Pakistan captain Babar Azam conceded that his team's batting was not up to the mark after England took Pakistan to a 194-run defeat in the second Test at Lord's yesterday, as England took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Pakistan had the chance to stay in the game as they won the toss and chose to bowl first. But their batting failed in both innings, so they had no chance of winning the game, leaving the visitors with a tough job and a heavy defeat.
Babar Azam Admits Batting Failure
Babar said during the presentation of the match that Pakistan had initially tried to make use of the conditions after winning the toss, but the batting unit was not able to take advantage of the situation.
"I think we won the toss and bowled first, and we tried to utilise the conditions. Then the batting was not up to the mark," Babar said.
The Pakistan captain also pointed to another batting collapse later in the match. He praised Mohammad Abbas for his bowling performance but admitted that Pakistan's batting again failed when the team needed it most.
Pakistan's first innings was a major setback. After England was bowled out for 290, Pakistan reached only 110 in 37.2 overs. Ollie Robinson, Jofra Archer, and Josh Tongue were the England bowlers who had the visitors under constant pressure, and they took an 180-run first-innings lead.
England then strengthened their position with 208 in their second innings to set Pakistan a target of 389. Mohammad Abbas provided Pakistan with a big boost by taking five wickets, but the batting unit could not make the most of his effort.
This is peak embarrassment Babar Azam and this shows how fake PR from Pakistan hypes him up
— justacricketlover (@imkmalhotra) August 30, 2026
He is an average test batter pic.twitter.com/6NhwNURgo0
Saud Shakeel Offers Some Resistance
Pakistan's chase got off to a disastrous start as they lost three wickets for just 14 runs. Azan Awais was dismissed for six before Ollie Robinson removed Abdullah Shafique for a duck. Jofra Archer then dismissed Babar Azam for six, putting Pakistan in deep trouble early in the innings.
Shan Masood and Saud Shakeel tried to steady the innings with a partnership. Shakeel had the best individual performance for Pakistan in the match, scoring 97 from 122 deliveries with 13 fours and two sixes.
His innings kept Pakistan’s hopes alive for a period of time, but England continued to take wickets at regular intervals. Pakistan were finally bowled out in 50.5 overs, falling 195 runs short of their target and scoring 194.
Babar praised Shakeel for his approach under pressure, saying that the left-hander showed “class and determination.” But Pakistan's captain also admitted that the team was unable to form the partnerships needed to stay in the match.
"We just followed our plans and tried to build partnerships, but unfortunately, we didn’t have partnerships," Babar said.
Abbas Shines Despite Pakistan Loss
While Pakistan’s batting had remained a major concern, Mohammad Abbas emerged as one of the team’s biggest positives at Lord’s.
Abbas took five wickets in England's second innings to finish with 5/57 from 22 overs. It was his eighth five-wicket haul in Test cricket and a memorable performance at one of the most iconic venues in the sport.
Babar also praised Abbas for his performance, describing a five-wicket haul at Lord’s as a memorable one. The team is also working on a lot of things like batting and bowling, and they are still improving both.
On the other hand, England was led by Ollie Robinson, who finished with 8/35 match figures and was named Player of the Match. His bowling destroyed Pakistan’s batting lineup in this Test.
The defeat was also Pakistan's first loss at Lord’s in 16 years and added further weight to the result. With England leading 2-0 in the three-Test series, Pakistan will need to respond strongly in the final match to avoid a series whitewash.
