day one at the Home of Cricket.

By the time the players came off for tea, Abbas had done the bulk of the damage. The right-arm seamer, known for his relentless accuracy and ability to move the ball both ways, claimed four wickets including that of Jamie Smith, who was bowled — beaten by a delivery that clattered into the stumps — during England's first innings (ESPNcricinfo).

Smith had earlier reached a half-century, providing the backbone of England's resistance on a difficult afternoon for batting. He and Cox, the young wicketkeeper-batter, combined to steady the innings after early strikes from Abbas had left England wobbling. Reuters reported the pair "leading the fightback" as England reached 180 for five at the interval (Reuters).

For Pakistan, the day offered encouragement after a chastening start to the tour. England won the First Test at Headingley by an innings and 103 runs, a result that put the visitors one down with two to play (Reuters). The return of captain Babar Azam, who was expected to feature at Lord's after coming through a positive training session ahead of the match, added further optimism to the Pakistan camp (Reuters).

Joe Root, now in his second spell as permanent England Test captain, has overseen a strong home summer that began with a 115-run win over New Zealand at Lord's in June (Reuters). Another commanding result here would wrap up the series with a match to spare.

What makes this day interesting is the contrast it set up. England have bullied opponents with aggressive batting throughout the Root era, but Abbas offered a different test — seam bowling of the highest discipline, nagging a length and waiting for the batter to make the mistake. Lord's on a damp surface played into his hands, and the early wickets meant Cox and Smith were batting to survive as much as to score.

The BBC's Test Match Special podcast, published on the evening of 27 August, brought together Daniel Norcross, Michael Vaughan, Ramiz Raja, Jonathan Agnew and Phil Tufnell to dissect the day's play. The panel reflected on Abbas's control, the impact of the weather on both teams' plans, and the significance of Cox and Smith's partnership in the context of the series.

England will resume on day two hoping to build on the foundation laid by Cox and Smith. Pakistan, meanwhile, will back themselves to wrap up the tail quickly and give their batters a manageable target on a pitch already showing signs of wear. Lord's has a habit of producing results on days four and five — the fifth-day pitch, increasingly dry and cracked, tends to favour spin and uneven bounce. Both sides know the first hour on Friday morning could shape the rest of this Test.