England are edging ever closer to a decisive series whitewash of Pakistan after they skittled the visitors to 52 for 2, still trailing by 268 runs, before rain forced an early end to play on the second day of the third Test at Edgbaston. The modest total at stumps actually marked a slight recovery for Pakistan, whose situation looked even bleaker when the sky darkened and they were reduced to 0 for 2 in Ollie Robinson's very first over of the innings. Robinson, who finished the spell with figures of 2 for 10, began by dismissing opening batsman Saim Ayub on the first ball.
Ayub, one of four newcomers rushed into the side after seven players were sent home from the touring party, fell for a golden duck. Just three deliveries later, Abdullah Shafique was also caught behind, nicked to the slips.
This early burst meant Robinson now boasts 28 wickets in his four Test appearances this summer, an astonishing average of 7.75 runs per wicket. In this particular series his average improves further to an almost unbelievable 6.66. Joe Root’s sharp catch at slip to dismiss Shafique also moved him ahead of Australia’s Steve Smith, taking his tally to 220 catches and placing him in the race for the most dismissals by a fielder in Test history.
The wicket‑taking frenzy did not continue at the same pace in Pakistan’s second innings as it had in the first. After a brief partnership of 50 runs between Azan Awais (29 not out) and Shan Masood (21 not out), rain intervened. Masood had been given out for 13 by Ben Duckett, his third wicket of the match, off a delivery from the unfortunate Gus Atkinson. The first‑innings figures were stark: Pakistan were bowled out for 133 in 33.5 overs, with contributions from Saud Shakeel (43) and Mohammad Abbas (21).
England’s bowlers shared the spoils – Josh Tongue 4 for 42, Ollie Robinson 3 for 15 and Jofra Archer 3 for 25. England’s reply was a commanding 453 all out in 89 overs, built on half‑centuries from Harry Brook (75), Jamie Smith (69), Dan Lawrence (65), Emilio Gay (60) and a quick‑fire 50 from Robinson. Pakistan’s pacer Razaullah claimed four wickets for 148 runs.
On day one England had already posted 452, establishing a 320‑run first‑innings lead thanks to the solid contributions of Lawrence, Smith and Robinson, who each reached the fifty‑run mark, joining Gay and Brook’s scores. Brook added 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, a run that Shan Masood completed with a direct hit, effectively running Brook out. The English innings continued to flow.
Smith joined Lawrence at the crease and the pair added 64 runs before Lawrence was bowled, mis‑timing a shot off Mohammad Imran (2 for 47) and seeing his stumps shattered just before lunch. Smith soon reached his own fifty, doing so in 54 balls, but could not convert it into a bigger score. After Gus Atkinson was clean‑bowled by Imran, Smith edged a ball back to Razaullah, who claimed his fourth wicket of the match.
Later in the day, with regular wicket‑keeper Jordan Cox substituting for an injured‑finger Jamie Smith, Robinson celebrated his second Test half‑century. Lower‑order batsman Jofra Archer, who finished on 32 not out, added several boundaries, helping England push their total past the 400‑run mark and cement a lead of more than 300 runs before the innings was finally declared closed. Pakistan entered their second innings with a very tentative mindset, mirroring the cautious fielding they had displayed earlier.
Robinson’s double strike in the very first over suggested a rapid finish might be on the cards, but Azan and Masood showed surprising resilience, holding the line until rain finally halted play. Dan Lawrence, who had been on the verge of his maiden international century, expressed his disappointment.
The 29‑year‑old, who 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 was pretty happy with how I performed overall. I felt I was playing well on a good surface against a tiring attack. I thought I would 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, and if I’d been offered 65 at the start of the day, I would have taken it." Robinson, meanwhile, has been the star of the series, having taken 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 stood at 6.19. England slip fielder Lawrence praised the high standards required when Robinson is on a roll, noting, "When he bowls, he hits the same spot almost every ball, and you feel the pressure instantly. The wickets have been generous, and all the seamers have benefited.
You definitely feel the game behind the stumps when someone is at the peak of his powers." Sky Sports Cricket analyst Nasser Hussain was scathing about Pakistan’s selection policies, especially regarding Saim Ayub. He argued, "Ayub shouldn’t be here. He came from the Caribbean Premier League and hasn’t played first‑class cricket in eleven months.
Flying a player in from foreign conditions and expecting him to cope with a Duke ball and Ollie Robinson’s pace shows a lack of respect for Test cricket. The players who remain have seen teammates axed, even those with five‑wicket hauls." Hussain continued, "How you treat players matters. It’s a two‑way street: when a player receives a Test cap, he must uphold the core values of representing Pakistan, but the board must also 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 adopted a ‘what will be, will be’ attitude, which is detrimental to morale and performance." The third Test at Edgbaston continues to be broadcast live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10:15 am on Friday, with streaming options available for those without a traditional Sky subscription. All matches remain accessible via Sky Sports platforms.