England's Robinson and Tongue take five-wicket hauls as Pakistan dismissed for 171 at Headingley

England’s Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue each claimed five-wicket hauls as Pakistan were dismissed for 171 on the opening day of the first Test at Headingley on Wednesday. Robinson finished with 5-51, while Tongue took 5-46, including a late burst of 4-5 from 11 balls, as England bowled out the tourists in 48.1 overs after winning the toss and electing to field.

Abdullah Shafique top-scored for Pakistan with 61, supported by Imam-ul-Haq’s 42, but the innings was otherwise undermined by England’s disciplined seam attack. Robinson struck with the first ball of the match, trapping Azan Awais leg before, and maintained pressure with consistent length. Tongue, slower to settle, eventually matched his teammate’s impact as Pakistan’s batting faltered.

In reply, England closed on 112-2, trailing by 59 runs. Openers Ben Duckett and Emilio Gay fell early, but Joe Root, in his first match as captain since returning to the role, anchored the innings with an unbeaten 37 alongside Jordan Cox, who replaced the injured Jacob Bethell at No. 3.

The pair of five-wicket hauls marked the first time since 2006 that two England bowlers achieved the feat in the same Test innings, matching Steve Harmison and Monty Panesar’s effort against Pakistan at Old Trafford. Robinson and Tongue later had the match ball cut in half, with Tongue telling Test Match Special, “Robbo said we can split the ball in half. The groundstaff have kindly done that. It’s the first time I’ve seen that happen.” Robinson added, “We were walking off the field. Josh said it and I said, ‘We actually should do that, it would be quite cool.’”

Robinson’s performance came days after the birth of his daughter, Eva, with wife Mia. “I’ve been catching up on my sleep since I got to the hotel in Leeds,” he said. “It’s a really special week having another baby. It almost makes today even sweeter.”

Root’s return to the captaincy follows Ben Stokes’ retirement and the departure of coach Brendon McCullum, with Stephen Fleming set to take over in the winter. On Wednesday, Root led from mid-off, a position he adopted to better communicate with his bowlers, and made tactical adjustments, including reinforcing the gully region on Brook’s suggestion. Brook, overlooked for the captaincy, remained engaged, with Root noting, “One of the big challenges is not trying to be Ben Stokes.”

Pakistan, missing injured captain Babar Azam, have not won a Test series in England for 30 years. Their struggles continued as England’s attack exploited movement and length, with Robinson and Tongue sharing all 10 wickets. The day’s play included a near two-hour rain delay, but England’s bowlers maintained their dominance once conditions allowed.