Josh Tongue's Impactful Bowling Shifts Momentum for England at Lord’s

On a grey, edgy morning at Lord’s, England found a way to turn a vulnerable position into a statement of intent. By lunch on day two, Pakistan were tottering at 16-2 in reply to England’s 290, their top order shaken by Jofra Archer’s pace and floored by the final ball before the interval from Josh Tongue.

That last delivery changed the mood of the whole session.

Pakistan, already under pressure after an awkward hour’s batting, watched Tongue wheel away in celebration as Abdullah Shafique trudged off, undone by an ambitious drive and a thin edge confirmed on review. From 16-1 to 16-2 in an instant. The walk back felt longer than the scorecard suggested.

Earlier, Tongue had already hurt Pakistan in a very different way.

England began on 248-9, one wicket away from a slightly underwhelming total on a surface offering just enough for the quicks. Instead, Tongue and Gus Atkinson dug in, then counter-punched. The last-wicket pair added 47 priceless runs, turning irritation for Pakistan into outright frustration.

Tongue finished 30 not out, compact and composed, picking off anything loose. Atkinson, more expansive, cracked 45 from 46 balls, forcing Pakistan’s bowlers to chase the game they thought they had already closed out. The partnership dragged England up to 290, a score that suddenly looked competitive once the clouds thickened and the ball began to talk.

Atkinson’s innings ended with a hint of anti-climax, driving Ali Usman straight down the ground to a waiting Mohammad Ali. By then, though, the damage was done. Pakistan had let England’s tail wriggle free.

Then came the real hostility.

Sent out for a testing spell before lunch, Pakistan’s openers ran straight into Archer at full tilt. The speed gun flashed 91mph, the rhythm was smooth, the intent unmistakable. Shan Masood, searching for a way to impose himself, instead found only a faint edge. Jamie Smith did the rest behind the stumps, and England had their first breakthrough.

The crowd sensed a shift. Archer’s spell crackled, every ball drawing a murmur, every play-and-miss tightening the grip. Pakistan’s batters were no longer just surviving; they were hanging on.

There was a brief moment of relief. Atkinson thought he had Azan Awais nicking behind, England celebrated, only for Pakistan to overturn the decision on review. A reprieve, and a reminder that one thin line on a screen can stall momentum.

But England refused to let the pressure drop.

Tongue, having already contributed with the bat, returned for a second burst before the interval. He went fuller, hunted the drive, and found exactly what he wanted. Shafique pushed at one he could have left, the ball brushed the edge, and technology confirmed England’s appeal. Pakistan’s second wicket fell with the last ball of the session.

Lunch arrived with Lord’s buzzing. England’s 42 morning runs, built largely on the defiance and daring of Atkinson and Tongue, suddenly looked far more than tail-end padding. They had become the platform for a ruthless new-ball assault.

Pakistan, 16-2 and already two senior batters down, now face the hard part: rebuilding under the long shadows of the pavilion, with Archer snarling in, Tongue finding his range, and an England attack sensing a decisive first-innings lead.