Pakistan produced an embarrassing display and were outplayed in all the facets of the game by hosts England at Leeds, Headingley as they went 1-0 up in the 3-match Test series inside 3 days. In fact with so much time lost due to rain in the first two days, the match finished by Tea time on Day 3. Such was the performance of the Pakistan cricket team who wants to make their fans believe they are world beaters. With this defeat, Pakistan has slipped to 9th in the WTC standings for 2025-27 and there are 9 teams participating in this cycle.
There were a lot of areas where they were found wanting and were exposed and we will try and enlist them for you here.
Batting underperformance in both innings hurt Pakistan
Pakistan never were in the contest ever since they lost the toss and were put into bat first on a challenging track. Azan Awais fell for a golden duck, the first ball of the match to Ollie Robinson. Shan Masood did not last long and fell cheaply to reduce the team to 6/2. There was a brief recovery as Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq fought hard and applied themselves out there with the former scoring a half-century and the latter 42. They put on 91 to put Pakistan back on track.
Thereafter, they lost both of them soon and lost their last 5 wickets for 21 runs to go from 150/5 to 171 as Robinson and Josh Tongue picked up 5 wickets each. Then in the second innings, when they came to bat with a huge deficit, they just did not apply themselves and folded rather meekly. There was hardly any fight shown by Pakistan and that is what disappointed their fans as they were rolled over well inside 40 overs for 135 to lose by an innings and 103 runs. They had their moments in patches, but not good enough at this level.
Pakistan’s batting has to improve by leaps and bounds if they want to do well at Lord’s, London the venue for the second Test. Of course, the inclusion and comeback of captain Babar Azam would definitely help them, but he is not going to do things alone or change things alone. Others have to step up and Pakistan has a decent batting line-up even with Babar not there, but they did not show up at all if we are being brutally honest about.
Pakistan’s pacers’ underperformance in helpful conditions didn’t help their cause
It’s one thing to fail with the bat and the first innings score of 171 although unacceptable, can happen at Leeds batting first on a challenging track. So, it was important for Pakistan and its pacers to bounce back and make a match out of it and ask more questions to English batters. But that was never the case. To be fair, they bowled in helpful conditions on Day 2 in particular with overcast skies, but the bowling was not par at all. It was a pacers’ pitch and they failed to deliver.
Ali Usman, the spinner where England bowled just one over of spin in both innings combined, punched above his weight and despite being expensive picked up a 5-wicket haul. But the pacers flattered to deceive. Yes Khurram Shahzad picked up 3 wickets in the end, but went for plenty over 120 runs in his spell and lacked control.
Much was expected of Mohammad Abbas to deliver. While he kept the runs down, managed to pick up one wicket and Mohammad Ali picked up one wicket. Considering the conditions on offer, Pakistan pace bowlers underperformed badly and let their team down. Mohammad Rizwan couldn’t covert his stats as he scored (12 & 41) in the Test match.
Come the next Test at Lord’s, the pacers have to deliver and bowl a lot better than Leeds. Maybe a few personnel changes can be done, but Pakistan has to pick the right team and back their pacers to perform. Babar or no Babar, the pacers have to come to the party against England who can be put under pressure if the bowlers bowl well. Pakistan, with a lot of thinking to do.
Babar Azam’s absence and lapses in the fielding arena also exposed Pakistan
It goes without saying that Babar Azam is a class act and is Pakistan’s best batter. He might not have got a hundred for the last three years in Test cricket, but among the current group he is still their talisman best batter for sure. His absence due to a sore finger really did not help Pakistan. Yes, they have a decent line-up but need his presence and guidance to pull the side through. Especially, if we look at Babar’s record in England, it is really impressive over the years. He averages close to 60 in these shores. So, his absence told a story for sure.
The fielding had its lapses as a lot of ground fielding errors were made. Lots of misfields and easy runs given away were seen to the naked eye. Plus, Salman Ali Agha the captain dropped an easy catch and overall, the body language wasn’t the greatest if we are being honest about it. Pakistan looked lost and made a lot of errors in all departments, something they need to polish it ahead of the next game.
Looking ahead, Pakistan will be hoping for their captain Babar to return to full fitness and come back fresh for the Lord’s Test and lead the team from the front. That will be the hope alongside better attitude in the field will also help the Men in Green. The attitude and body language throughout the Test match was down, something Pakistan needs to work on going ahead. There are positives to be taken here and there, but lots of areas of concern to ponder and improve before the next Test comes calling.
What Lies Ahead
So, Pakistan will next face England in the second Test of the three-match series at Lord’s, London from Thursday, 27th August onwards. England will look to seal the series at the Home of Cricket while Pakistan will be desperate for a fightback to level the series 1-1. Can they fightback though? Doesn’t seem so at this stage. Let’s see how the second Test pans out in London.
Also Read:Â ENG vs PAK: Ollie Robison & Co Decimates Pakistan