England reached 248 for nine wickets by the close of the first day in the second Test against Pakistan at Lord’s on Friday. Pakistan, having won the toss, elected to bowl first in the five-day match.

England’s innings faced early setbacks, losing their top order within the first 36 runs. Opener Ben Duckett was trapped lbw by Mohammad Abbas for 17, followed quickly by Ollie Pope and Jonny Bairstow falling cheaply. Joe Root also fell lbw to Abbas after scoring four runs, leaving England at 36 for four.

The middle order found some stability through James Cook and Jonny Smith. Cook was the top scorer with 55 runs before being caught behind off Khurram Shahzad. Smith contributed 61 runs, including ten boundaries, anchoring the innings despite pressure from Pakistan’s bowlers.

Several lower-order batsmen added valuable runs in the latter stages. George Atkinson remained unbeaten on 34, helping England approach a more competitive total. Oliver Robinson was dismissed without scoring, while Jamie Archer scored 14 before being bowled by Abbas.

Mohammad Abbas was the standout bowler for Pakistan, claiming four wickets for 56 runs over 15 overs. Mohammad Ali provided strong support with three wickets, while Khurram Shahzad chipped in with one. Pakistan’s bowlers were effective in applying pressure through a disciplined and economical attack.

Extras contributed 22 runs to England’s total, with a combination of byes, leg byes, and no-balls adding to the scoreboard. England lost their ninth wicket at 243 runs, with Matthew Potts and Jack Leach yet to bat as the team sought to extend their innings on day two.

Pakistan’s squad for the match included Imam ul Haq, Azan Awais, Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafique, captain Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan, and bowlers Ali Usman, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, and Mohammad Ali.

The match officials overseeing the game were umpires A. Paleker and P. R. Reiffel. The contest remains finely poised after an eventful opening day at the home of cricket.