England's summer of cricket starts with a whimper as hosts hammered by Pakistan in perfect English conditions

It has been an awful few days for English cricket. Being hammered at their headquarters by Pakistan in perfect English conditions was bad enough but then Joe Root had to fend off questions about match-fixing allegations involving the England Test team.

How Pakistan must have smiled to see an Englishman at Lord’s answering questions about fixing while they celebrated a famous win.

Root denied the "outrageous" claims made in a documentary by Al Jazeera, released on their website just moments before the teams took to the field at Lord’s on Sunday, and the England & Wales Cricket Board are confident there is nothing to worry about, but it is yet another distraction for an England team that has enough problems already.

England were beaten by nine wickets, a fair reflection of a match in which Pakistan won every session apart from the brief rally by Jos Buttler and Dominic Bess on Saturday evening. It only held up the inevitable.

After a night’s rest Pakistan were invigorated and England collapsed once again, losing four wickets for seven runs in 25 balls. Buttler was dismissed in the over before the new ball was due by the brilliant Mohammad Abbas. It snuffed out any hopes of an audacious comeback.

Set 64 to win Pakistan lost Azhar Ali, bowled by the kind of pitched-up delivery from James Anderson that England badly needed on Saturday morning, but the run chase held few alarms and the game was over half an hour before lunch.

Mickey Arthur, coach of Pakistan, ranked the result as one of the highlights of his career. “The guys played unbelievably and that Test performance was as good as any I have been involved in,” he said.

Before this Test Arthur was asked if he was interested in succeeding Trevor Bayliss next year as England head coach. He deferred to his current employer, saying he is happy with Pakistan, but Arthur has rebuilt his reputation and should be high on the list.

Bayliss has lost 20 out of 41 Tests since he took charge before the 2015 Ashes, including seven of the last ten. No player has emerged to become a regular in the team. Instead batsmen have come and gone and the bowling remains reliant on the decade-old partnership of Broad and Anderson. Bayliss is under more pressure than at any other stage of his time with England. That he is a wonderful coach of the white-ball team is not in doubt. He has built a rapport with Eoin Morgan and has encouraged talented cricketers to play with freedom. 

But the same approach in Test cricket is not working. It was always unfair to judge Bayliss until he was given the Test captain he wanted in Root. Alastair Cook, with his cautious, conservative ways, was respected by Bayliss but they are from different ends of the cricketing spectrum. Root was his man, but after a year together the team has declined and gone backwards.

The national selector, James Whitaker, was the fall guy for the Ashes defeat but now Bayliss is next in line. However, with Andrew Strauss on compassionate leave, there is a leadership vacuum at the top of the ECB. Andy Flower has stepped in to cover for Strauss but is unlikely to take any major decisions in that time. Strauss had his opportunity to make the change after the Ashes and the New Zealand tour. It was the moment to split the coaching roles but he decided not to take action and Bayliss will see out this summer, at least, in charge of both teams. 

Before this match Root believed the team had changed. He felt they had prepared for this Test better than ever before.

But only a handful of first-class matches and two players returning from the IPL is not enough preparation when compared to a Pakistan team that has been here a month and had a good workout against Ireland, where, according to their captain, Sarfraz Ahmed, they learned to bowl full.

The series resumes at Headingley on Friday. It is Root’s home ground but England have a poor record in Leeds and Anderson, in particular, does not like bowling there. It demands the fuller length and England have lost to West Indies (2017), New Zealand (2015) and Sri Lanka (2014) in Leeds in recent seasons. The conditions will suit Pakistan and they will also have vocal support compared to Lord’s, a bastion of Englishness. It will be a lively Test match with a lot at stake.

Mark Stoneman should not be there. He has played 11 Tests and looks a county player who has to strain to compete, let alone excel at Test level. He has been gritty at times, and was brave in Australia, but his partnership with Cook is statistically the worst of any England opening duo. He is the 12th player to try and replace Andrew Strauss as Cook’s partner and it is time to move on.

1:00PM

I think that'll do it for us

England pretty much awful, we'll pick over the bones of that, and we're up to Headingley on Friday for the second Test. Thanks for following with us, from me and rest of the Telegraph Sport team, have a restful Sunday and enjoy the Bank Holiday.

12:56PM

Mohammad Abbas

is the man of the match. A certain W Akram is his interpreter!

12:54PM

Sarfraz Ahmed

12:50PM

Few boos, otherwise silence, as Joe Root comes up

12:50PM

Player interviews on the pitch

Athers the MC. Joe Root first up

12:43PM

Pakistan Zindabad

12:42PM

Nasser

"The time for gently-gently, 'how can we improve?' team talks has gone. We are not good enough. Root has got to go hard at his players now."

12:42PM

Refunds

12:41PM

Sir Ian Botham

"There is no way England should play like that at home. It is not good enough. It was wimpish to watch to be honest. Like schoolboys getting rolled over."

12:39PM

Reaction

"The way Pakistan played, you would say they were the home side. The lengths Pakistan bowled, how they batted in the conditions," says Nasser.

"Dangerous combination for England: they cannot win games away from home because they cannot bowl when the ball is not moving, and they cannot win at home because they cannot play the moving ball."

12:37PM

Stand by for 

the usual platitudes about the effort in the dressing room and the taking the positives, no doubt. But England's Test team are absolutely stinking up the joint at the moment, and there are going to be a lot of unhappy fans (not least those who have paid top dollar for Lord's tickets).

12:33PM

Pakistan win

Pakistan (363 & 66/1 ) beat England (184 & 242) by nine wickets. 

Congratulations to them. Could hardly have gone better. Variety and class with the ball, patience and heart with the bat, caught like demons. Well led, well coached, well prepared, and they got the balance of the side right.

England are in a proper mess. Let's get some reaction and reports.

12:32PM

Pakistan win by nine wickets

A wonderful performance from Sarfraz Ahmed's side, congratulations to them. Played superbly from start to finish,  dominated the Test almost entirely. I would say they won nine out of ten sessions, with only the dead cat bounce batting of Buttler and Bess yesterday evening adding even a patina of respectability for the hapless hosts.

12:30PM

OVER 12.4: PAK 66/1 (Imam 18* Haris Sohail 39*). Target: 64 

Dom Bess getting a little mini schooling here. Overpitches, and Haris Sohail creams him for six into the midwicket stands. Now a full toss, efficiently tucked away, and young Bess has gone for 29 in 3.4 overs, taking the edge of his encouraging batting yesterday. Anyway, that is fare from the main event: Pakistan have won the Test match

12:28PM

OVER 12: PAK 56/1 (Imam 18* Haris Sohail 29*). Target: 64

More short stuff from Wood but, unlike the previous two overs, this one goes for a few. Six off it. 

12:26PM

Kneeding a break

12:23PM

OVER 11: PAK 50/1 (Imam 13* Haris Sohail 28*). Target: 64          

Dom Bess not doing any favours for the committee though, dishing up a couple of half volleys to Haris Sohail, who makes no mistake. Four, four. Pakistan now within touching distance.

12:19PM

OVER 10: PAK 42/1 (Imam 13* Haris Sohail 20*). Target: 64         

Wood continues with the short stuff to Imam. A maiden, I guess.

12:18PM

Pretty clear what to do

12:15PM

OVER 9: PAK 42/1 (Imam 13* Haris Sohail 20*). Target: 64        

He's quite quick, Dom Bess. Plenty of stuff in the mid 50s, this one was 59mph.

Pie here, now. Short. Gifted four to Haris.

12:12PM

OVER 8: PAK 36/1 (Imam 13* Haris Sohail 14*). Target: 64       

Mark Wood comes on for a bowl. All short stuff. Perhaps looking to rattle one of these ahead of the next Test as much as anything.

12:11PM

OVER 7: PAK 35/1 (Imam 13* Haris Sohail 13*). Target: 64      

Dom Bess having a dart. Imam-ul-Haq plants him for a four. Big ripper now out of the rough, beats Bairstow for three byes.

12:06PM

OVER 6: PAK 27/1 (Imam 9* Haris Sohail 12*). Target: 64     

Haris Sohail certainly doing his bit to ensure that fans gets some or all of their money back! He's slashed a four wide of the cordon and, much more convincing shot this one, driven through the covers for the same score.

12:04PM

OVER 5: PAK 19/1 (Imam 9* Haris Sohail 4*). Target: 64    

Five off the over, three of them to Imam as he drives through the covers.

Here's the refund stipulations by the way.

Men’s Investec Test Match Refund Scheme "For days 1 to 4 of the Investec Test Match:  If play is restricted or does not take place at the ground on the day for which this ticket is valid, you may claim a refund of only the match ticket value subject to there being: (a) 15 overs or less because of adverse weather conditions or completion of the match - a full refund; (b) 15.1 overs to 29.5 overs because of adverse weather conditions or completion of the match - a 50% refund.  In no other circumstances can money be refunded."

11:57AM

OVER 4: PAK 14/1 (Imam 5* Haris Sohail 2*). Target: 64   

Good over from Board. Imam fiddling and fishing.

11:56AM

Ooh, Collapse Litany!

Who doesn't enjoy a good wallow?

11:53AM

OVER 3: PAK 14/1 (Imam 5* Haris Sohail 2*). Target: 64  

Well the DREAM is ALIVE. Possibly. Another seven or eight balls like that from Jimmy, pls.

11:48AM

WICKET! Azhar Ali b Anderson 4

That is a peach. Vintage Anderson. Top of off, too good. Angled in, straightened. A proper beaut. Azhar left looking like  a rank amateur, poking, the bat turning in his hand as he seemingly tried to work that to the leg side. FOW 12/1

11:47AM

OVER 2: PAK 11/0 (Azhar Ali 4* Imam 5*). Target: 64 

Broad finds some swing, and nearly snakes the ball through Imam's driving blade. Also in this over, an impressive, compact drive to the mid-off fence for four by the same batsman.

11:43AM

OVER 1: PAK 6/0 (Azhar Ali 4* Imam 0*). Target: 64

No-nonsense stuff from Jimmy, cannot fault that line or length, apart from ball four, which begets two leg byes. Last ball of the over finds the thick edge, goes for four.

11:42AM

Right then

Here comes Jimmy. Can he give the long-suffering England fans something to cheer?

11:41AM

Good company

11:34AM

Quick turnaround then

I feel really sorry for people who have dropped 80 quid on a Lord's ticket. This will be over by lunch at the latest. Not brilliant value, is it?

11:30AM

OVER 82.1: ENG 242/10 (Anderson 0*)

All over in just 26 minutes, England losing four wickets for six runs today. Pakistan clinical, flawless, professional today and they will require just 64 runs to win.

11:28AM

WICKET! Bess b Mohammad Amir 57

Woof! Well, that is settled in emphatic fashion. Brisk from over the wicket, Bess tries a big drive and is basically just bowled. Dear me. 26 minutes this morning, and England have been rolled over. FOW 242/10

11:27AM

OVER 82: ENG 242/9 (Bess 57* Anderson 0*)   

Jimmy comes in and blocks the last two balls of the over.

11:25AM

WICKET! Broad c Sarfraz Ahmed b Mohammad Abbas 0

Broad's not hanging around for long, England and Pakistan looking to get this wrapped up before it starts raining. Broad pokes tamely at a ball outside off, another solid catch from Sarfraz, who has had a very good game with the gloves. FOW 242/9

11:22AM

Broad in

Broad drives, doesn't really get hold of it and it bobbles across the square, before leaping spitefully off the turf and hitting the man at backward point, Imam, in what we euphemistically refer to as "the penis".  He didn't enjoy that very much.

His teammates, for whatever reason, start manipulating his legs. Yeah cheers.

11:18AM

OVER 81: ENG 241/8 (Bess 56*)  

That was the last ball of the over. Excellent ball, right on the money at a good clip. Would have troubled anybody, that one. Pakistan doing an utterly professional job this morning.

11:14AM

Amir comes on

The new ball is due and/so Mo Amir is replacing Hasan Ali from the Pavilion End. He tries a couple with the old pill, short of a length and getting Bess in a bit of a pickle. A single, and now he is ready to have a crack at Mark Wood with the new cherry. 

Three slips, movement into the right-handed Wood from a good pace and, well, you have to fancy Amir here, to say the least.

WICKET! Wood c Sarfraz b Amir 4 Yep, too good for Woody. Left-arm over, this one is the scrambled seam delivery, it does not swing in, it holds its line to take the edge and that is regulation for Sarfraz. FOW 241/8

11:10AM

OVER 80: ENG 240/7 (Bess 55* Wood 4*) 

Wood defends his first one and then gets off the mark second ball with a flamboyant drive through the covers.

Jos departed eighth ball of the day and, with him, hopes of this as a contest one has to feel.

11:05AM

WICKET! Buttler lbw Abbas 67

Mohammad Abbas bowls to Jos, he drives at it, misses and is struck on the pad. It's upheld on review.

Buttler had a big, expansive drive at the ball, which came on back into him. Ended up playing down the wrong line. It looked a very good shout on the field and it would have been a big surprise to see that overturned. FOW 236/7

11:05AM

OVER 79: ENG 236/7 (Buttler 67* Bess 55*)

First two balls pass without incident but the third is a shooter! Decent length and at acceptable pace, but that got through at shin height. Not an encouraging sight for England. Jos takes a single off the last ball of the over.

11:01AM

Play

England resume on 235/6 (Buttler 66* Bess 55*) off 78 overs, a lead of 56.

11:00AM

Jos marks his guard

Mo Amir whirls his arms. Hasan Ali, though, will be the man to get first use of this very old ball.

10:56AM

Right

Let's play cricket.

10:34AM

Excellent discipline from Jos

10:29AM

Some rough for the spinner

But still looks a very acceptable deck for batting.

10:28AM

Been enjoying Mr Arthur this Test

Loving his pride when things have been going well. Also loved his "WTF was that?" reaction in the first dig when skipper slapped the last ball before tea down long leg's throat. Also loved his enthusiastic consumption of a breakfast bap on the balcony yesterday.

10:20AM

The marvellous Mr Buttler

Here, Tim Wigmore examines the skills and temperament that have made Jos such a special cricketer, and tips his hat to the new selector Ed Smith for looking beyond the data to pick a unique talent.

Jos Buttler proves what raw talent can achieve when selectors trust what their eyes see and not what stats tell them

10:15AM

Good morning! 

Tyers here, it's pleasant enough in London, although there was some terrific thunder and lightning last night. The England cricket team will be hoping that Jos Buttler can summon up some Sturm und Drang of his own on day four and possibly, perhaps, get England up to a halfway decent total. The other thing to keep more than half an eye on today is the weather forecast: it is not at all good at Lord's, with thundery storms foretold from noon. The forecast for tomorrow, meanwhile, has improved quite a bit: it's forecast to rain only from late afternoon. England must just hope to bat and then see what assistance the gods can provide, I suppose.

That we are even considering a heroic escape is testament to a fine unbroken 125-run stand between Buttler (66*) and the debutant spinner Dom Bess (55*). They have batted sensibly, intelligently, and with passion and heart. Some or all of those could be said to have been lacking further up the card: Root made yet another unconverted half-century, everyone else made bupkiss. Buttler and Bes came together at 110/6, with England 69 runs short of making Pakistan bat again. In all likelihood, this stand is merely delaying the last rites, but that is no reason not to try.

England resume, then, on 235/6, which is a precarious lead of 56. Just the bowlers left in the hutch but while the supremely talented magician Buttler and his young assistant are there, then hope must be too.

Here is Nick Hoult's report from day three.

Jos Buttler and Dom Bess strike back to save England from humiliation of three-day defeat, but Pakistan still in command