England beat Pakistan by an innings and 103 runs as Agha admits

England defeated Pakistan by an innings and 103 runs in the first Test after dismissing the tourists for 171 and 135. The result gives England a 1-0 lead in the series and leaves Pakistan needing a sharp response at Lord’s.

Pakistan’s first-innings total allowed England to take control early. The hosts answered with 409, building a lead of 238 runs before Pakistan returned to the crease. The tourists could not recover, folding for 135 in 37.3 overs to end the match inside two innings.

Salman Agha, deputising for the injured Babar Azam, said Pakistan were beaten in every major area of the game. England’s bowling, batting and fielding were all better, while Pakistan lacked the consistency required to remain competitive in English conditions.

Agha also pointed to the movement available to the ball in England, where concentration has to be maintained throughout an innings. Pakistan’s performance, he said, showed lapses across departments rather than one isolated weakness. The team’s failure to sustain pressure after England’s big first-innings score left it with little margin for error.

The stand-in captain linked the display to Pakistan’s limited preparation after arriving from very different conditions. He said the team had only 12 days to prepare and argued that a week is not enough for an Asian side to adjust fully to England. Such tours are difficult at the start, he added, with visiting teams often requiring more time to adapt.

Pakistan now turn to the second Test, which begins on Thursday at Lord’s, with Agha promising a stronger performance. The team also hopes Babar will recover from his finger injury in time to return, although his availability has not been confirmed.