Pakistan vs England Tests 2018: Drawn 1-1 — Mohammad Abbas 10 Wickets Player of Series, Pakistan Win at Lord's by 9 Wickets, Dominic Bess Debut 57, Buttler 80* Headingley
The two-match Test series between Pakistan and England in May-June 2018 was drawn 1-1. Mohammad Abbas was Player of the Series with 10 wickets. 1st Test Lord's: Pakistan won by 9 wickets — England 184 (Cook 70; Abbas 4/23, Hasan Ali 4/51) and 242 (Root 68, Buttler 67, Bess 57 on debut; Amir 4/36, Abbas 4/41); Pakistan 363 (Babar Azam 68, Shafiq 59, Shadab Khan 52, Azhar Ali 50; Stokes 3/73) and 66/1. Abbas 8 wickets in the match, Player of the Match. Dominic Bess debuted — 57 saved England from a bigger defeat. Alastair Cook scored 70 in what was his 26th and final Lord's Test appearance. 2nd Test Headingley: England won by innings and 55 runs — Pakistan 174 (Shadab 56; Anderson 3/43, Broad 3/38) and 134 (Broad 3/28, Bess 3/33); England 363 (Buttler 80* Player of Match, Bess 49). Anderson 9 series wickets for England. Joe Root captained England; Sarfraz Ahmed captained Pakistan.
The two-match Test series between Pakistan and England in May-June 2018 was drawn 1-1. Mohammad Abbas was Player of the Series with 10 wickets. 1st Test Lord's (May 24-27): Pakistan won by 9 wickets. England 184 (Cook 70; Abbas 4/23, Hasan Ali 4/51) & 242 (Root 68, Buttler 67, Bess 57; Amir 4/36, Abbas 4/41); Pakistan 363 (Babar Azam 68, Asad Shafiq 59, Shadab Khan 52, Azhar Ali 50; Stokes 3/73) & 66/1. Player of the Match: Mohammad Abbas (8/64 in the match — 4/23 + 4/41). Dominic Bess, called up as an emergency replacement for the injured Jack Leach, made his Test debut at Lord's aged 20 — the off-spinner scored 57 in England's 2nd innings to prevent an even heavier defeat. Alastair Cook's 70 was England's top score in their 1st innings; it was his 26th and final Lord's Test appearance (he announced his retirement after the India series in September 2018). 2nd Test Headingley (June 1-3): England won by innings and 55 runs. Pakistan 174 (Shadab Khan 56; Anderson 3/43, Broad 3/38) & 134 (Broad 3/28, Bess 3/33, Anderson 2/35); England 363 (Buttler 80* Player of Match, Bess 49, Bairstow 45). Player of the Match: Jos Buttler (80*). Ben Stokes took 3/73 in Pakistan's 1st innings at Lord's. Mohammad Abbas took 10 series wickets — the most of any bowler; Jimmy Anderson took 9 for England. Joe Root captained England; Sarfraz Ahmed captained Pakistan.
Abbas 8 Wickets at Lord's: Pakistan's 9-Wicket Win
Mohammad Abbas's 8-wicket match haul at Lord's — 4/23 in England's 1st innings of 184, reducing them from 50/0 to 184 all out, then 4/41 in their 2nd innings of 242 — was the defining bowling performance of the series and one of the finest individual Lord's performances by a Pakistan pace bowler since Wasim Akram's era. Abbas's ability to move the ball off the seam in both directions without overt pace — he consistently operated around 82-85mph — exploited the green Lord's conditions perfectly. Pakistan's 363 in reply (Babar Azam 68, Shafiq 59, Shadab 52, Azhar 50) gave them a 179-run 1st-innings lead, and England's 2nd innings of 242 — despite Root 68, Buttler 67, and Bess's debut 57 — could not erase that. Pakistan chased 64 in 66/1 with ease. The 9-wicket win was Pakistan's fourth Lord's Test win — one of the most celebrated venues for their side in England.
Dominic Bess Debut 57: Emergency Call-Up Saves England at Lord's
Dominic Bess was called up as an emergency replacement for Jack Leach (broken thumb) and made his Test debut at Lord's in conditions far more suited to Pakistan's seamers than an off-spinner. His 57 in England's 2nd innings — batting at No. 8 with the match already lost — was a composed debut innings under pressure, sharing partnerships with Root and Buttler that delayed Pakistan's victory by a day and prevented England from following on with an even more embarrassing total. At 20 years old, Bess was one of the youngest England cricketers to score a Test fifty on debut. He followed up at Headingley — scoring 49 and taking 3/33 in Pakistan's 2nd innings to play a part in England's innings win. His debut series established him as a genuine Test prospect, though his England career would remain intermittent in the following years.
Buttler 80* and England's Headingley Innings Win
England's innings-and-55-run win at Headingley was built on Jos Buttler's unbeaten 80 — his highest Test score to that point — as England posted 363 from a position of vulnerability. Pakistan were bowled out for 174 in their 1st innings (Shadab Khan 56; Anderson 3/43, Broad 3/38) and 134 in their 2nd (Broad 3/28, Bess 3/33) — the Headingley pitch and England's seam duo of Anderson and Broad proving far more hostile than the Lord's conditions had been for England's batting. England's 363 gave them a 189-run 1st-innings lead, and with Buttler's 80* at the heart of their innings, the margin of victory — innings and 55 — reflected how completely England dominated the 2nd Test. Mohammad Abbas's 10 series wickets confirmed him as Pakistan's best bowler; Anderson's 9 for England matched that quality on the other side. The 1-1 draw was a fair reflection of a competitive series between two evenly matched sides on different tracks.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the Pakistan vs England Test series in 2018?
The series was drawn 1-1. Pakistan won the 1st Test at Lord's by 9 wickets (Abbas 8 wickets in the match; Cook 70; Bess 57 on debut). England won the 2nd Test at Headingley by innings and 55 runs (Buttler 80*; Bess 3/33). Mohammad Abbas was Player of the Series with 10 wickets. Sarfraz Ahmed captained Pakistan; Joe Root captained England.
How many wickets did Mohammad Abbas take in the 2018 England series?
Mohammad Abbas took 10 wickets in the two-Test series — making him Player of the Series. In the 1st Test at Lord's he took 8 wickets in the match (4/23 in England's 1st innings of 184 + 4/41 in their 2nd innings of 242). Pakistan won that Test by 9 wickets. England won the 2nd Test at Headingley by innings and 55 runs.