Pakistan were bowled out for a meagre 171 on the opening day of the first Test against England at Headingley, and England responded by racing to 366 for 8 by the close of a rain-affected second day, leaving the tourists 195 runs behind with only two wickets in hand.
Salman Ali Agha Leads for the First Time
The three-match series, which opened on Wednesday at Leeds, is being led by all-rounder Salman Ali Agha, who is captaining Pakistan in a Test match for the first time after regular skipper Babar Azam was ruled out through injury. Taking charge of a struggling batting unit on debut as captain is rarely an easy assignment, and Pakistan’s top order offered little resistance on a testing opening day, with Abdullah Shafique among the few batters to show any fight, according to the Pakistan Cricket Board.
England Capitalise
Having bowled Pakistan out cheaply, England’s batters made the most of favourable batting conditions once rain allowed play to continue. By stumps on day two, the hosts had built a commanding lead of 195 runs, putting Pakistan under significant pressure heading into the remainder of the match. With Pakistan’s bowlers unable to make further inroads and England still holding two wickets in hand, the tourists face an uphill task to avoid conceding a substantial first-innings deficit.
A Tour That Continues Beyond Leeds
The Headingley Test is the first of three matches on Pakistan’s tour of England, which forms part of the 2025-2027 ICC World Test Championship cycle. The series continues with the second Test at Lord’s from August 27, followed by the third and final match in Birmingham starting September 9. Pakistan will be looking to regroup quickly, having arrived in England on the back of a mixed run of results that included a Test series defeat in the West Indies earlier this month.
The tour comes at a turbulent time for Pakistan cricket more broadly, with the team also negotiating a leadership transition in the Test format following Babar Azam’s injury absence. How Salman Ali Agha manages the side over the remainder of the Headingley Test, and whether Pakistan can find a way back into the contest, is likely to shape selection and strategy conversations ahead of the Lord’s Test later this month.
