Ollie Robinson powers England to series win over Pakistan
Ollie Robinson’s remarkable resurgence continued as he ushered England to a series-clinching victory over Pakistan in the second Rothesay Test at Lord’s.
Robinson has been in stunning form since being recalled from a two-and-a-half year exile at the start of this summer and was irrepressible once again, filleting the tourists’ top order to tee up a 194-run win.
Chasing a distant target of 389 Pakistan were wrapped up for 194 – closing nine down as the injured Imam-ul-Haq again declined to bat – with Robinson adding figures of four for 24 to his first-innings haul of four for 11. That left him on 99 career scalps, including 23 at an average of just 8.35 in the three games since his recall.
The 32-year-old has been the one unqualified triumph during a turbulent few months for the national side, despite missing out on selection in Ben Stokes’ final match as captain, and his efforts led England to their first victory in a multi-match series since December 2024.
The wait has been even longer for Joe Root, whose last series success as skipper came in Sri Lanka in early 2021.
Pakistan’s limited resistance was built on a solo show from Saud Shakeel, who put together an accomplished 97 before springing a bouncer trip in sight of the game’s first century.
Josh Tongue took three for 46 to finish what Robinson started, the latter accounting for four of the first five victims, and there were two for Jofra Archer.
England were already 357 ahead after ending a rain-shortened third day on 177 for seven, a comfortable buffer against opposition whose batting line-up has now failed to breach 200 four times in a row.
Things progressed quickly as they added another 31 on their way to 208 all out. Dan Lawrence, 50 not out overnight, made only four more before being bowled via an inside edge off Mohammad Abbas.
The 36-year-old, the epitome of an old-fashioned English seamer despite being born in Punjab, then found Robinson’s outside edge to complete his stated dream of a five-wicket haul and a place on the ground’s famous honours board.
Tongue was run out to wrap up the innings, but Pakistan’s optimistic outlook did not last long.
Robinson was into his third over when the inevitable happened, dragging one back sharply to Azan Awais and hitting the pad in front of leg stump. Three balls later he outfoxed Abdullah Shafique for a duck, an even better delivery that stood up off the seam and flicked the off bail.
With Imam still nowhere to be seen due to a calf strain, captain Babar Azam was next up. He lasted just eight deliveries, routed by a rapid, rising bumper from Archer, looping to slip after nicking the ball into his helmet.
Root squandered two DRS reviews chasing a fourth wicket before lunch, but Shan Masood and Shakeel held their own as they detained the hosts for 23 overs either side of the interval.
England’s intensity faded at the start of the afternoon as the Pakistan pair took their stand to 97, but Robinson returned at the Nursery End to resume the hunt. After 72 deliveries and 26 painstaking runs Masood was bested, stepping across as Robinson tailed one back in from round the wicket and won another lbw.
Mohammad Rizwan did not linger, slogging wildly across the line as he was pinned in front of middle. Shakeel, having previously been struck on the body by Archer, was rattled in the grille by Tongue but made a game attempt at reaching three figures.
He took on England’s bouncer barrage, smashing Tongue for two sixes and a four and he raced to within one more blow of a gutsy ton but picked out Harry Brook at deep square looking for more of the same.
Robinson would have been itching to get back on, with a five-for and the his career hundred at stake, but Tongue did the rest, removing Khurram Shahzad and Mohammad Ali to make it 2-0 with one to play at Edgbaston.
Published: by Radio NewsHub