The weather at Edgbaston brought England’s bid for a two-day victory to a halt during the final Test against Pakistan. The visitors were 52-2, still trailing by 268 runs behind England’s commanding first-innings score of 453.
A second and final weather delay hit Birmingham at 17:07 BST, and with up to half an hour on offer to produce a result, play might have kept going until 19:00 if conditions permitted.
With the Pakistan batting so fragile that the tourists have failed to pass 200 or bat for more than 51 overs throughout the series, England appeared likely to claim a win inside two days following Ollie Robinson reducing the visitors to 0-2.
On Friday, the players will come back together for the final match of the series, which will see England finish with a 3-0 clean sweep.
Robinson’s Double Strike
England had one session left to bring about the first two-day finish in a Test match here since 2000, after Pakistan’s innings got underway following tea.
Robinson’s opening day had him within reach of a two-day finish, with Jordan Cox playing in place of Jamie Smith, who is nursing a bruised finger.
Saim Ayub needlessly edged the first ball of the innings to Harry Brook at second slip. In the same over, Abdullah Shafique’s crooked bat produced an edge that went to Joe Root at first slip.
Azan Awais and Shan Masood managed to see through 12 overs in the dark, though Masood escaped a difficult chance at third slip that went to Ben Duckett off the bowling of Gus Atkinson.
England led by 23 after being put in on Thursday, and the match’s final result was never really in question once they reached 156-4.
Batters Impress But Miss Out on Hundreds
A total of 453 came about for England thanks to runs from four players: 75 from Harry Brook, 69 by Jamie Smith, 65 scored by Dan Lawrence and 50 from Robinson, giving the side a commanding first-innings advantage of 320.
No English batter managed to push on for a century, so the only hundred for the home side this summer came from Ben Duckett’s ton against New Zealand at Trent Bridge.
England’s control over Pakistan makes it strange that none of their batters has managed a century in the series, with no further opportunity for them to reach three figures now available.
Duckett scored a solitary century, and as a result, England will finish a six-Test home summer with their lowest total of individual hundreds.
All three players made a strong showing, but each will come away from it feeling that missing out on three figures was a letdown.
At the start of the day, Brook and Lawrence began their partnership with plenty of purpose, with Lawrence taking the lead. Much running between the wickets marked their time together, until Brook went for a needless single toward mid-wicket and was run out at the non-striker’s end.
Since his recall at the start of this series, Lawrence has scored three half-centuries, which likely qualifies him for a spot in South Africa in December. This is his 17th Test appearance, and he let out a clear sound of vexation when he chopped on off Mohammad Imran, prolonging his search for a first century.
This summer has seen Smith begin to recover his form both with bat and behind the stumps after a difficult Ashes tour, and that progress came at a venue where he has enjoyed past triumphs. He drove the ball through the leg side with real force before presenting a simple return chance to Razaullah.
Robinson’s Purple Patch
Robinson can do no wrong at the moment.
His second fifty in Test cricket arrived when he swiped through the leg side, ending with a huge six into the Hollies Stand. That tally followed his earlier 50 against India in Ranchi back in 2024, which had been his last before being dropped. Since then, he has become indispensable.
Josh Tongue was caught behind with Archer still going strong at 32 not out, after he had heaved two sixes of his own.
“Stokes often said he did not like the word ‘ruthless’.”
No Let Up From England
Critics pointed out that the former England team, led by captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, struggled to close out series on a high note.
In each of their last six series, England have dropped the final Test match. A few of their poorest results under the Bazball approach came in dead rubbers following a series win, most recently at home against Sri Lanka in 2024 and on the road against New Zealand later that same year.
Root’s England are currently displaying a ruthless side, which contrasts with Stokes’ own discomfort with the term. The skipper has frequently stated that he does not care for the word “ruthless,” and his team has on many occasions shown a lack of it.
England’s side under Stokes would have easily beaten this weak Pakistan team, so the level of the opposition must be considered. On Thursday, the home side also enjoyed superior conditions, batting during clear blue skies before bowling once darkness fell above them.
Root has brought a new calmness to England’s batting, along with a greater readiness to find the right pace for their innings. Their performance on the second day, when they increased their lead, was a sign of a more grown-up way of playing.
In Robinson, England have a bowler in the form of his life, a purple patch they will hope lasts through the winter and into next summer’s Ashes.
Pakistan’s Battle For Survival
The tourists started their second innings trailing by a huge margin. Robinson’s opening over claimed two wickets immediately, leaving Pakistan in disarray at 0-2 before Azan Awais and Shan Masood managed to settle the innings.
In the dark, the two players held on for 12 overs, with Masood managing to survive a difficult chance that went to third slip Ben Duckett off the bowling of Gus Atkinson.
In this series, the visitors have yet to pass 200 runs, nor have they faced more than 51 overs of bowling, and their weakness became apparent once more during the short spell they spent batting on Thursday.
What Friday Brings
England will restart on Friday needing only eight more wickets to secure a clean sweep of the series. Pakistan’s second innings currently sits at 52-2, with Azan Awais and Shan Masood remaining unbeaten at the crease.
The job ahead of Pakistan is plain yet demanding: they must keep batting for a long stretch to preserve the match, a goal they have not reached throughout the entire series.
The English bowlers are ready to return to the field, with Robinson at the front of the pack following his early double strike. He has been performing at a very high level.
The match remains firmly in England’s control.
Source: bbc.co.uk
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