England secured a comprehensive home series whitewash against Pakistan, wrapping up the three‑match Test contest with a decisive chase of 130 runs on the fourth day at Edgbaston. The victory, which clinched a 3‑0 series result, came after a dramatic start that saw the hosts briefly teeter on the brink of defeat. When Pakistan began their second innings, they found themselves 320 runs behind after the first day’s play.
The situation appeared grim for England when Ollie Robinson skittled the visitors early, reducing them to 0‑2 on the second evening. The threat intensified on the fourth morning when England lost two wickets in the opening over of their chase, casting a shadow over the prospect of a comfortable win.
Ben Duckett, who had endured a miserable series, was the first to fall, caught behind off Mohammad Abbas’s second‑innings spell (2‑27). The dismissal was followed by a rare lbw decision against Emilio Gay, leaving England in a precarious position at 0‑2.
Yet, the anxiety of a potential collapse was quickly allayed by the composure of captain Joe Root. Root, unbeaten on 62, forged a steady partnership with the young Jordan Cox, who contributed an unbeaten 59.
Their 128‑run stand steadied the innings and guided England to the target in just 24.2 overs, securing an eight‑wicket win. **Match Summary** - **Pakistan 1st innings:** 133 all out (33.5 overs) – top scorers Saud Shakeel (43) and Mohammad Abbas (21). England bowlers Josh Tongue (4‑42), Ollie Robinson (3‑15) and Jofra Archer (3‑25) shared the wickets. - **England 1st innings:** 453 all out (89 overs) – a balanced effort from Harry Brook (75), Jamie Smith (69), Dan Lawrence (65), Emilio Gay (60) and Ollie Robinson (50).
Pakistan’s Razaullah claimed 4‑148. - **Pakistan 2nd innings:** 449 all out (96.4 overs) – Shan Masood (95) and the debutant Razaullah (81 off 63 balls) led the charge, with Babar Azam (76) and Azan Awais (59) adding valuable runs.
Gus Atkinson took 3‑109 for England. - **England 2nd innings:** 130‑2 (24.2 overs) – Root (62*) and Cox (59*) guided the chase, while Mohammad Abbas finished with 2‑27. A pivotal moment in the series occurred when Mohammad Ali overstepped while bowling at Root, delivering a no‑ball that allowed the English captain to continue his innings. At the time, England were 35‑2, and the extra delivery proved crucial in preserving the lead.
Cox’s half‑century will likely bolster his case for retaining a place in the starting XI as England prepares for the upcoming three‑match tour of South Africa, which begins on 17 December. The squad will also welcome back Jacob Bethell, who missed the Pakistan series through injury. Speculation abounds about whether Bethell or Cox might open the batting in place of Emilio Gay, and whether Cox could take on wicket‑keeping duties should Jamie Smith’s finger injury persist. Pakistan’s brief optimism stemmed from the historical rarity of defending a target of 130 or less in a Test.
The last successful defence of such a low total in England occurred in the 1997 Ashes when England set Australia 124 at The Oval and bowled them out for 104. The only comparable instance worldwide was New Zealand’s 93‑all‑out chase of 127 against New Zealand in 1993. Although Pakistan fell short, they managed to extend the match into the fourth day, offering a glimpse of resilience.
One of the most promising discoveries for Pakistan was 21‑year‑old fast‑bowler Razaullah. On his debut, he dismissed England’s all‑time leading run‑scorer Joe Root with his fourth ball and went on to claim four wickets in the first innings. His explosive batting in the second innings – 81 runs off just 63 balls, striking nine sixes – matched Tim Southee’s record for the most sixes hit by a debutant.
Razaullah’s performance will be remembered as a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing series for Pakistan. England’s clean sweep was 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 series, 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." Former England opener Mark Butcher of Sky Sports praised the side’s resilience, 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, also from Sky Sports, highlighted Pakistan’s broader struggles, stating, "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 continue to follow England’s summer campaign on Sky Sports, which will also broadcast the upcoming white‑ball series against Sri Lanka, beginning with the first T20 International on Tuesday.
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