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Joe Root endured another frustrating outing in the ongoing England-Pakistan Test series as he was dismissed LBW in both innings of the Lord's Test. The England batter fell to Mohammad Abbas in the first innings before Mohammad Ali trapped him in front in the second, extending his troublesome run against the LBW mode of dismissal.
Root has now been dismissed LBW seven times in nine Test innings during England's 2026 summer. The unwanted run has seen him equal the record for the most LBW dismissals by a batter in a Test season, a record he had previously matched during England's 2016-17 tour of Bangladesh and India.
Joe Root falls for LBW in both innings of Lord's Test vs Pakistan
Root's first innings lasted only 13 balls as he scored four runs before Mohammad Abbas trapped him LBW. The Pakistan seamer delivered the ball on a nagging length, with it coming back into Root and striking him just above the knee roll. Root opted against reviewing the decision as England slipped to 36/3.
He did not fare much better in the second innings. Joe Root made 24 off 37 balls, hitting three boundaries, but once again fell LBW, this time to Mohammad Ali.
Ali found the nip-backer that had troubled Joe Root in the first innings. Root was only half-forward when the ball seared into his front pad, leaving him with little choice but to review the decision. However, ball-tracking confirmed the delivery was hitting the stumps and Root had to walk back.
The dismissal was Joe Root's seventh LBW in nine Test innings during the English summer, highlighting just how frequently bowlers have been able to exploit him with deliveries coming back into him.
Joe Root's Test Dismissals in the 2026 English Summer
| Opposition | Dismissal | Bowler | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | Caught | O'Rourke | Lord's |
| New Zealand | LBW | Smith | Lord's |
| New Zealand | LBW | Matt Henry | The Oval |
| New Zealand | LBW | Matt Henry | The Oval |
| New Zealand | LBW | Smith | Nottingham |
| New Zealand | Run out | — | Nottingham |
| Pakistan | LBW | Shahzad | Leeds |
| Pakistan | LBW | Abbas | Lord's |
| Pakistan | LBW | Ali | Lord's |
LBW dismissals: 7 out of 9 innings.
Joe Root equals record for most LBW dismissals in a Test season
Root's latest dismissals have put him alongside the record-holders for the most LBW dismissals in a Test season. Interestingly, the England great had already experienced the same problem almost a decade ago.
In the 2016-17 season, Joe Root was dismissed in seven innings by the leg-before-wicket mode. He scored 181 runs during that period, averaging 25.85, with two half-centuries.
The 2026 figures make for an equally uncomfortable comparison. Joe Root has again reached seven LBW dismissals, with the majority of his dismissals coming against New Zealand and Pakistan during England's home summer.
His repeated struggles against the nip-backer have now become a major talking point, particularly with bowlers repeatedly attacking his pads and exploiting the low bounce at Lord's.
Most LBW Dismissals in a Test Season
| Player | Team | Matches | LBW | Runs | HS | Average | 100s | 50s | Ducks | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KJ Hughes | Australia | 5 | 7 | 133 | 47 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1981 |
| CG Greenidge | West Indies | 6 | 7 | 280 | 226 | 40 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1990/91 |
| GC Smith | South Africa | 5 | 7 | 164 | 45 | 23.42 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2005/06 |
| Mohammad Hafeez | Pakistan | 6 | 7 | 395 | 143 | 56.42 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2011/12 |
| JE Root | England | 6 | 7 | 181 | 77 | 25.85 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2016/17 |
| MDK Perera | Sri Lanka | 5 | 7 | 128 | 42 | 18.28 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2017/18 |
| JE Root | England | 5 | 7 | 246 | 77 | 35.14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2026 |
Joe couldn't really do much about today's dismissal - Nasser Hussain
Former England captain Nasser Hussain believes Root's latest dismissal to Mohammad Ali was not entirely down to poor batting, with the previous delivery forcing him into a vulnerable position.
“Joe couldn't really do much about today's dismissal because of the ball before that moved away.
“He had to sort of go across to cover it and then that left him vulnerable to what has become his nemesis in the nip-backer. Also because of Lord's low bounce, it brings bowled and lbw into play,” Nasser Hussain said, as quoted by Sky Sports Cricket.
Hussain also praised England's bowling performance and highlighted Pakistan's struggles against the hosts' attack. England's lower order had first added valuable runs before their bowlers put Pakistan under severe pressure.
“It was almost a perfect day for England, starting with the 10th-wicket partnership between Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue which added 47 useful runs and kept Pakistan out there.
“Then the bowling attack. They have the skill of Robinson, who bowls the perfect length for Lord's and the pace of Archer - that spell before lunch today was box office. Tongue creates an angle, there is Atkinson as well and Pakistan just couldn't cope. Their batting line-up relies heavily on two or three players and they failed, getting a sub-par total again.”
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