Pakistan started off at 137/8. They desperately needed some more runs, to put up a competitive total on board. Yasir Shah added some quick runs, finishing with a 24 ball 33. The leg-spinners cameo helped the Asian side put up a total of 169 runs. England required 277 to win the match.

Coming to the English bowlers, Stuart Broad got 3 wickets, Chris Woakes and Ben Stokes two, while Jofra Archer and Dom Bess ended with a wicket each. A good bowling display by the hosts ensured that their batsman were in the game, now it was all about their batsman to come out and show their skill.

Pakistan bowlers were unable to penetrate the English lower order

England started off brilliantly. They only lost one wicket in Rory Burns and put up a total of 86 runs on the board. Mohammad Abbas was the only successful bowler for the visitors. However, what followed was a sort of collapse for the English team. They went from 86/1 to 117/5. Joe Root 42 and Dominic Sibley 36 had been key performers in the hosts’ top order.

Having lost their top 5 batsmen, England desperately needed a partnership. With Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes at the crease, many believed the English side would fall short of the required target. However, what followed was a great display of batting by the duo. As it’s often been, the moment you think the England batting line-up is done, they come up with something terrific.

A 139-run partnership between Buttler and Woakes ensured that the hosts were in touching distance of a victory. The wicketkeeper was dismissed for 75, with England only 21 runs away from a victory. Broad played a cameo of 7 runs before being dismissed by Yasir Shah. Woakes’ unbeaten 84 guided the hosts to a safe victory.

Coming to the Pakistan bowlers, after initial brilliance, they were unable to penetrate the English lower order. Yasir Shah ended with 4 wickets while Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Abbas and Naseem Shah got a wicket each. The hosts successfully won the first match and took a 1-0 lead in the 3 match Test series.

Here’s how Twitter reacted:

Should have been. Pakistan went flat….like a soda can left open for two days. Inexplicable. They will be kicking themselves….Had the side to win it https://t.co/uqg76vc8jj

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) August 8, 2020

The pace bowlers weren't at their best today, but Pakistan lost this match due to their senior and most experienced batsmen not taking responsibility in either innings #ENGvPAK

— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) August 8, 2020

I am going to start a @chriswoakes appreciation society … !!

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) August 8, 2020

Shadab bowled only 11.3 overs in the match. Something Yasir or Azhar could have done too. Not really sure about this 2 leg-spinners strategy. It'd have been better to play with an extra batsman [Fawad], seamer [Faheem] or a left-arm spinner [Kashif]. #EngvPak

— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) August 8, 2020

Brilliant from Buttler and Woakes. Had the skill but it was the attitude that took them home. And with 70 left the opposing captain was looking like the game was lost!!

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) August 8, 2020

Woaksey 😍 pic.twitter.com/gCExcbB1wq

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 8, 2020

England left Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes out of the first Test of the summer. Since:

🏏 Broad: 22 wickets at 12.1, batting average 54.5
🏏 Woakes: 16 wickets at 15.8, batting average 35
🏏 One man of the match award each
🏏 Three wins from three

— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) August 8, 2020

He deserves that beer… @chriswoakes 👏 pic.twitter.com/AoEAlc7iUy

— Stuart Broad (@StuartBroad8) August 8, 2020

As @ShaneWarne said, @josbuttler has ticker, bottle and character, let’s leave it at that!! What a win, test match cricket at its best!!! pic.twitter.com/vZ5ODQaFSe

— Neil Fairbrother (@Harv366) August 8, 2020

WinViz having Pakistan at 86% but then losing does not mean WinViz was ‘wrong’ – that’s not how win probability models work. At that stage they had an 86% chance of winning & the fact they didn’t underlines how well England did to fight back, not a flaw in the model. #ENGvPAK

— Freddie Wilde (@fwildecricket) August 8, 2020

You absolute beauties! Outstanding win and brilliant team effort!! Great start to the series. @englandcricket 🙌👌 #ENGvPAK

— James Taylor (@jamestaylor20) August 8, 2020

This is glorious to watch …. Test cricket at its finest …. #ENGvPAK …. England favourites now …. #OnOn

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) August 8, 2020

Got to say @iMRizwanPak keeping through out the test has been exceptional! #EngvPak

— zainab abbas (@ZAbbasOfficial) August 8, 2020

To win tests you need to perform well on all days. Pak were like chalk and cheese on the first two and last two days of the game!

— Ramiz Raja (@iramizraja) August 8, 2020

Test match cricket is alive and kicking. The greatest sport on the planet. @chriswoakes & @josbuttler personify character, mental toughness and pure unadulterated skill when the pressure is on. Proud to work alongside them both. Proper win! 🏏🦁🦁🦁 pic.twitter.com/dWLulcOBLS

— Danny Reuben (@dannyreuben) August 8, 2020

One of the more underrated facets of this great run chase is the rate at which Buttler and Woakes batted. In the end, the dangerous Pakistan attack had just 13 runs to play with by the time the second new ball was available, and the game was pretty much done. #ENGvPAK pic.twitter.com/AWVzb23cXU

— Ajesh Ramachandran (@Edged_and_taken) August 8, 2020