England wrapped up a clean sweep of Pakistan on home soil with an eight‑wicket victory in the third Test at Edgbaston, but the question remains: which players justified their places and which ones left the selectors scratching their heads? For Jack Duckett, the series was a nightmare. His 17 at Lord's was the highest score of a dismal campaign that saw him flounder at the top of the order.
Yet he did manage England's sole Test century of the summer, a knock against New Zealand at Trent Bridge, which temporarily secures his opening berth. His slip work, however, was far from perfect – three dropped catches over the week, two of which came in the first innings when Pakistan were bundled out for 133 in just 33.5 overs.
The debate over Haseeb Gilani’s (referred to as Gay) spot in the side has been a seesaw. The Durham left‑hander cemented his claim with a gritty half‑century in the first innings – his third fifty of the summer – but a duck in the second innings reopened the discussion, especially with the likely return of the injured Jacob Bethell. Mohammad Abbas delivered a superb spell that kept the Pakistani total in check in the second innings, but his earlier dismissal – a wide ball that ricocheted back onto his stumps after a mis‑timed pull off Razaullah – was a painful reminder of a missed hundred. Similarly, Ben Cox’s fortunes swung dramatically.
He fell for a low LBW in the first innings, again falling victim to Abbas, but rescued England with a composed unbeaten fifty alongside captain Joe Root on the fourth morning, steering the team from a precarious 2‑2 position to safety. Root, undoubtedly, took note of Cox’s temperament, a quality the England management values as they look ahead. Cox also kept wicket in the second innings when Jamie Smith was sidelined with a thumb injury.
He produced four sharp catches and a stumping, finishing Razaullah’s innings on a high note. When the team needed a captain’s knock, Root answered the call with an unbeaten half‑century – only his third of a lean summer – quelling any fears of a late‑order collapse.
The win gave England its first home series whitewash over Pakistan under Root’s permanent captaincy, though his own LBW woes continued; Razaullah dismissed him on just his fourth ball of the match, marking Root’s eighth LBW of ten Test innings this summer. 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 rue missing a first‑innings ton after a careless run‑out on day two.
Brook has been England’s most reliable batsman in the challenging conditions of the summer, logging his fifth fifty and reaching at least 20 runs in all but two innings. While a century has escaped him, his growing responsibility with the bat, especially against Pakistan, signals a positive shift from the reckless aggression that sometimes characterised the Bazball era.
Lawrence, another contender for a regular spot, contributed in all three departments. His most memorable moment was a spectacular one‑handed diving catch in the slips that dismissed Shan Masood just five runs short of a hundred. He also claimed two wickets in his 4.4 overs in the second innings – dismissing Azan Awais to break a 125‑run partnership and later taking Razaullah’s wicket to finish day three.
His off‑spin was under‑utilised, a point of discussion as England plans a four‑pronged pace attack for the upcoming South Africa tour and next summer’s Ashes. The injury‑hit wicket‑keeper, who missed the second innings after hurting his finger while standing up to the stumps on day one, returned to bat on day two and produced a brisk 69 before being bowled by his own delivery. His absence behind the stumps was mitigated by Cox’s competent keeping, and he is likely to start if fit for South Africa. James Atkinson endured a tough series, taking only one wicket before the second innings despite bowling in the second‑change role and often operating when the new‑ball bowlers were on fire.
Root showed confidence in him on day three, handing him an eight‑over spell that yielded the wicket of Masood, a crucial breakthrough. Atkinson later added Ghazi Ghori and Imran before being punished by Razaullah’s aggressive batting. Ollie Robinson continued his resurgence with the new ball, dismissing Saim Ayub and Abdullah Shafique in both innings, the latter falling within four deliveries of his second‑innings spell.
His first‑innings wicket of Saim marked his 100th Test dismissal, and his early‑over strike rate of 6.66 runs per wicket (rising to 8.76 in the second innings) underlines his impact. While his effectiveness wanes in longer spells, his return this summer has been impressive, and he added a second Test fifty with the bat. Mark Wood’s performance was mixed; his first‑innings wickets included a lucky catch off Masood’s mis‑hit, while his second‑innings spell saw him concede heavily as Razaullah unleashed a flurry of boundaries. Nonetheless, his five‑match run of fitness after previous injuries is a positive sign for England’s pace resources.
Jack Leach, true to form, claimed three of his four wickets with a mix of yorkers and a devastating short‑ball, dismissing Babar Azam, Imran, and Saud Shakeel. He was expensive in the second innings, conceding over six runs an over, but his partnership with Archer in the bouncer strategy produced a crucial wicket of Babar.
Overall, despite the ups and downs, England enjoyed an encouraging summer. The pace quartet, now featuring a fit Atkinson and a revitalised Robinson, provides depth, while the batting order shows signs of maturity, especially from Root, Brook, and the emerging Lawrence.
The selectors will now weigh the performances of Duckett, Gay, and the returning Bethell as they prepare for the South African tour and the looming Ashes challenge.