England Seal Series Win Over Pakistan With Dominant 194-Run Victory at Lord's
England have wrapped up their three-match Test series against Pakistan with a match to spare, thumping the tourists by 194 runs in the second Test at Lord's. The result put England 2-0 up in the series and marked their first Test series triumph since December 2024.
How the match unfolded
Chasing an imposing target of 389 for victory, Pakistan's batting lineup once again failed to fire. The visitors were bowled out for 194 in just over 50 overs, extending a troubling pattern from this series — Pakistan have not crossed the 200-run mark in any of their innings so far.
Saud Shakeel was the lone bright spot for Pakistan, fighting hard for a well-made 97 that fell agonisingly short of what would have been a memorable Lord's century. He added a fourth-wicket stand with fellow left-hander Shan Masood before England's seam attack broke through again. Outside of Shakeel's effort, the rest of the batting order struggled badly — Abdullah Shafique fell for a duck, Mohammad Rizwan managed just one, and both Babar Azam and Aizaan Awais could only add six runs apiece.
Robinson's match-winning spell
Ollie Robinson was the architect of Pakistan's collapse across both innings, finishing with outstanding match figures after starring with the ball throughout the Test. He was well supported by Jofra Archer, who chipped in across both innings, and Josh Tongue, who cleaned up Pakistan's middle and lower order in the second innings chase.
Earlier in the match, England had built a platform with useful contributions through the order, before declaring their second innings to set up the daunting fourth-innings target. Dan Lawrence's fighting fifty in the second innings proved crucial in giving England enough runs to defend.
A consolation for Pakistan's Abbas
Amid the gloom for Pakistan, veteran seamer Mohammad Abbas provided some pride, picking up a five-wicket haul in England's second innings to finish with nine wickets in the match — good enough to get his name etched onto the Lord's honours board. It's a rare highlight in what has otherwise been a tough tour for Pakistan, who have now lost the bulk of their recent away fixtures.
What's next
With the series already decided, the third and final Test becomes a matter of pride for Pakistan. A win in the dead rubber won't change the series outcome, but it would offer some redemption after a largely one-sided contest and give the team something to build on before their next assignment.
For England, this series win — their first in nearly two years — is a timely confidence boost, and all eyes will now be on whether they can complete a clean sweep in the final Test.
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Anirudh Gaur, Sports Management & Operations | Sportspredictor
