Ollie Robinson branded 'exceptional' as he and Josh Tongue cut match ball in two after taking five-fers vs Pakistan
Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue asked the Headingley grounds staff to cut the match ball in two, after both players took five-fers on opening day of England's first Test vs Pakistan; watch day two live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10.15am on Thursday
Wednesday 19 August 2026 23:04, UK
Ollie Robinson was branded 'exceptional' by team-mate Josh Tongue after both pace bowlers bagged five-wicket hauls as England bowled Pakistan out for 171 runs on day one of the first Test match at Headingley.
After Tongue snared Mohammad Abbas to wrap up Pakistan's first innings, he and Robinson walked off the field holding hands, discussing who between them would take the match ball home.
Instead, they opted to split the ball in half, employing the help of the grounds staff to cut the ball through its seam.
"It's not often you get half a ball," Robinson told the ECB. "So it's something we'll remember forever. It's quite unique."
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At stumps on day one, England were left trailing the visitors by only 59 runs, with returning captain Joe Root and Jordan Cox set to return to bat in the morning with their side on 112-2, after Ben Duckett (15) and Emilio Gay (33) were both dismissed by Abbas and Mohammad Ali.
Robinson kickstarted proceedings in incredible fashion, pinning Azan Awais with the first ball of the Test match, before also snaring Shan Masood (5) lbw before rain stopped play.
He followed up by dismissing Abdullah Shafique (61), Saud Shakeel (5), and later got Khurram Shazad (14), to take the fifth five-fer of his Test career.
It followed his incredible seven-wicket haul at Lord's against New Zealand in June, his last Test appearance.
"Ollie Robinson was excellent," Tongue said. "As a bowling unit, we were very good. I'm glad that we bowled them out.
"It was similar to his performance at Lord's.
"He's an exceptional bowler when he hits his lines and lengths and he showed that today."
Broad: Robinson's bowling attributes are excellent
Robinson missed both of England's second and third Test defeats against New Zealand earlier this summer, and prior to that, had not played for England for over two years, after falling out of favour with selectors, due to injuries and fitness issues.
After taking his first two wickets on Wednesday afternoon, Sky Sports Cricket analyst Stuart Broad commended Robinson on his bowling abilities.
"He's an excellent bowler, and certainly when conditions suit him, he's someone who is a great exponent of movement and can hold an area for a long period of time," Broad told Sky Sports Cricket.
Broad believes England will benefit from Robinson's talents over the coming years, with Root's side set to tour South Africa in the winter, before welcoming Australia for the 2027 Ashes.
"The advantage for England and Robinson over the next year is that they'll go to South Africa, where he'll be a fine bowler," Broad said.
"He's got brilliant attributes: he makes the ball bounce and hits consistent areas.
"Then you're into an Ashes series, we don't know what the pitches will be like, but you know that if you get a pitch with a bit of movement, Robinson is your best bowler for extracting that movement.
"Then he'll be around 33 the next time the English summer comes around, and England have a choice of rebuilding a new bowling attack going forward, or they want to keep dipping Ollie Robinson in and out for pitches that suit him.
"There's no doubt that you get him on Lord's or a nipper with a brand new ball, he's our best bowler in those conditions."
Karthik: Tongue adapted to the conditions quickly
Tongue was equally impressive, as he secured his fourth Test match five-fer, first claiming the important wicket of Imam-ul-Haq (42), to end his 91-run partnership with Adbullah Shafique (61).
He later hit Salman Agha's (21) stumps and found himself on a hat-trick, just as tea was called, after he dismissed Ali Usman (0) lbw.
Tongue later snared Mohammad Rizwan (12) and later wrapped up the innings by bowling Abbas.
"Tongue is an awkward bowler to deal with," Dinesh Karthik told the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast. "He's been bowling at his best in the last six to eight months. He has shown his ability to get good batters out when they're set, which is a good skill to have.
"Today, he has adapted the fastest among the three pacers on display. He has the extra pace and the awkwardness of his action, goes past the perpendicular, he has a lot of attributes that trouble a lot of right-handers.
"Overall, you have to say the lengths that Josh Tongue bowled to get Imam out, who was set, that was an important wicket because a partnership was developing; once he got a sniff of that wicket, he bowled quite nicely."
Watch day two of the first Test between England and Pakistan, at Headingley, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event from 10.15am on Thursday (11am first ball, weather-permitting). Stream cricket and more sport contract-free with NOW
England vs Pakistan Test series schedule
All games live on Sky Sports; all 11am starts UK and Ireland
- First Test (Headingley) - August 19-23
- Second Test (Lord's) - August 27-31
- Third Test (Edgbaston) - September 9-13
