(ESPNCRICINFO) – Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue took their shared match haul to eight wickets apiece, as England’s four-pronged pace attack delivered a statement victory in Joe Root’s first Test back as full-time captain. With Jofra Archer topping and tailing the innings for a three-wicket haul of his own, Pakistan were swept aside by an innings before tea on the third day of the opening match of the series at Headingley.
In collapsing to 135 all out in just 37.3 overs, Pakistan surrendered the match in just 1053 balls, making it the joint-second fastest win of Root’s 66-match tenure, behind England’s win over India at Lord’s in 2018, and level with their defeat of Ireland at the same venue the following summer.
In fact, had it not been for more than four hours of rain on the second morning, it’s debatable whether the contest would have made it into day three – a familiar scenario for this England team, after their experiences at Perth and the MCG during last winter’s Ashes.
Unlike those performances, however, England were clinical and measured in their approach to victory, with the relentlessness of their bowling backed up by Root’s imaginative field placings and fittingly sharp catching, albeit against a thoroughly outclassed opposition.
After resuming with a hefty overnight lead of 195, England extended their total past 400, and their advantage to 238, in the first 38 minutes of the day. That was thanks largely to a sparky 23 not out from 25 balls from Archer, who quickly translated that joie de vivre into his primary suit. The result had never rarely been in doubt, but if there had been some signs of red-ball rust in Archer’s first-innings spell, they had all been sandpapered off by the contest’s end.
As for Pakistan, there was simply no place to hide as their second innings began. Azan Awais at least avoided the indignity of a king pair, as he played out a tight maiden from Robinson, but Pakistan still slumped to 0 for 1 for the second innings running. Archer, steaming up the hill from the Football Stand End, found pace and lift to the left-handed Imam-ul-Haq, who tried to sway out of the way of his fifth delivery, but kept his gloves too high as Jamie Smith snaffled the deflection.
Azan, a highly-rated prospect at the age of 21, notched his first runs in England, including a sweetly timed boundary through point, but Archer soon had his number … aided by another glimpse of Root’s new, proactive approach on his return to the Test captaincy. After consulting with his bowler, Root posted himself at leg gully, and instantly had the ball following him, as Azan flicked loosely off the full length to traipse off for 9 from 14 balls.
At 13 for 2, Pakistan needed an urgent response. Abdullah Shafique and Shan Masood regrouped for a time in a stand of 38, including a flurry of boundaries as Archer and Robinson strained for the next breakthrough. But they didn’t have to wait too long. Soon after Smith had donned the helmet to stand up to the stumps, Shafique pressed forward with his back foot anchored in the crease; Robinson found just enough movement for Harry Brook to scoop up a low edge at second slip.
