At Lord’s on Sunday, England bowled Pakistan out for 194 runs in the second Test, winning their first home Test series in two years. Pakistan was down to 14-3 before noon, chasing an improbable target of 389, but Saud Shakeel offered some resistance with a brilliant fighting 97. The result was merely a formality.
Robinson was named Player of the Match for his eight wickets at the end of the game, having taken 4/11 in Pakistan’s first innings and 4/24 in their second. As Pakistan’s second-innings resistance faded, Josh Tongue provided him with solid support in the final innings, contributing 3/46. No other Pakistani batsman reached fifty in either of the game’s innings, with Saud Shakeel’s 97 being the only noteworthy score in the chase.
Following a rainy Saturday, England started on day four at 177-7, but Pakistan’s fast bowler Mohammad Abbas helped them finish with five wickets, leaving them all out for 208. With a delivery that nipped back from a length, Robinson removed Azan Awais LBW. Three balls later, he bowled a spectacular delivery that struck the top of Abdullah Shafique’s off stump, leaving Pakistan reeling at 7-2.
Pakistan was given a goal of 389 runs after England’s second innings ended at 208 all out. On day three, despite rain delays, Dan Lawrence steadied the innings with an undefeated half-century of 54. Abbas once more proved to be challenging, claiming 5/57, but despite his best efforts, England was able to set a target that was well out of Pakistan’s reach on this surface.
Throughout the game, Pakistan’s batting was exposed. Shakeel’s 97 in the second innings demonstrated individual quality, but the remainder of the order was unable to build on their combined first-innings total of 110, which left them with a deficit too big to overcome.
Although Abbas’s 10 wickets throughout the game were a plus for Pakistan, his ball-playing abilities were insufficient to make up for the batting deficit. The series outcome has been decided, but the third Test has to be played. Pakistan will want to escape a whitewash and give their hitters one last chance to recover form before the trip ends, while England will try to complete a 3-0 sweep.
