England wrapped up a clean‑sweep of Pakistan at home with an eight‑wicket victory in the third Test at Edgbaston, but which performers stood out and which fell short? For Jack Duckett the match was a low point.
The series has been largely disappointing for him, his 17 at Lord's remaining his highest score of the summer. Nevertheless he did manage England's only Test century of the season against New Zealand at Trent Bridge, so his place at the top of the order remains secure for the time being. Duckett also proved a bit ungainly in the slips, dropping three chances. Two of those drops in the first innings did not prove costly as Pakistan were bundled out for 133 in just 33.5 overs.
The debate over Haseeb Gay’s role in the side has been a seesaw. The Durham left‑hander seemed to cement his spot with a gritty half‑century in the first innings – his third fifty of the summer – but a duck in the second innings has reopened the discussion, especially with the likely return of the injured Jacob Bethell.
Mohammad Abbas bowled a superb delivery that kept him from making a bigger impact in the second innings, yet he will rue the way he was dismissed in the first innings, pulling a wide ball from Razaullah back onto his stumps when a maiden Test hundred was within reach. Like Gay, Tom Cox’s fortunes fluctuated. He fell for a low lbw to Abbas in the first innings, but his composed unbeaten fifty alongside captain Joe Root on day four helped England pull out a win from a precarious 2‑2 position.
Root will have taken note, as he searches for the right characters to shape the future of the side, and Cox appears to possess the temperament required. Cox also kept wicket admirably when Jamie Smith was forced off the field with a thumb injury. He claimed four catches and a stumping, finally ending Razaullah’s impressive knock.
When England needed a captain’s knock, Root delivered a unbeaten half‑century on the fourth morning – only his third fifty of an otherwise barren summer – steering the team away from a potential collapse. The win gave England a series sweep, their first home whitewash of Pakistan, and marked Root’s return as permanent Test captain.
However his recurring lbw vulnerability persisted; Razaullah dismissed him on just his fourth ball of the innings, taking Root’s total of lbw dismissals this summer to eight in ten innings. Root also edged ahead of Australia’s Steve Smith in the race for the most catches by a Test outfielder, moving to 220 catches.
Harry Brook will lament missing a first‑innings century after a promising start that ended with a needless run‑out on the second morning. Brook has been England’s most reliable batsman in the challenging conditions this summer, recording his fifth fifty and reaching at least 20 runs in all but two innings. While a hundred has eluded him, his increased responsibility with the bat, especially against Pakistan, is a positive sign after fans grew weary of his occasional reckless play in the Bazball era. Brook’s figures: 65 runs, 2‑17 with the ball, and he was named Player of the Match as Ollie Robinson was dismissed for the first time in a Test this summer.
James Lawrence continues to push for a regular spot, contributing with bat, ball and in the field. His highlight was a spectacular one‑handed diving catch in the slips that dismissed Shan Masood just five runs short of a century.
He also claimed two wickets in his 4.4 overs of the second innings, breaking a 125‑run third‑wicket partnership by removing Azan Awais and later dismissing Razaullah to finish day three. Lawrence’s off‑spin was under‑utilised, a point worth noting as England looks to maintain a four‑pronged pace attack ahead of the South Africa tour and next summer’s Ashes. With the bat, like Gay and Brook before him, he will rue missing a first‑innings ton after edging a gentle delivery from Mohammad Imran onto his stumps. The most overlooked player was the wicket‑keeper who suffered a finger injury on day one, preventing him from keeping in the second innings.
The injury appeared precautionary; it did not stop him batting on day two, where he posted a brisk 69 before being bowled by his own delivery to Razaullah. While Cox shone in the keeper’s role, Jamie Smith has been reliable behind the stumps all summer and is likely to start if fit for the South Africa series. Bowling figures for Smith: 0‑31 and 3‑109, with 19 runs scored. Sam Atkinson endured a difficult series, taking only one wicket before the second innings as his pace partners dominated.
He often bowled as second change, operating when the new‑ball bowlers were on fire and later when the opposition’s tail was exposed. Root showed confidence in him on day three, handing him an eight‑over spell when Pakistan were 184‑3 in the second innings. Atkinson claimed the wicket of Masood, a crucial breakthrough, and later added Ghazi Ghori and Imran before being punished by Razaullah’s bat. Atkinson’s figures: 3‑15 and 2‑54, with a handy 50 runs.
Ollie Robinson continued to impress with the new ball, removing Saim Ayub and Abdullah Shafique in his opening spells in both innings, needing just four deliveries to dismiss them the second time around. His wicket of Saim in the first innings marked his 100th Test dismissal, while a double strike in the first over of the second innings took his series tally to 21 wickets at an average of 6.66, rising to 8.76 after Pakistan’s resistance on day three. Robinson’s potency wanes in longer spells, a potential concern on flatter South African decks or in the upcoming Ashes, but his resurgence this summer has been hard to criticize. He also contributed a second Test fifty with the bat.
Robinson’s figures: 3‑25 and 1‑120, with 32 runs. Mark Wood’s performance was mixed; one of his three first‑innings wickets was a gift from Masood, a simple catch at mid‑wicket. His dismissal of Saud Shakeel with a short, aggressive ball showcased his best spell, but he, along with several bowlers, lost control late on day three as Razaullah battered them all over the park. Wood’s summer has been encouraging overall, with five consecutive Tests for a pacer previously hampered by injury, a valuable asset for England.
Wood’s figures: 4‑42 and 2‑106, with 15 runs. James Tongue made his mark in the first innings, taking three of his four wickets with precision – a top‑order edge off a perfect delivery, a toe‑crushing yorker to Imran, and a devastating nip‑backer to Shakeel. He was expensive in the second innings, conceding over six runs an over, but his and Archer’s bouncer strategy proved effective until Razaullah steadied the innings, after which Tongue managed to trap Babar behind.
Overall, England’s summer has been a blend of highs and lows, with several players solidifying their cases for future selection while others face uncertainty ahead of the South Africa tour and the next Ashes series.