England are edging ever closer to a comprehensive series whitewash of Pakistan after they skittled the visitors to 52 for 2, still trailing by 268 runs, when rain forced an early end to play on the second day of the third Test at Edgbaston. The Pakistani total at stumps actually marked a modest recovery, as their situation had seemed even bleaker than the gathering clouds when they lost their first two wickets in Ollie Robinson's opening over. Robinson, who claimed figures of two wickets for ten runs, began by dismissing opener Saim Ayub on the very first ball – the young batsman, one of four newcomers rushed into the side after seven players were sent home from the touring party, was out for a pair. Just three deliveries later, Abdullah Shafique fell to a catch at slip.
Robinson’s haul now stands at 28 wickets from his four Test appearances this summer, an astonishing average of 7.75 runs per wicket. In the context of this series his average improves even further to 6.66, underscoring his dominance with the ball. Meanwhile, Joe Root’s sharp catch at slip to dismiss Shafique moved him ahead of Australia’s Steve Smith, taking his personal tally to 220 catches – the highest ever for a non‑wicket‑keeper in Test cricket. The wicket‑taking frenzy that characterised Pakistan’s first innings did not immediately repeat in the second.
Azan Awais (29 not out) and Shan Masood (21 not out) managed a modest partnership of fifty runs before rain intervened. Masood, however, was caught on 13 by Ben Duckett, his third dismissal of the match, off a wayward delivery from Gus Atkinson.
**Scorecard snapshot** - Pakistan 1st innings: 133 all out (33.5 overs) – top scores: Saud Shakeel 43, Mohammad Abbas 21; England bowlers: Josh Tongue 4‑42, Ollie Robinson 3‑15, Jofra Archer 3‑25. - England 1st innings: 453 all out (89 overs) – major contributions: Harry Brook 75, Jamie Smith 69, Dan Lawrence 65, Emilio Gay 60, Ollie Robinson 50; Pakistan bowler: Razaullah 4‑148.
- Pakistan 2nd innings (so far): 52‑2 (12.4 overs) – Azan Awais 29* and Shan Masood 21*; England bowler: Ollie Robinson 2‑10. Earlier on day one England were bowled out for 452, giving them a massive 320‑run first‑innings lead. The innings was built on half‑centuries from Dan Lawrence (65), Jamie Smith (69) and Ollie Robinson (50), complemented by Emilio Gay’s 60 and Harry Brook’s 75. Brook added a quick 23 runs overnight before becoming the first wicket to fall on the second morning.
His dismissal came as he attempted a risky single to mid‑wicket; Shan Masood completed a direct‑hit run‑out, an early sign that the Pakistani fielders could still produce moments of brilliance. The English batting did not lose momentum. Smith joined Lawrence at the crease and the pair compiled a 64‑run partnership.
Lawrence, who had raced to a 47‑ball fifty, was unfortunately dismissed just before lunch, caught behind off the bowling of Mohammad Imran (2‑47). Smith soon reached his own half‑century, scoring 50 off 54 balls, but he could not convert the start into a bigger score. After Gus Atkinson fell to a clean bowled by Imran, Smith edged a ball back to the enthusiastic Pakistani bowler Razaullah, who claimed his fourth wicket of the innings (4‑148). Later, with Smith temporarily off the field due to a finger injury sustained on day one, Jordan Cox stepped in as the substitute wicket‑keeper.
This allowed Smith to recover while the English side continued to press forward. Robinson, now on his second Test fifty, and lower‑order batsman Jofra Archer (32 not out) kept the run rate brisk, finding boundaries with regularity. England’s total swelled past 400, cementing a lead of more than 300 runs before the innings finally wrapped up. Pakistan’s tentative fielding carried over into the early stages of their second innings.
After Robinson’s double strike in the first over, the visitors seemed poised for a rapid two‑day finish, but the resilience shown by Azan and Masood, coupled with the onset of rain, halted any such hopes. Dan Lawrence expressed disappointment at missing out on what could have been his maiden Test century. The 29‑year‑old, who has already recorded scores of 51 at Headingley and 54 at Lord’s in the series, said: "I’m obviously gutted that I didn’t convert and make a really big score, but I’m pretty happy with my overall performance.
I felt I was playing nicely on a good surface against a tiring attack. I thought I’d get a big score, but it wasn’t meant to be. I’ve missed out on two chances to make big contributions – at Headingley and here.
Still, three fifties in four innings is decent. If I’d been offered 65 at the start of the day, I would have taken it." On the bowling front, Ollie Robinson has been the standout star of the series, boasting 21 wickets at a jaw‑dropping average of 6.66.
When he dismissed Shafique for the fifth time in six innings, his average against the Pakistani batsman was an even more astonishing 6.19. England slip fielder Dan Lawrence admitted that the fielding unit must stay on high alert whenever Robinson is on a spell.
Lawrence noted: "When he’s bowling, he hits the same spot almost every ball, you can feel the pressure. The wickets have offered a lot to us and to the seamers. You definitely feel in the game behind the stumps, especially when you have someone at the peak of his powers." Sky Sports Cricket analyst Nasser Hussain was critical of Pakistan’s selection policy, particularly the inclusion of Saim Ayub.
"He shouldn’t be here. He came from the Caribbean Premier League and hasn’t played first‑class cricket in 11 months. It’s disrespectful to Test cricket to fly someone over from foreign conditions and expect them to cope with a Duke ball and Ollie Robinson’s pace.
The players who are here have seen their teammates and friends sent home. Those who have taken five‑fors have been axed." Hussain added that the treatment of players is a two‑way street: "When you hand a player a Test cap, you expect them to embody the core values of representing Pakistan, but the board also needs to look after its players. Sending seven people home between Tests sends a message that the team looks after itself first.
This side appears to have a ‘what will be, will be’ attitude and is more concerned with self‑preservation than performance." The third Test’s day three action will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10:15 am on Friday, with streaming options available for those without a traditional Sky subscription. Overall, England’s dominant bowling display, anchored by Robinson’s lethal spell, and solid batting contributions have placed them in a commanding position to complete a clean series sweep over Pakistan, provided the weather cooperates for the remaining days.