Five days after their 354-run loss to England at Nottingham

Pakistan falls to England again at Edgbaston

Five days after their 354-run loss to England at Nottingham

James Anderson and Stuart Broad took four wickets apiece as Pakistan collapsed to 72 all out --their lowest total against England on the first day of the second Test at Edgbaston yesterday.

Pakistan's Azhar Ali leaves reacts after being hit by the ball on the first day of the Edgbaston Test against England yesterday. PIC/AFP

England were 112 for two in reply when bad light forced an early close -- a lead of 40 -- after Anderson had taken four wickets for 20 runs in 14.3 overs and Broad four for 38 in 17. Jonathan Trott, dropped once, was 31 not out and Kevin Pietersen, who came into this match without a Test century in 22 innings, was 36 not out after being missed twice.

The South African-born duo, who came together when England had lost both openers with their score on 44, had so far put on 68 for the third wicket.u00a0

Pakistan's latest slump came just five days after they'd been dismissed for their previous lowest against England of 80 in the first of a four Test series that the hosts won by a crushing 354 runs at Trent Bridge on Sunday.

Broad side
"The important thing for us was not to chase wickets and go at four or five an over," Broad told reporters.
Pakistan captain Salman Butt defended his decision to bat first by saying: "This pitch will not change. Given these conditions the ball will keep on swinging. So the idea was to out some runs on the board and let the other side get them. But, unfortunately, things didn't go the way we thought. But having created about five chances and not taken them, the match could have been pretty even."

Alastair Cook, on 17, gloved a hook off Mohammad Asif to Umar Akmal at second slip and fellow left-handed opener Andrew Strauss, the England captain, fell for 25 when he got an inside edge off Mohammad Aamer to Zulqarnain Haider for the debutant wicketkeeper's first Test dismissal.

Strauss was originally given not out by umpire Steve Davis but Pakistan challenged successfully using the Decision Review System. England would have been 54 for three only for Pakistan's latest example of woeful
fielding.u00a0u00a0

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels