England tightened their grip on the first Test against Pakistan, reaching 239-4 at tea after a strong batting display was interrupted by two quick wickets.
Harry Brook was unbeaten on 15 while Dan Lawrence was 22 not out at the interval. England had resumed the day at 112-2, still 59 runs behind Pakistan’s first-innings total of 171.
Play began late due to rain, with Joe Root unbeaten on 37 and Jordan Cox on 23. The pair continued their resistance after the restart, guiding England past Pakistan’s total before the hosts finally made breakthroughs.
Cox, batting at No. 3 in place of the injured Jacob Bethell, completed his maiden Test half-century and went on to score 73 from 100 balls, including 14 boundaries. His innings ended when spinner Ali Usman turned the ball sharply past his defence and Mohammad Rizwan took the edge.
Cox was dismissed with England on 198-3, and Root followed just four balls later. The England captain was trapped lbw by Khurram Shahzad for 66 off 112 deliveries. Root reviewed the decision, but ball-tracking showed the delivery would have hit the stumps.
The back-to-back dismissals briefly gave Pakistan an opening, but Brook and Lawrence steadied England with an unbeaten partnership before tea.
Brook survived an early chance when Salman Agha, positioned at second slip, was unable to hold a sharp opportunity off Khurram. Lawrence, playing his first Test in two years, then settled in and struck Khurram for two boundaries in the 48th over.
England’s strong position followed their bowlers’ impressive performance earlier in the match, when Pakistan were dismissed for 171. Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue claimed five wickets apiece, with Robinson finishing with 5-51 and Tongue taking 5-46.
Robinson, recalled after recovering from fitness issues, registered his fifth five-wicket haul in his 22nd Test. The two England pacers later had the match ball cut in half so they could each keep a piece as a souvenir of their joint five-wicket efforts.
Pakistan’s Abdullah Shafique, who top-scored with 61, said England had played the better cricket but stressed the importance of taking early wickets.
“Root and Brook are key wickets,” Abdullah said, adding that Pakistan would look to make early breakthroughs in the next session.
Earlier, Pakistan’s 171 was built around Shafique’s 61 and Imam-ul-Haq’s 42, while England’s seamers took full advantage of the conditions.
