After rain won the initial part of the day, it was Harry Brook the vice-captain of England who shone through with his swashbuckling 91 at his home ground at Leeds, Headingley as England remained in firm control over Pakistan. Harry Brook was the highlight of the day and he was ably supported by overnight batters Jordan Cox and captain Joe Root alongside Dan Lawrence as England made their way to 366/8 with a lead of 195 runs in the first innings.
For Pakistan, one felt their bowlers were inconsistent with their lines and lengths and allowed England to get away. But Pakistan had one positive on Day 2 and it came from their spinner Ali Usman who picked up his maiden five-wicket haul to give the visitors something to cheer about. But the tourists are long way behind in the game and will need character and resilience to fight back in this Test match from here.
Jordan Cox & Joe Root fall after scoring half-centuries in an entertaining afternoon session
Heavy rain washed out the opening session on Day 2 and play got underway at 7:15 PM IST; 2:45 PM Local Time with Jordan Cox and Joe Root resuming things for England while Khurram Shahzad had the ball in hand for Pakistan. Shahzad bowled a brilliant probing first over. Mohammad Abbas had the ball in hand from the other end. Root welcomed him with a boundary with a clip through deep backward square leg. Shahzad continued and overstepped as well.
Abbas continued and bowled a decent over. Shahzad continued as Cox shuffled across and clipped it away to the deep fine leg fence for his first boundary of the day. Shahzad overstepped again before Cox creamed the square drive to cover point for a boundary. Cox was in the zone now as dabbed it past gully for a boundary and then clipped it past short midwicket for another boundary. Mohammad Ali came into the attack next and bowled a tight over. Abbas changed ends and bowled a maiden.
Ali continued and bowled a decent over. Abbas delivered a maiden over. Ali delivered a maiden as well. Abbas continued and gifted 4 leg byes as a bonus to the fielding side. Cox then pounced on Abbas as he punched it through covers for a boundary. The 100-run stand came up between Cox and Root. Ali continued as the 150 came up for England in 36.1 overs. Abbas continued and gave 4 byes as a bonus to the batting side and then overstepped as well again. Cox tickled the ball past leg slip for a boundary as he reached his maiden Test fifty in 78 balls.
Ali continued as Root flicked it through leg for a boundary and reached his 68th Test fifty, another quality knock from the England captain. Cox then leaned forward and drove it through mid-off for a boundary. England were 171/2 in 39 overs when we paused for the Drinks Break in the afternoon session with the scores level as well. Ali Usman came into the attack after the break and bowled a decent over.
Khurram Shahzad came back into the attack and put down a sharp return catch of his own bowling as Cox got a lifeline on 57*. Cox then pulled it away past mid-on for a boundary. Cox again repeated the same dose at the same area two balls later and then punched the ball through point for a boundary. Usman continued and bowled a decent over. Shahzad continued and bowled a maiden.
Root showed innovation against Usman as he reverse swept it past backward point for a boundary. The 150 of the partnership came up between Root and Cox. Ali Usman finally provided the breakthrough for Pakistan as he removed Cox for 73 off 100 balls with 14 fours to his name with a nick through to the keeper. The umpire gave it OUT. Cox reviewed and the replays showed a big nick and a loss of a review for England. Vice-captain and Number 1 Test cricketer Harry Brook came out to bat next.
Shahzad continued as Root walked down the track and cut it past point for a boundary. The 200 came up for England in 44.3 overs. Shahzad bounced back immediately and got rid of Joe Root for 66 off 112 balls with 10 fours to his name adjudged LBW. Root reviewed in hope and burnt the review for his side as England were down to 0 reviews now. Daniel Lawrence came out to bat next. He got off the mark soon. Usman continued and bowled a decent over.
Shahzad continued as Brook got the outside edge to Salman Ali Agha at second slip who dives to his right and puts down the catch as the ball went away to the third man fence. Salman was in pain and left the field to get some treatment. Brook then glanced the ball on the pads to the fine leg fence for a boundary. Usman continued and bowled a decent over. Shahzad continued as Lawrence hit the ball crisply down the ground past the bowler for a boundary. Lawrence was getting in his zone as he drove it down the ground for another boundary.
Usman bowled another decent over. Abbas came back into the attack next as Brook tucked it away through backward square leg for a triple. Usman continued and got the outside edge that flew past first slip and away to the third man fence. Abbas bowled a maiden over. Usman continued as Lawrence punched it crisply past covers for a boundary. England reached 239/4 in 54 overs with Brook unbeaten on 15 off 23 balls and Lawrence unbeaten on 22 off 33 balls. England led by 68 runs with 6 wickets in hand on Tea on Day 2.
Harry Brook shines with 91 while Ali Usman picks up maiden five-wicket haul in another absorbing final session
Harry Brook and Daniel Lawrence came out to resume proceedings for England after Tea while Mohammad Ali had the ball in hand for Pakistan. Salman Ali Agha the Pakistan captain returned to the field after an injury scare. Brook drove it wide of the covers for a boundary. Lawrence then flicked it away past midwicket for a boundary. Ali Usman had the ball in hand from the other end. Brook paddle swept the ball on the legs to the deep fine leg fence for a boundary. Brook completed 7000 runs in First-class cricket.
Lawrence survived a scare as appeal for LBW was turned down. Replays confirmed the same and Pakistan lost the review. But Rizwan was busy appealing as there was bat involved later. Had he taken the catch, Lawrence would have been a goner, but he survived batting on 26*. Ali continued and bowled a decent over. Usman continued and bowled on the pads, which Brook guided it past the keeper for a boundary. Ali continued and bowled a maiden. Usman continued as Lawrence nailed the slog sweep past deep backward square leg for a boundary.
England now led by 100 runs. Ali continued as Brook hung back and dabbed it away past the slip cordon and away to the deep backward point fence for a boundary. Brook then pushed at the ball and caught the inside edge past the leg stump and away to the fine leg fence for a streaky boundary. Usman continued as Lawrence cleared his front leg and slogged it right of mid-on for a boundary. Lawrence survived a LBW scare off Usman as Pakistan burnt another review. The run out was on, but the opportunity was missed by the Men in Green.
Ali continued as Brook calmly shuffled across and creamed the pull past deep backward square leg for a boundary. Usman continued as Lawrence managed to get a triple with a cut shot past deep point. Harry Brook reached his fifty in 55 balls, his 19th Test match fifty. Ali bowled a decent over. Usman continued as Brook rocked back and played it really late past backward point for a boundary. Ali continued as Lawrence shuffled across the stumps and got a top edge that sailed over Rizwan and away to the fence. The 300 came up for England in 66.1 overs and the 100-run partnership between the duo.
Ali overstepped before Lawrence crunched the ball hard through covers for a boundary as England reached 307/4 in 67 overs as we paused for the Drinks Break in the final session of play. Usman continued after the break as Lawrence reached his 5th Test fifty in 76 balls. Khurram Shahzad came back into the attack as Brook hammered the ball down the ground for a boundary. Usman continued as Brook rocked back and pulled it away over midwicket for a boundary as the lead touched 150 for England.
Usman struck against the run of play as he removed Lawrence for 51 off 79 balls with 9 fours to his name to break the long partnership. Keeper batter Jamie Smith walked out to bat next. Shahzad continued and bowled a decent over. Usman continued as Brook hung back and late cut the ball past Salman at first slip and away to the fence at third man. Shahzad continued as Smith got into the act with drove past wide of mid-off for a boundary. Shahzad overstepped again and then Smith opened the bat face to steer it past slips for a boundary.
Usman continued and bowled a decent over. Shahzad continued as Brook shuffled across and flicked it past mid-on for a boundary. The 350 came up for Pakistan in 74.3 overs. Usman continued as Brook entered the 90s. But then again, against the run of play Brook was cleaned up for 91 off 93 balls with 13 fours to his name falling in the 90s for the second consecutive year. Gus Atkinson came out to bat next. Abbas came back into the attack next as Atkinson flicked it between midwicket and mid-on for a triple.
Usman continued and bowled a maiden. Abbas too bowled a decent over. Usman struck for Pakistan again late in the day as he removed Atkinson for 3 off 15 balls LBW as he picked up his fourth wicket. Ollie Robinson came out to bat next and was cleaned up first ball for a golden duck as Usman completed his five-wicket haul. Jofra Archer came out to bat and survived the hat-trick ball.
Abbas continued and bowled a decent over. Usman bowled the last over of the day and kept it tight. England ended Day 2 at 366/8 in 82 overs with Jamie Smith unbeaten on 16 off 35 balls with 2 fours to his name alongside Jofra Archer unbeaten on 0 off 3 balls. 18 extras given by Pakistan to this total.
For Pakistan’s point of view, Ali Usman the left-arm spinner was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 5/92 in 23 overs. Mohammad Abbas finished the day with 1/61 in 21 overs. Khurram Shahzad finished the day with 1/111 in 19 overs. Mohammad Ali finished the day with 1/89 in 19 overs. Just 4 bowlers used by Pakistan so far. England lead by 195 runs in the first innings with 2 first-innings wickets in hand at Stumps on Day 2.
What Lies Ahead on Day 3
Day 3 is called the moving day of the Test match, but this Test match has moved at a breath-taking speed despite rain playing its part in the first two days. We expect the weather to be clearer for the next three days. England are on top at the moment despite Usman’s brilliance with the ball. They lead by 195 and would like to add a few more to stretch the lead beyond 200 runs. Pakistan would like to get these two wickets as soon as possible and then bat out of their skins to make a comeback in this Test match.
It will require a lot of character and resilience from Pakistan to make a comeback. They will do well to bat today and take the Test to Day 4. If they bat like first innings, and with the weather expected to be better, don’t be surprised if the Leeds Test finishes inside 3 days. Will the Test match go to day 4? It depends on the rain factor and Pakistan’s resilience. All to play for on the moving day.
Also Read: ENG vs PAK: Ollie Robinson & Josh Tongue’s 5-Wicket Haul Decimates Pakistan