ENG v PAK 2026: WATCH- Josh Tongue and Ollie Robinson split match ball in half after each took five-wickets against Pakistan

England bowled out Pakistan for 171 runs in first innings and made 112/2 at stumps on day one.

By Jatin Sharma - 20 Aug, 2026

Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue found an unusual solution to a very old cricketing tradition at Headingley. England and Pakistan began their first Test of the three-match series on August 19 at Leeds. Joe Root won the toss and chose to bowl first.

Ollie Robinson rocked the Pakistan top order, taking four of the first five wickets to fall. Imam Ul Haq (41), Abdullah Shafique (61) and interim captain Salman Ali Agha (21) were the best scorers for Pakistan.

Josh Tongue did the cleanup job as Pakistan was bundled out for 171 runs. Robinson picked 5/51, while Tongue ended up with 5/46. England ended day one on 112/2 with Emilio Gay scoring 33 and Joe Root unbeaten on 37*.

Robinson and Tongue became the first pair of England bowlers to claim five-wicket hauls in the same Test innings since Steve Harmison and Monty Panesar against Pakistan at Old Trafford in 2006.

After the match, both Robinson and Tongue honored the tradition of having the match ball for taking five wickets in an innings, and instead of one bowler keeping it, they got the ground staff to cut the ball in half, and each bowler kept one piece.

"Robbo said we can split the ball in half. The ground staff have kindly done that. It's the first time I've seen that happen. I'm sure I'll be putting that up somewhere,Tongue said on BCC Test Match Special.

After Pakistan was bowled out, Robinson showed reporters his share of the ball and revealed that the idea originated as the two bowlers left the field.

"Josh said it, and I said we actually should do that; it would be quite cool. You don't really have too many halves of a cricket ball, so it would be something that we never forget,” Robinson said.

England team manager Wayne Bentley then took the ball to the ground staff, who cut it in half and returned it within five minutes. 

By Jatin Sharma - 20 Aug, 2026

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