LONDON — Babar Azam walked out at Lord’s on Saturday morning not as Pakistan’s returning hero but as cricket’s most elegant problem-solver confronting a problem someone else had already made unsolvable. The fractured hand that cost him the Headingley humiliation had healed. The 180-run first-innings deficit Robinson created on Day 2 had not.
England extended that lead past 330 before rain interrupted Day 3 proceedings, leaving Pakistan to face a near-impossible fourth-innings chase on a surface that has exposed their batting over three days of play.
The arithmetic was stark. Pakistan’s first innings produced 110 all out in 37.2 overs. England’s second innings, interrupted by multiple rain delays, reached approximately 153 for six declared, with Dan Lawrence unbeaten on 35 and the total lead sitting at roughly 333.
| England 2nd Innings – Day 3 | Score | Dismissal |
|---|---|---|
| Ben Duckett | 19 | b Khurram Shahzad |
| Emilio Gay | 31 | lbw Mohammad Abbas |
| Jacob Cox | 8 | c Rizwan b Khurram Shahzad |
| Joe Root (c) | 24 | b Mohammad Ali |
| Harry Brook | 25 | b Mohammad Ali |
| Dan Lawrence | 35* | not out |
| Extras | 11 | |
| Total (declared): ~153/6 | Lead: ~333 runs | ||
Score as of the latest available update, August 29, 2026. Match in progress; live data may differ.
The spell that created this situation arrived during Pakistan’s first innings on Day 2. Ollie Robinson took 4 for 11 in a passage of play that converted a defensible total into a dominant one. Pakistan’s middle order offered no answer. Only Azan Awais, who scored 46 and was the only batsman to pass 20, had the technique to give the innings any shape. The collapse below him was absolute: from a position of fragile containment, Pakistan fell to 110 all out in 37.2 overs.
| First Innings Scorecards | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| England 1st Innings | 290 all out (66.4 ov) | |
| Jamie Smith (top scorer) | 61 | Wicketkeeper-batter |
| Mohammad Abbas (PAK bowling) | 3 wkts | Dismissed Gay, Cox, others |
| Mohammad Ali (PAK bowling) | 1/47 | Dismissed Root |
| Pakistan 1st Innings | 110 all out (37.2 ov) | |
| Azan Awais (top scorer) | 46 | Only batsman past 20 |
| Ollie Robinson (ENG bowling) | 4/11 | Match-defining spell |
| Jofra Archer (ENG bowling) | 3 wkts | Pace alongside Robinson |
| Josh Tongue (ENG bowling) | 2/27 | Support seamer |
Robinson pitched full, exploited seam movement on a surface that offered lateral deviation even without swing, and found the corridor outside off stump with a consistency that gave Pakistan’s batsmen no comfortable exit. The 4/11 figures did not reflect fortune. They reflected a plan executed on one of cricket’s most demanding grounds, with Jofra Archer’s three wickets providing pace alongside Robinson’s accuracy and Josh Tongue’s 2/27 completing a three-pronged attack that rarely gave Pakistan any momentum.
Brydon Carse’s absence, following his withdrawal from the squad after an arrest at a London nightclub, might have been expected to reduce England’s pace depth. In practice the attack proved more than capable without him. Sonny Baker was named as cover but did not play; the three seamers who did showed why England remain formidable in English conditions regardless of personnel changes.
Babar Azam’s situation is cricket’s most difficult kind: returning from injury not to a rescue mission but to an inheritance. Pakistan made room for him by dropping Salman Agha, a selection that acknowledged both his importance and the desperate narrowness of their options. He is their best batsman. He is also facing a surface on which Pakistan’s first innings lasted fewer than 38 overs, against an attack that will be rested and ready when they bat. The math is unforgiving.
The 2nd Test series stood at 1-0 to England before this match, following their Headingley win by an innings and 103 runs. A win here would seal a series sweep and send a clear statement ahead of the next World Test Championship cycle.
In Windhoek on Friday, South Africa delivered a commanding performance in the Namibia T20I Tri-Nation tournament. Dewald Brevis struck 75 not out off 32 balls to guide them to Zimbabwe’s 144 for 8 in 13.4 overs, South Africa reaching 146 for 3 to win by 7 wickets. It was Brevis’s second score of 75-plus in the tournament, a run of form that confirms him as one of the most dangerous T20 batters in world cricket ahead of the 2027 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
| South Africa vs Zimbabwe – T20I, August 28 | Details |
|---|---|
| Zimbabwe | 144/8 (20 overs) |
| South Africa | 146/3 (13.4 overs) |
| Result | South Africa won by 7 wickets |
| Player of the Match | Dewald Brevis (75* off 32 balls) |
| SA captain | Bjorn Fortuin |
| ZIM captain | Sikandar Raza |
| Tri-Nation Standings | Points | Record | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Namibia | 2 | 1-0 | +0.900 |
| South Africa | 2 | 1-1 | +0.969 |
| Zimbabwe | 0 | 0-1 | -3.480 |
Namibia beat South Africa by 18 runs on August 28, Gerhard Frylinck scoring 60 as Namibia posted 163 for 9 and South Africa were bowled out for 145 for 9 in reply. Brevis’s response on Friday left the two sides level on points at the top of the standings, with Namibia ahead on net run rate.
What cricket match is on today, August 29, 2026?
The main cricket match on August 29, 2026 is England vs Pakistan, 2nd Test at Lord’s Cricket Ground, London, Day 3 of 5 (live, rain-interrupted). The match runs from August 27 to 31. South Africa also beat Zimbabwe by 7 wickets in the Namibia T20I Tri-Nation on August 28 in Windhoek.
What is the England vs Pakistan live score today at Lord’s?
As of the latest available update, August 29, 2026: England declared their second innings at approximately 153 for 6, setting Pakistan a target of roughly 333. Pakistan’s first innings was 110 all out (37.2 overs); England’s first innings was 290 all out (66.4 overs). Live data; refresh official scorecards for the latest figures.
Who is playing in the cricket match today at Lord’s?
England XI: Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jacob Cox, Joe Root (c), Harry Brook, Dan Lawrence, Jamie Smith (wk), Ollie Robinson, Huw Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue. Pakistan XI: Imam-ul-Haq, Azan Awais, Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam (c), Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Ali Usman, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Abbas.
How can I watch the England vs Pakistan Test match live?
The England vs Pakistan 2nd Test is broadcast live on Sky Sports Cricket in the United Kingdom, with streaming via the Sky Sports app. The match runs August 27-31, 2026 at Lord’s Cricket Ground, London.
Who is leading in the England vs Pakistan 2nd Test?
England lead by approximately 333 runs with Pakistan still to bat in their second innings. England also lead the series 1-0, having won the 1st Test at Headingley by an innings and 103 runs.
What happened to Brydon Carse?
Brydon Carse was withdrawn from England’s Test squad ahead of the 2nd Test at Lord’s following an arrest at a London nightclub. He has not been charged. The ECB stood him down from the squad and named Sonny Baker as cover. The ECB has not made any further public statement on the matter.
Who is Dewald Brevis and why does his 75* matter?
Dewald Brevis is a South African batter regarded as one of the most explosive T20 talents in world cricket. His 75 not out off 32 balls against Zimbabwe in Windhoek on August 28, his second score of 75-plus in the Namibia Tri-Nation tournament, puts him in outstanding form ahead of the 2027 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. South Africa are among the leading sides expected to challenge for that tournament.
Rain delays at Lord’s left Saturday’s play without a definitive conclusion. The final Day 3 scorecard had not been officially confirmed at the time of writing; England’s total lead and Pakistan’s second-innings starting position are based on reports available through August 29. What the data confirms is that England’s lead stands above 330, Robinson has taken four wickets in this match already, and the Lord’s pitch has offered Pakistan’s batting no shelter across any over of this Test.
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