England secured a historic home series whitewash against Pakistan, overcoming an early wobble to chase down a modest target of 130 runs on the fourth day of the third Test at Edgbaston. The prospect of England losing the match seemed almost impossible when Ollie Robinson skittled Pakistan to 0 for 2 on the second evening, leaving the visitors still 320 runs behind. Yet the situation grew tense when England themselves lost two quick wickets in the opening over of the fourth morning, raising genuine doubts about a possible collapse.
Ben Duckett, who finished the series without a run, was dismissed on the very first ball he faced, caught by Mohammad Abbas (2‑27). The bowler then claimed Emilio Gay LBW, completing a dramatic opening spell that set the tone for the day. Any fears of a catastrophic defeat were swiftly dispelled by England’s captain, Joe Root, who produced a composed 62 not out.
Root forged an unbeaten 128‑run partnership with the young Jordan Cox, who contributed a stylish 59 not out. Their stand steadied the innings and guided England to a comfortable victory in just 24.2 overs, with eight wickets in hand. **First innings scores** - Pakistan: 133 all out in 33.5 overs.
Notable contributions: Saud Shakeel 43, Mohammad Abbas 21. England bowlers: Josh Tongue 4‑42, Ollie Robinson 3‑15, Jofra Archer 3‑25. - England: 453 all out in 89 overs.
Key knocks: Harry Brook 75, Jamie Smith 69, Dan Lawrence 65, Emilio Gay 60, Ollie Robinson 50. Pakistan bowler Razaullah took 4‑148. **Second innings scores** - Pakistan: 449 all out in 96.4 overs.
Highlights: Shan Masood 95, debutant Razaullah 81 off 63 balls, Babar Azam 76, Azan Awais 59. England’s Gus Atkinson claimed 3‑109.
- England chase: 130‑2 in 24.2 overs. Root 62* and Cox 59* steered the chase, while Abbas again featured with 2‑27.
A pivotal moment came when Mohammad Ali overstepped while delivering a ball that struck Root for 23. The no‑ball allowed England to recover from a precarious 35‑2 position, ultimately turning the tide in their favour. Cox’s half‑century will bolster his case for retaining a place in the England XI when the side embarks on a three‑match tour of South Africa starting 17 December.
Injured all‑rounder Jacob Bethell is expected to return, prompting speculation about whether he or Cox might open the batting in place of Emilio Gay. Should Gay keep his opening slot, Cox could also serve as wicket‑keeper, covering for Jamie Smith who missed the second innings due to a finger injury that requires a few months to heal. Pakistan briefly entertained the notion of defending a total of 130 or less – a feat not achieved in England since the 1997 Ashes when England set Australia 124 and bowled them out for 104.
The last time a sub‑130 target was defended in England was in 1993 when New Zealand were dismissed for 93 while chasing 127 at Hamilton. Despite a largely disappointing series, Pakistan showed resilience in the final Test, extending the contest to a fourth day and posting a target that gave England a moment’s pause. The series also unveiled a promising talent in 21‑year‑old Razaullah.
The debutant dismissed England’s all‑time leading run‑scorer Root with his fourth ball in Test cricket and later produced a four‑wicket haul. His explosive 81 off 63 balls, featuring nine sixes, equalled Tim Southee’s record for the most sixes by a debutant.
England’s 3‑0 series triumph is a fitting reward for Joe Root’s return to the Test captaincy after Ben Stokes retired from international cricket earlier in the summer. Root reflected on the win, saying, "The amount of uncertainty, noise and I guess chaos there was coming into the series, the way the guys have dealt with that – being so clinical with what we've had in front of us – and to stand here with a 3‑0 win is really pleasing.
We were clinical towards the back end there, a big partnership to see us home. It's exactly the sort of thing we're after and puts us in a nice place going into the winter. From 2‑2, to be able to see that home with two guys set at the end, is a step forward in the right direction.
The fact that everyone is contributing shows that they're good enough to perform at this level, which is a really good thing. We'll have different challenges in the winter and different surfaces, but can we keep taking strides forward as a group?
Guys going on and making big contributions will be one of them. That being said, we still made 400 twice in these testing conditions." Sky Sports’ former England opener Mark Butcher praised the effort, noting, "They were made to sweat for it at times, which is a good thing.
It gave England pause for thought at times when it comes to differing conditions in Test matches – particularly with regards to South Africa and the ball not moving laterally as much. Perhaps a slight concern about the lack of centuries by the batters, but there was a lot of good things about England this Test match series. They weren't given much of a challenge for most of it, which is why yesterday was such a pleasing day as far as the summer is concerned." Urooj Mumtaz of Sky Sports highlighted the broader issues facing Pakistan cricket: "There are problems with Pakistan cricket, major problems. They lost this series, drew in the West Indies, lost to Bangladesh at home, where their record isn't particularly good.
They have now lost 11 out of 12 away from home and 15 out of the last 20 Test matches. Those are telling figures, as were the size of England's wins. Pakistan maybe had just one good day of cricket in the Test series.
There are ingredients to work with but a lot needs to be done right for longer periods of time if there is to be a brighter Pakistan future." Fans can watch every England match this summer live on Sky Sports, including the upcoming white‑ball series against Sri Lanka, which kicks off with the first T20I on Tuesday. Those without a Sky subscription can explore the latest Sky Sports deals or stream matches contract‑free via NOW.