England v Pakistan: Hosts dominate at Headingley
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Second Test, Headingley (day one) |
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Pakistan 174 (48.1 overs): Shadab 56, Broad 3-38, Anderson 3-43 |
England 106-2 (37 overs): Cook 46, Root 29*, Jennings 29 |
England trail by 68 runs |
England responded to a heavy defeat at Lord's by dominating the first day of the second Test against Pakistan at Headingley.
Stuart Broad, James Anderson and Chris Woakes each took three wickets to bowl Pakistan out for 174.
At one stage, they slipped to 79-7 and needed 56 from Shadab Khan to avoid being embarrassed.
England suffered the late blow of losing Alastair Cook for 46, but captain Joe Root ended on 29 not out as England reached 106-2, 68 behind.
This was a complete turnaround from the nine-wicket defeat in the first Test, where they were comprehensively outplayed.
Without the injured Ben Stokes, England gave a debut to 19-year-old left-arm swing bowler Sam Curran and recalled Woakes in place of Mark Wood.
After Pakistan won the toss in warm sunshine, clouds rolled in and England found prodigious swing movement.
When they batted, they benefited from the return of the sun and are perfectly placed to end a run of eight matches without a win.
Broad leads resurgent England
In the aftermath of the Lord's defeat, former captain Michael Vaughan suggested England were in need of a "shake-up", perhaps to the extent of dropping Broad.
In response, Broad took only one over to set the tone for an England display showing all the intensity, discipline and determination that was missing at Lord's.
From his second delivery, he had Imam-ul-Haq given leg before, only for the decision to be overturned. From the sixth, Imam aimed a loose drive at a wide ball and was well held by Root at third slip.
As the ball swung, Broad reaped the rewards of a fuller length and pinned Azhar Ali leg before to leave Pakistan 17-2.
Later on, he hooped the ball back into the pads of Usman Salahuddin to trap the debutant in front.
Overall, the Nottinghamshire man could have claimed more than his 3-38, as he and the rest of the attack beat the bat time and again.
"It's terrific from Broad," said Vaughan on Test Match Special. "If he is thinking he'll run in hard and stick two fingers up at me, fantastic."
England turn tables on Pakistan
In some ways, this mirrored the first day at Lord's - only with the roles reversed. Indeed, just like England opted to bat in helpful bowling conditions in London, Pakistan suffered after they chose to bat here.
With the ball moving, the hosts' attack vastly improved to match the achievements of Pakistan in the first Test. Likewise, the concentration and application they showed at Lord's deserted Pakistan here and they slumped like England before them.
England also stopped tinkering with their close catchers, the result being they held on to everything bar one inconsequential let-off given to Faheem Ashram by Dawid Malan at second slip.
Anderson improved from being too short in the morning session to swing the ball with devastating effect after lunch. Woakes, with only one first-class match since December, was rusty early in his spell, but still canny enough to take wickets.
Haris Sohail (28) and Asad Shafiq (27) showed brief promise for Pakistan, but it was only the free-scoring Shadab who really impressed. He added 43 for the ninth-wicket with Hasan Ali on the way to a 48-ball half-century.
Shadab was the last man to fall, holing out to deep mid-wicket to give Curran, the seventh teenager to play Test cricket for England, his first wicket.
England enjoy evening sun
England certainly enjoyed the better of the conditions, first with the ball under the clouds, then making relatively untroubled progress in the glow of the evening.
The 53 added by Cook and Keaton Jennings for the first wicket was England's first half-century opening stand in seven Tests - since the second Ashes encounter in Adelaide.
Jennings, recalled in place of Mark Stoneman, looked at home in his second spell as a Test cricketer.
The left-hander transferred his weight into the ball to defend positively and score through the off side. It was only when an old tendency to get stuck on the crease returned that he edged Faheem behind for 29.
At the other end, Cook showed the fluid movement that brought him 70 in the first innings at Lord's. The former captain was in no trouble until he was too early on a Hasan short ball and gloved behind.
He added 51 for the second wicket with Root, who showed touches behind square on the off side and through mid-wicket, and was accompanied to stumps by nightwatchman Dom Bess.
More like it from England - what they said
Ex-England captain Michael Vaughan on Test Match Special: "I hope England realise we saw something different in them today. We want to see that on a regular basis.
"Last week, England looked like an amateur team, with some of the field settings and positions. Today, they had a slip cordon that looked solid.
"Everything about the operation out in the middle - yes, when you're getting wickets, it's easier - but that is the DNA of what England in the Test arena should be."
England bowler Stuart Broad: "I don't think any of us expected it to nip or swing like it did. We're delighted with the pressure we built, we let a few boundaries slip by if we're being critical on ourselves but to get that many wickets in that time was brilliant."
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