Pakistan stare at an embarrassing whitewash as England tighten their grip on the Edgbaston Test

Pakistan are staring at another humiliating defeat after England tightened their grip on the third Test at Edgbaston, leaving the tourists facing the prospect of a 3-0 series lead.

England, already 2-0 up after convincing wins at Leeds and Lord’s, extended their first innings lead to a massive 320 runs before Ollie Robinson struck twice in his opener to leave Pakistan 52-2 at stumps on Thursday. Rain brought a premature end to the game and offered Pakistan a temporary reprieve from what threatened to be an even more embarrassing day.

England vs Pakistan 2nd Test Day 2 Highlights

Having been dismissed for just 133 in their first innings, Pakistan now need another 268 runs to bring England back into bat. Shan Masood was unbeaten at 21st alongside Azan Awais, who was at 29th, but the visitors remain overwhelmingly behind with three days still to go.

Robinson was the defining player of this series. After taking five wickets in the first Test at Leeds and four in Pakistan’s second innings at Lord’s, the England seamer added three wickets in the first innings at Edgbaston before claiming Saim Ayub and Abdullah Shafique in the second. He has now taken 21 wickets in the series at an extraordinary average of 6.66.

ENGLAND PILE UP THE PRESSURE AFTER PAKISTAN’S LATEST COLLAPSE

England resumed the day at 156 for 4 and eventually reached 453, turning a modest 23-run overnight lead into a 320-run lead. Harry Brook made 75 off 97 balls before running out for an impossible single, while Dan Lawrence continued his impressive return to Test cricket with 65. It was his third consecutive half-century.

Jamie Smith also made a timely 69 off 84 balls despite suffering a finger injury, his highest Test score at Edgbaston since his 88 against India 14 months ago. He subsequently handed goalkeeping duties to Jordan Cox. Robinson then added a quickfire 50, including a huge six into the Hollies Stand, before Pakistan finally ended England’s innings on 453.

Pakistan’s best moment came from debutant Razaullah. The 21-year-old fast bowler claimed four wickets, including Joe Root in England’s first innings, offering a rare glimpse of encouragement in an otherwise bleak campaign. His performance came despite conceding 148 runs from 23 overs.

ROBINSON OFFENDS AGAIN AS PAKISTAN HOPE FAMILY

If Pakistan were hoping to get their second innings off to a good start, Robinson extinguished that possibility almost immediately. He dismissed Saim Ayub on the first ball before removing Abdullah Shafique three deliveries later, leaving Pakistan 0 for 2.

Ayub’s dismissal was particularly grim: he was out for a duck in both innings. Robinson’s spell once again underlined the gulf between the two sides, with Pakistan’s batting unit repeatedly unable to withstand England’s fast attack. Pakistan failed to reach 200 in the series, while their latest collapse followed first innings 171 and 110 in the opening Test and 175 and 194 at Lord’s.

Pakistan batting coach Mike Smith acknowledged Robinson’s challenge, describing him as one of the most consistent bowlers in world cricket.

With Pakistan now having lost 15 of their last 20 Tests, the current series has revealed problems that go far beyond one bad tour. The emergence of Razaullah provides a glimmer of hope for the future, but the present remains bleak. England are firmly in control and Pakistan are now fighting to avoid a deeply disappointing 3-0 defeat.

– The end

Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

11 Sep 2026 01:26 IST