Madras Times - England all out for 409, lead Pakistan by 238 runs in 1st Test

England resumed well-placed on 366-8, already 195 runs ahead of Pakistan's meagre 171.

Four batsmen -- Harry Brook (91), new number three Jordan Cox (73), skipper Joe Root (66) and the recalled Dan Lawrence (51) -- had all made fifties on Thursday without any of the quartet going onto a hundred.

For Brook, it was the second time in two years he had been out in the 90s in a Test on his Yorkshire home ground following his 99 against India at Headingley in 2025.

Jofra Archer kept the runs coming with a pulled six off Khurram Shahzad and last man Josh Tongue struck two impressive straight-driven fours either side of Jamie Smith miscueing to midwicket for 25.

The innings ended when Khurram Shahzad (3-133) bowled Tongue for eight, with Archer 23 not out after England had added 41 runs in just shy of eight overs on Friday.

Pakistan left-arm spinner Ali Usman, who took his maiden five-wicket haul in Tests on Thursday, provided a rare highlight for the tourists in this first of a three-match series with a return of 5-95 in 24 overs.

Usman is just the fourth Pakistan spinner to take five wickets in a Test innings in England after Abdul Qadir, Mushtaq Ahmed and Yasir Shah.

He is also the first opposition spinner to perform the feat in a Test at Headingley since Australia's Ashley Mallett back in 1972.

England's strong position owed much to pacemen Ollie Robinson (5-51) and Tongue (5-46) had shared all 10 Pakistan first-innings wickets between them on Wednesday.

This is England's first Test of the post-Babzall era, with former captain Ben Stokes having retired from all international cricket and Brendon McCullum sacked as red-ball coach following the series loss at home to his native New Zealand in June.

T.Reddy--MT