LONDON — England moved within touching distance of another crushing Test victory over Pakistan on Sunday after ripping through the tourists’ top order and leaving them 53-3 at lunch on Day 4 of the second Test at Lord’s.
Pakistan had already been handed a daunting target of 389 runs after England were dismissed for 208 in their second innings, but what was already a monumental chase quickly turned into a survival mission once Ollie Robinson and Jofra Archer took the new ball.
By lunch on August 30, Pakistan were still 336 runs short of victory with seven wickets listed in hand, while opener Imam-ul-Haq remained an injury concern because of a calf strain suffered earlier in the match.
Robinson strikes twice as Pakistan’s chase falls apart
England wasted little time attacking Pakistan’s fragile batting lineup.
Robinson produced the first breakthrough when he trapped Azan Awais lbw, before delivering an even more damaging blow only three balls later by bowling Abdullah Shafique and leaving Pakistan wobbling at 7-2.
Then came the wicket England wanted most.
Archer unleashed a steep, hostile delivery at Pakistan captain Babar Azam, who could not control the ball as it climbed toward him. The chance eventually carried to Jordan Cox at third slip, reducing Pakistan to 14-3 and sending Lord’s into celebration.
Sky Sports and The Guardian’s live coverage recorded Babar’s score as six, while the Reuters version carried by CNA reported seven, so the dismissal score has been omitted here because of that discrepancy. What is undisputed is the larger picture: Pakistan had lost three major wickets before reaching 15.
Masood and Shakeel finally stop the collapse
Pakistan badly needed someone to survive long enough to prevent England from running through the rest of the batting order before lunch.
Shan Masood and Saud Shakeel did exactly that.
The pair managed to stabilize the innings after the disastrous start, taking Pakistan from 14-3 to 53-3 at lunch, with Masood unbeaten on 15 and Shakeel on 23 according to live reporting.
Their partnership gave Pakistan some breathing room, but the scale of the challenge remained enormous.
And history is not on their side.
The highest successful fourth-innings chase at Lord’s remains the West Indies’ 344-1 against England in 1984.
Pakistan have been asked to make 389.
That means victory would require the visitors to produce the highest successful run chase ever recorded at Lord’s, surpassing a benchmark that has survived for more than four decades.
Mohammad Abbas gives Pakistan something to celebrate
There was at least one major Pakistani success on Sunday morning.
Veteran seamer Mohammad Abbas completed a five-wicket haul, taking 5-57 as England were bowled out for 208.
The performance earned Abbas a place on the famous Lord’s honours board and gave him nine wickets in the match after his 4-73 in England’s first innings.
Dan Lawrence, who had resumed the morning unbeaten on 50, added four more runs before Abbas bowled him for 54.
Robinson was later caught behind off Abbas, while Josh Tongue’s run-out ended England’s innings at 208.
Pakistan had therefore done the difficult part with the ball.
The problem was what came next.
England’s first-innings advantage is proving decisive
The match had already swung dramatically England’s way before the fourth-innings chase began.
England posted 290 in their first innings, recovering from 120-5 with important lower-order runs.
Pakistan then collapsed for only 110.
Awais was the only Pakistani batter to offer prolonged resistance, scoring 46, while England’s seam attack dominated.
Robinson finished with 4-11, Archer claimed 3-26 and Josh Tongue took two wickets as Pakistan conceded a huge 180-run first-innings deficit.
That collapse meant England did not need an enormous second-innings total.
Even 208 was enough to leave Pakistan facing 389.
Imam-ul-Haq injury makes Pakistan’s task even harder
Pakistan’s batting resources have also been complicated by the fitness of Imam-ul-Haq.
The Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed that the opener suffered a low-grade strain to his left calf while fielding on the opening day at Lord’s.
Imam did not bat in Pakistan’s first innings.
The PCB said his involvement in the remainder of the Test would depend on his response to treatment, meaning Pakistan cannot simply assume their regular opener will be available if the chase reaches its later stages.
England can clinch the series at Lord’s
There is considerably more at stake than the result of one Test.
England arrived at Lord’s already leading the three-match series 1-0 after demolishing Pakistan by an innings and 103 runs at Headingley in the opening Test.
Pakistan were bowled out for 171 and 135 there after England piled up 409, giving the hosts a dominant victory inside three days.
A victory at Lord’s would therefore give England an unassailable 2-0 advantage before the third Test at Edgbaston, scheduled for September 9.
Reuters reported that it would also represent England’s first home Test series victory in roughly two years.
The biggest question now
Pakistan have at least prevented an immediate collapse.
But surviving is very different from chasing 389.
They still need hundreds of runs against an England pace attack that has already dismissed them for 171, 135 and 110 across their previous three innings in the series.
Robinson has found movement.
Archer has supplied frightening pace and bounce.
And the Lord’s record book says nobody has successfully chased anything close to Pakistan’s target.
Masood and Shakeel have bought Pakistan time.
Now comes the real question: can they turn survival into one of the greatest run chases Lord’s has ever seen — or is England only a handful of wickets away from sealing the series?
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