England’s top order crumbled under pressure from Mohammad Abbas as Pakistan made a strong start to the second Rothesay Test at Lord’s.
After a delayed start due to heavy morning rain the tourists won an important toss under bowler-friendly skies at the home of cricket, before reducing their hosts to 80 for four at lunch.
After defeat by an innings and 103 runs at Headingley last week, the tourists needed to begin well and were grateful for the consistency and class of Abbas as he set a stifling tone.
The 36-year-old seamer, an expert in these conditions having played for four different county teams over the course of his career, accounted for Emilio Gay, Ben Duckett and Joe Root in an exacting spell of three for 34 from the Nursery End.
Mohammad Ali joined in by taking out Harry Brook’s middle stump with a brilliant delivery just before the interval, leaving Jordan Cox (27 not out) and Dan Lawrence in charge of the recovery effort.
Gay was first to fall with 21 on the board. The left-hander is in need of runs to firm up his place at the head of the innings but managed just eight before following Abbas down the leg side and brushing a catch to the diving Mohammad Rizwan. Gay looked crestfallen as he turned to the pavilion, another sign of the mounting pressure he appears to be under as his Test average dipped to 22.50.
The wily Abbas picked off Duckett (17) in more conventional fashion, lbw on the back foot as the ball shaped back in, as Pakistan made the new ball count. With the openers safely accounted for, Pakistan’s focus was Root, who had already been given a life on one when Imam-ul-Haq grassed a low chance at slip.
Had he been a couple of steps further forward it might have been a more comfortable chance but the error did not prove costly as Abbas continued to probe away. The now familiar tactic of a wicketkeeper stepping up to the stumps was swiftly deployed, followed by the equally familiar sight of Root succumbing.
Penned in to his crease he was struck on the knee-roll by a seaming delivery and sent on his way for four by umpire Paul Reiffel, his fourth dismissal this summer with the keeper up.
Cox rode a difficult period admirably as he and Brook put up 41 for the fourth wicket before England’s vice-captain was bested by a cracker from Ali, who jagged one sharply between bat and pad to see him off for 15.
