Robinson & Tongue give ideal start to new Root era

First Rothesay Test, Headingley – Day 1 of five Pakistan were dismissed for 171, with Abdullah Shafique top‑scoring on 61. Ollie Robinson claimed 5‑51 and Josh Tongue 5‑46, the latter finishing with a burst of 4‑5 from 11 balls. England replied to 112‑2, Joe Root unbeaten on 37 and Emilio Gay contributing 33, while Abbas took 1‑34. The side trails by 59 runs. Root won the toss and opted to field. Robinson struck early, removing Azan Awais with the first ball of the match. He then exploited the seam‑friendly conditions to finish with 5‑51. Tongue took a little longer to settle, but once he found the right length he was equally lethal, ending with 5‑46. The tourists were skittled in just 48.1 overs. The total would have been lower had it not been for Shafique’s 61, a 42 from Imam‑ul‑Haq and a rain delay that lasted nearly two hours. England’s top order faltered, as Ben Duckett and Gay fell to leave the hosts 48‑2. Root, whether acting as captain or not, remains the linchpin of the batting line‑up and has stated that the team will not be tied to any single approach. With Jordan Cox at No. 3 filling in for the injured Jacob Bethell, Root steered England to 112‑2, leaving them 59 runs behind Pakistan at the close of play.