England’s hopes of sweeping the series against Pakistan were shattered within three days of the final Test at Edgbaston, thanks to a spectacular display of power hitting by 21‑year‑old Razaullah on Friday night. Pakistan, who had been enjoying the only bright moment of an otherwise bleak series, still trailed by two wickets when their eighth wicket fell early in the evening session.
At that point Razaullah exploded, scoring 81 runs from just 63 balls and striking the boundary nine times, thereby matching Tim Southee's record for the most sixes by a debutant. Razaullah’s innings was built around a 121‑run partnership with Mohammad Abbas, who contributed 42 runs and added two sixes of his own before being dismissed by Josh Tongue, caught at point in the final overs.
The partnership was eventually broken when Razaullah was given out stumped off the bowling of Dan Lawrence (2‑17). England, having lost their composure in the final session, now face a target of 130 runs on day four – a far steeper chase than initially projected, yet still within reach if they can muster a disciplined effort to secure a historic home series whitewash over Pakistan. **First innings figures** - Pakistan 133 all out in 33.5 overs (batting first): Saud Shakeel 43, Mohammad Abbas 21; Josh Tongue 4‑42, Ollie Robinson 3‑15, Jofra Archer 3‑25.
- England 453 all out in 89 overs: Harry Brook 75, Jamie Smith 69, Dan Lawrence 65, Emilio Gay 60, Ollie Robinson 50; Razaullah 4‑148. **Second innings figures** - Pakistan 449 all out in 96.4 overs (lead of 129): Shan Masood 95, Razaullah 81 (63 balls), Babar Azam 76, Azan Awais 59; Gus Atkinson 3‑109. The visitors missed opportunities to extend their lead further, with both Shan Masood (95) and Babar Azam (76) failing to convert promising starts into centuries. Masood was dismissed by a spectacular one‑handed diving catch in the slips taken by Dan Lawrence, while Babar fell to a short‑ball trap set by England just after tea, a dismissal that left many spectators scratching their heads.
After the fall of four wickets for 40 runs, it appeared Pakistan’s resistance was collapsing, but Razaullah had other ideas. He turned the tide with a flurry of massive strokes, pushing the match into a fourth day and giving his side a 129‑run advantage. When the third day resumed, Pakistan were 52‑2, having added a modest 15 runs in the first 7.2 overs of the morning.
The innings then surged, with the pair adding 117 runs in the next 20 deliveries. The only blemish in that burst was the dismissal of Azan Awais (59), caught down the leg side off Lawrence. England’s four‑man pace attack, which had struggled to make inroads throughout the series, finally found some rhythm after the lunch break.
Gus Atkinson delivered an eight‑over spell that yielded his second wicket of the series, removing Masood, who fell to Lawrence’s sharp slip work. Babar Azam, poised for what could have been his first Test hundred in almost four years, became the next target of England’s aggressive tactics. Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue resorted to short‑ball tactics, and Babar, despite repeated warnings, could not negotiate the bounce and was caught gloving behind the stumps by Tongue (2‑106). Archer (1‑120) then dismissed Saud Shakeel (29) with another short‑ball that was ballooned to short‑leg.
Jordan Cox contributed two spectacular catches behind the stumps, removing debutants Ghazi Ghori (16) and Mohammad Imran (4), both caught off Atkinson’s (3‑109) deliveries. Razaullah, already impressive with the ball—having taken four wickets in the first innings, including England’s leading run‑scorer Joe Root in his very first over—continued his all‑round performance with a batting display that propelled Pakistan to a 129‑run lead.
His innings was not just about boundaries; it also featured drama when an lbw appeal against Lawrence was overturned on review, only for Razaullah to be dismissed on the very next ball, ending the day’s play. After his innings, Razaullah spoke to Sky Sports Cricket: "I just had to bat, you are the ones who got to enjoy it. I was planning to take it longer and deeper – 81 runs is not bad though.
I was just trying to provide support for the other batters and trying to take it as deep as possible. There was no point at which I didn’t enjoy it or when I was scared. I won’t give any messages to the batters – they can do their bit – but I really, really enjoyed it.
I was wanting the strike, and overall I wanted to keep the strike as long as possible to give Pakistan another day." Sky Sports Cricket analyst Urooj Mumtaz praised the performance: "That was simply sensational. A perfectly written first chapter of his Test career. All that passion, the flair of Pakistan cricket. One 21‑year‑old who wasn’t even on the squad list gets on the plane, receives his baggy green, takes Joe Root’s wicket in his first over, claims a four‑for on debut, and then scores 81 with nine sixes – the whole of Edgbaston was on its feet.
He arrived with no baggage, bringing the spark, energy and exuberance of youth that any side needs. He smiled, never looked overwhelmed, and seemed to believe in himself. If anyone is betting, today’s events have reignited hope.
Razaullah gives Pakistan a different dimension with his pace and power, and they must have faith in him." The fourth day of the third Test will commence at 10:15 am on Saturday, broadcast live on Sky Sports Cricket. Viewers without a Sky subscription can explore the latest Sky Sports deals or stream the match without a contract on NOW. All games are available live on Sky Sports.