Mohammad Abbas stands one wicket away from achieving a personal milestone that has eluded him for eight years. The Pakistan fast bowler took four wickets on the opening day of the second Test against England at Lord's, moving within touching distance of a place on the ground's honours board—a target he set himself during his first appearance there in 2018.
Abbas's performance came despite physical discomfort that required extensive treatment during the afternoon session. Midway through his 10th over, as drinks were being served, he signalled to Pakistan's medical staff and lay face-down on the turf while they worked on his glutes and lower back. The break extended slightly to allow for the repairs, but the interruption proved costly for England's batters, whose concentration wavered in the moments that followed.
When Abbas returned to his fielding position at mid-on, the momentum shifted. A misfield by Imam-ul-Haq off the next delivery handed Dan Lawrence two runs, and the batsman was then run out in the following over after becoming entangled with Jordan Cox, ending a partnership worth 43 runs. The bowler had not delivered the ball that produced the dismissal, yet his presence and the disruption caused by his treatment had created the opening.
According to , Abbas took three wickets for 34 runs during his opening spell from the Nursery End before lunch, which lasted eight uninterrupted overs. By the time he had bowled six overs, England had lost three wickets—all to Abbas. His opening spell established Pakistan's control of the match on a day when rain and muggy conditions favoured the visiting pace attack.
The dismissals themselves reflected Abbas's precision rather than any element of chance. Emilio Gay was caught behind the stumps after tickling a delivery down the leg-side, a moment of good fortune in an otherwise clinical performance. Ben Duckett fell lbw to become Abbas's 1,000th victim in first-class cricket, achieved at an average just over 20. Joe Root followed soon after, also trapped lbw, repeating the method by which Abbas had dismissed him the last time the two met on this ground.
Abbas's record at Lord's is extraordinary given his circumstances. He has bowled more deliveries on this ground than any other visiting bowler currently playing in the match. By the final ball of his 12th over, he had sent down 738 deliveries at Lord's—one more than Jofra Archer had managed. Only Ollie Robinson, among those involved in the game, has bowled more red balls at the venue than Pakistan's senior seamer.
The bowler's connection to English cricket runs deeper than his Test appearances. He has played more County Championship games for Hampshire than for any other team, and since receiving special dispensation to play in England before Pakistan's 2018 Test series, he has featured in almost twice as many domestic first-class matches in England (80) as in Pakistan's domestic competitions (41). In effect, he bowls in what are close to home conditions, yet remains a visiting player chasing an honour that has eluded him.
When Abbas first played at Lord's in June 2018, he took four wickets in each innings but fell short of the honours board.
I wanted to get on the honours board but I came close,he reflected afterwards.
However, if I get the chance to play a Test match in future at Lord's then that is definitely a target for me.The wait has been long. Pakistan have averaged a Test at Lord's every four years since 1954, but the gap between Abbas's first appearance and this one stretched to eight years, three months and three days—the longest interval in that span.
The 36-year-old's approach to bowling contains nothing flamboyant. His action is unremarkable, his appearance unassuming. What sets him apart is the relentless consistency of his bowling and the statistics that underpin it. Yet this very quality has worked against him with Pakistan's selectors, who have picked him with characteristic inconsistency despite his record. As England had won the first Test of the series at Headingley, Abbas's performance at Lord's represented Pakistan's chance to respond and level the contest.
The spell either side of the afternoon drinks break, delivered despite various aches and pains, illustrated Abbas's quality most vividly. He had been unable to bowl immediately after lunch due to time spent off the field, but between his return and the end of his initial spell, nine overs yielded only 14 runs, no boundaries, and the crucial run-out. The subsequent seven overs before tea saw the complexion change entirely, with eight boundaries and 51 runs as Cox and Jamie Smith attacked aggressively.
Mohammad Ali emerged as the more threatening bowler after lunch, claiming the wickets of Smith and Robinson in a single over as the light deteriorated and floodlights were switched on. Yet Abbas maintained his consistency throughout. He returned to dismiss Jofra Archer, bringing his tally to four wickets in the innings and matching his achievement from 2018.
The final ball of that over—and the last delivery of the day—caught the leading edge of Gus Atkinson's bat and flew over the slip cordon for four. The honours board would have to wait another night. According to match coverage from the opening day, England finished on 248 for nine as play ended early because of poor light.
Abbas's journey to this moment reflects both his individual determination and the broader context of Pakistan's tour. He is the last man standing from Pakistan's 2020 England seam attack, and his control-based approach has proven vital as Pakistan lean on spin at home and struggle for pace options abroad. His performance on 27 August 2026 demonstrated why he remains indispensable to the touring side.
What happens next
The second Test continues as a scheduled five-day match through 31 August 2026 at Lord's. England's position at 248 for nine leaves the match finely balanced, with Pakistan's strong opening-day showing—driven by Abbas's four wickets and Mohammad Ali's three—providing genuine hope of a response after the Headingley defeat. The outcome of this Test will shape the momentum heading into the final match of the three-Test series.
