FirstMoveTHU 20 AUG 2026
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First Move  ·  Men's Cricket  · 
Out in the middle — Thursday morning, 20 August

Robinson and Tongue Dominate as England Seize Control on Day 1 Against Pakistan at Headingley

England's bowlers ripped through Pakistan's batting lineup, putting the hosts in a strong position in the opening Test of the series.

EDITION 2026-08-20 · EVERY CLAIM SOURCED · GROUNDED VIA SEARCH AT PUBLISH
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The story

At Headingley, England's pace attack made the most of favorable conditions on Day 1 of the first Test against Pakistan. After winning the toss and electing to bowl, Ollie Robinson struck with the very first ball, dismissing Azan Awais for a golden duck.

Robinson continued his impressive spell, trapping Shan Masood to leave Pakistan reeling at 6/2. Abdullah Shafique (61) and Imam-ul-Haq (42) then offered some resistance with a 91-run partnership.

However, Josh Tongue broke the stand and went on to claim a fifer (5/46), matching Robinson's five-wicket haul (5/51) as Pakistan were bundled out for just 171 runs in 48.1 overs. In response, England reached 112/2 by stumps, trailing by 59 runs. Joe Root (37*) and Jordan Cox (23*) were at the crease, building a steady partnership after Mohammad Abbas and Mohammad Ali each picked up a wicket.

Latest results

MatchFormatResultStar
England vs PakistanTestDay 1 Stumps: England (112/2) trail Pakistan (171) by 59 runsOllie Robinson 5/51, Josh Tongue 5/46

Series in play

Pakistan tour of England 2026. 1st Test, Day 1: England (112/2) trail Pakistan (171) by 59 runs

Tables that matter

CompetitionPositionNote
ICC World Test Championship 2025-20271. Australia (77.78 PCT), 2. South Africa (75.00 PCT), 3. New Zealand (72.22 PCT), 4. Bangladesh (66.67 PCT), 5. India (53.33 PCT)Australia leads the current WTC cycle standings.
ICC Men's ODI Team Rankings1. India (116 rating)India holds the top spot in the latest ODI team rankings.
ICC Men's T20I Team Rankings1. India (268 rating), 2. England (268 rating), 3. Australia (260 rating)India and England are tied at the top of the T20I team rankings.

What we'll be watching

Reporting + analyst voices: grounded via Google Search at publish time.