London: England captain Joe Root praised his side’s all-round performance after England defeated Pakistan by 194 runs in the second Test at Lord’s on Sunday to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.England set Pakistan a target of 389, but the visitors were bowled out for 194 in their second innings. Saud Shakeel offered strong resistance with a fighting 97, while England’s pace attack kept the pressure on throughout the chase.Root said the result was particularly satisfying because England had adapted well to difficult batting conditions and maintained a positive approach with both bat and ball.“It does feel good, and the way that we’ve done it as well, I think it’s been pretty convincing,” Root said after the match. He highlighted the way the batters adjusted to different surfaces and praised a bowling attack featuring three quick bowlers capable of operating around 90 mph alongside Ollie Robinson.
Root praises England's adaptability
England had been reduced to 77/4 in their first innings before recovering to make 290. Jordan Cox and Jamie Smith made important contributions, while the lower order added valuable runs.Root singled out Dan Lawrence and Emilio Gay for their contributions and said the team's mentality after losing early wickets was particularly encouraging.“When you find yourself 80 for 4, the mentality and the way that the guys approached the back half of that innings and getting us to the score that we did was outstanding,” Root said.England's second innings produced 208, with Lawrence top-scoring with 54. That gave Pakistan a daunting target on a surface where batting remained difficult.
Robinson leads England's bowling attack
Ollie Robinson was the standout performer with the ball. He claimed 8/35 across the match, including 4/24 in Pakistan's second innings, and was named Player of the Match.Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue also played key roles as Pakistan struggled to withstand England's pace attack. Pakistan slipped to 14/3 during the chase before Saud Shakeel and Shan Masood attempted to rebuild the innings. Their partnership eventually ended, and England completed the win.The victory is England's first multi-Test series win since December 2024 and their fifth consecutive Test victory at Lord's.
Root wants more of the same in final Test
With the series already secured, England will now turn their attention to the third Test at Edgbaston, beginning September 9.Root said he wants his team to maintain the same approach in the final match and continue adapting to different conditions.“If we can keep adapting and evolving to those challenges, then we’re going to be a pretty hard team to break down,” he said.Pakistan, meanwhile, will look to regroup after two heavy defeats. The visitors' batting remains a major concern, despite Mohammad Abbas' five-wicket haul in England's second innings and Saud Shakeel's determined 97.
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