Abbas, Ali help Pakistan take honours on opening day

Pakistan landed the early punches, but were briefly kept at bay by gutsy knocks from Jordan Cox and Jamie Smith, still finishing firmly ahead on the opening day of the Lord’s Test.

A late burst of wickets by Mohammad Ali complemented the early damage from Mohammad Abbas, who consistently pinged the good-length zone with the new ball.

The first session of the day was almost wiped out by rain, but Pakistan, under returning captain Babar Azam, opted to bowl first in helpful conditions. The overcast skies aided the ever-unerring Abbas, who tangled up the hosts in the first hour and a half.

Ben Duckett and Emilio Gay began positively on a surface that looked slow to start with, bringing out their drives, but Gay fell to an outstanding catch in the fifth over. A trickle down leg was grabbed by an outstretched Mohammad Rizwan; it was the first of three scalps for Abbas in the first session. The other two were much better deliveries.

Two overs later, Ben Duckett was trapped in his crease by a delivery that angled and kept low; a review gave Abbas his 900th first-class wicket.

It brought in Joe Root, playing his 25th Test at Lord’s. The England captain stood out of the crease to counter Abbas’s movement, as a nervy period of play ensued. Mohammed Rizwan stood up to the stumps, and a couple of close calls followed.

In the first ten overs, Pakistan’s seamers induced 19 false shots. Just after that, Abbas caught the big fish, trapping Root in front with an in-dipper.

With Harry Brook for company, Jordan Cox began with positive intent, racing to 27 off 29 right before Lunch. But Mohammad Ali cleaned up Brook with a peach to cap off the first session. He would reserve two more of those for the evening.

From there on, England kept getting tested but did not lose any more wickets for the next 13 overs. Cox and Dan Lawrence persisted through a tricky phase, helped along by a burst of no-balls and a dropped catch by Shan Masood. It eventually took a run-out to separate them.

Even as Cox continued to build towards his fifty, Jamie Smith began watchfully. On 19, Smith was dropped by Rizwan, leaving Ali fuming. Including that chance, a 15-ball sequence gave England six boundaries. By Tea, Cox had slowed down, and Smith had cruised his way to 44 off 53.

It didn’t take Smith too long to cross fifty, but Cox could not add to his score of 55, plucked brilliantly by substitute Salman Agha. Gus Atkinson and Cox continued to find boundaries, before Ali pulled Pakistan back into the game with a two-wicket over.

He first knocked over Smith, and two balls later, rattled Ollie Robinson with another nip-backer. Two overs later, Abbas joined him to clean up Jofra Archer, who had already hit a six off Ali Usman, and tried to repeat that against the best bowler of the day.

Bad light suspended play with 50 minutes still left in the day. But no more play was possible, as Stumps were called just 56 overs in.

Brief scores: England 248/9 (Jamie Smith 61, Jordan Cox 55; Mohammad Abbas 4-56, Mohammad Ali 3-67) vs Pakistan