Duo’s odd solution to rare cricket dilemma in England’s dream start to life after Bazball

Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue took five wickets apiece as England made a strong start to the post-Bazball era by dismissing Pakistan for 171 in the first Test at Headingley on Wednesday.

Recalled seamer Robinson became the first man to take a wicket with the first ball of a Test series in England on his way to 5-51 in 18 overs — a return all the more impressive for including four frontline batsmen.

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Paceman Tongue finished with 5-46 in 9.1 overs as Pakistan crumbled on a rain-marred opening day of a three-Test series.

England were 2-112 at stumps — a deficit of just 59 runs.

Joe Root, at the start of his second stint as full-time England captain, was 37 not out on his Yorkshire home ground.

He shared an unbroken partnership of 64 with Jordan Cox (23 not out), replacing the injured Jacob Bethell at number three.

- ‘Exceptional’ Robinson -

“Ollie Robinson was excellent,” Tongue told Sky Sports. “He’s an exceptional bowler when he hits his lines and lengths and he showed that today.” Earlier, Imam-ul-Haq (42) and Abdullah Shafique (61), who’ve both played at Headingley for Yorkshire, offered the only meaningful resistance for Pakistan -- without a series win in England in 30 years.

But from 117-3, Pakistan lost their last seven wickets for 54 runs, with the tourists bowled out inside 49 overs.

“They (England) played some good cricket today but we will try to take early wickets tomorrow, the wickets of Root and (Harry) Brook are key,” said Shafique.

Root explained his decision to field first after winning the toss by saying: “We feel there’s some overheads to work with, and a bit of top moisture that our lads can exploit.”

But even Root could not have forecast what came next as Robinson had opener Azan Awais lbw for a golden duck.

It was a memorable way for the 32-year-old -- recalled in place of off-spinner Shoaib Bashir -- to take his 500th first-class wicket at an impressively low average of 21.

Shan Masood (five) also fell lbw to Robinson.

England were playing their first Test following the exits of former captain Ben Stokes, who has retired from international duty, and Brendon McCullum, sacked as red-ball coach after the recent series defeat by New Zealand.

The hosts have won just two of their last 10 Tests but England showed no signs of being affected by those departures as Pakistan were put to the sword.

Imam was well caught low at second slip by Brook following a loose drive off Tongue.

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Shafique completed a fine 82-ball fifty, including seven fours. But Saud Shakeel fell for just five when he was lbw to Robinson following the bowler’s prolonged appeal.

Umpire Allahuddien Paleker took an age to raise his finger and Shakeel was then ruled to have taken too long to review the South African umpire’s decision.

To make matters worse for Pakistan, replays indicated the ball would have missed leg stump.

There was no doubt, however, as 117-4 became 118-5 when, with wicketkeeper Jamie Smith standing up to the stumps, Robinson clean bowled Shafique with an excellent nip-back delivery.

Stand-in Pakistan captain Salman Agha (21), deputising for injured skipper Babar Azam, fell to Tongue, who had Ali Usman lbw next ball.

That left the fast bowler on a hat-trick at tea.

Khurram Shahzad denied Tongue that prize by driving the first ball after tea for four. But Tongue soon had Mohammad Rizwan lbw.

Robinson completed his fifth five-wicket haul in just 22 Tests when Shahzad holed out.

Tongue put an exclamation point on England’s dominant display when he bowled Mohammad Abbas for his fifth wicket.

The pair then solved the dilemma of who should get to keep the ball in unique fashion.

“We were walking off, and Tonguey said ‘I think we should split it’,” Robinson explained. “And I was like, ‘We actually should do that. I think it’d be quite cool.’

“You don’t really have too many half a cricket ball, so it’d be something that we never forget, really. And it’s not very often two guys get five in the same innings, so it’s just a nice gesture and something to remember.”

Once England were back in the dressing room, Tongue approached a groundsman and asked if the ball could be split in half.

It was done with a saw.

“I said to him, ‘Do you reckon they’ll be able to do it?’,” Robinson said. “And within five minutes, he brought it back up. It was done.”

Robinson’s haul came just six days after his partner Mia gave birth to a baby girl, Eva.

“It almost makes today even sweeter. When you leave them after they’re born and you come and put a performance in, it meant a lot today to do that. And I know they’re not here; they’re at home. But I was thinking of them the whole time,” Robinson said.

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