'His best Test for a year': England-Pakistan Lord's ratings
England beat Pakistan by 194 runs at Lord's to clinch their first Test series win since 2024, with Ollie Robinson and Jamie Smith topping the player ratings while Pakistan's top order collapsed again. The result landed amid a broadcast controversy and a planned royal audience for the tourists before the third Test.
BBC Sport's Matthew Henry rated every player after England outclassed Pakistan in the second Test, published on 30 August 2026. Robinson took eight more wickets and now has 23 in three Tests at an average of 8.34 since his recall. Smith earned an eight for what Henry called his best performance in a year, with a composed 61 in difficult first-innings conditions.
Key Takeaways
- England won by 194 runs at Lord's to secure a series victory, their first since 2024.
- Ollie Robinson (9/10) and Jamie Smith (8/10) led England's ratings; Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue also impressed.
- Pakistan's Babar Azam (2/10) and Abdullah Shafique (2/10) struggled, though Saud Shakeel made a fighting century (7/10).
- Muhammad Abbas was Pakistan's standout with nine wickets, including 5-57 in the second innings.
- The tourists will meet King Charles between the second and third Tests after a Lord's broadcast controversy.
Who were England's top performers at Lord's?
Robinson was the clear standout. Henry rated him 9/10, calling it "Ollie Robinson's summer" after another eight-wicket haul. Archer earned 8/10 for a brilliant first-innings spell and a bouncer that dismissed Babar Azam on day four, evoking his fearsome Lord's debut.
Smith's 61 and sharp keeping behind the stumps also earned 8/10. Jordan Cox (7/10) made 55 in the first innings and stayed composed as wickets fell around him. Dan Lawrence responded to an early run-out with 54 in the second innings, while Tongue took key first-innings wickets of Babar and Abdullah Shafique.
Where did Pakistan struggle in the second Test?
Pakistan's batting order offered little resistance beyond Saud Shakeel, who finally showed fight with a deserved century rated 7/10. Babar Azam scored just two marks out of 10 — Henry noted the best thing he did was win the toss. Shafique managed five and a duck after being Pakistan's best batter in the first Test.
Imam-ul-Haq received 1/10 without batting or bowling, having dropped a catch. Shan Masood battled for 26 in the second innings but made only one in the first. Seamer Muhammad Abbas was the lone bright spot at 8/10, with nine wickets in the match and a place on the Lord's honours board.
Why is Pakistan meeting King Charles after Lord's?
Separately from the on-field result, Pakistan will have an audience with King Charles in the break before the third Test at Edgbaston. Buckingham Palace confirmed the engagement was planned before the series began, with His Majesty expected to spend around 15 minutes with the team at Clarence House.
The meeting follows controversy on day one at Lord's, when Sky Sports aired an interview with Suleiman and Kasim Khan, sons of imprisoned former captain and prime minister Imran Khan. The Pakistan Cricket Board raised the prospect of not resuming the second Test and cancelling the series, though Pakistan returned after lunch and captain Babar Azam later called the cancellation threat "rumours."
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What happens next in the England-Pakistan series?
The third and final Test moves to Edgbaston, where Emilio Gay — rated 5/10 after unlucky dismissal for 31 — could face a pivotal week in the opener's role. England's Joe Root, who fell lbw in both innings for scores of four and 24, will want to address a pattern of seven lbw dismissals in nine Tests this summer.
Off the field, Pakistan's royal audience and the fallout from the Sky Sports interview continue to shadow the tour. England are scheduled to return to Pakistan in October for a one-day tri-series against the home side and Sri Lanka.