Pakistan 121/2 in 29.4 Overs | England vs. Pakistan 3rd Test Live Score: Awiaz’s half-century gives Masood Pakistan a strong start as the stand goes past 100

England vs. Pakistan 3rd Test Live Score: Rain came to Pakistan’s rescue on the second day of the Test at Edgbaston on Thursday as England put themselves in a strong position to wrap up the series. Pakistan were reduced to 52-2 in their second innings and still trailed England by 268 runs when play was halted by bad weather. England had earlier posted 320 in their first innings to take a 320-run lead.

The visitors have already won the three-match series 2-0 and are now on course for a 3-0 draw with no Test expected in the series.

Robinson strikes twice

Pakistan came out after tea in gloomy, lights-on conditions that seemed ideal for England’s four-man attack.

Ollie Robinson was once again the star with the ball. He dismissed Saim Ayub off the very first ball of Pakistan’s second innings with the batter going into the slips.

This wicket made Robinson only the fifth bowler in Test history to take a wicket with the first ball of an innings twice in the same series. India’s Zaheer Khan last achieved the feat against Bangladesh in 2007, while England’s Bill Voce was the previous Englishman to do so, against Australia in 1937.

Ayub played Twenty20 cricket in the Caribbean just 10 days ago before being called up by Pakistan in the middle of the series. It was his first Test in 20 months.

He had a match he forgot about, he got a couple.

Robinson struck again with his fourth ball, dismissing Abdullah Shafique to leave Pakistan at 0-2.

It was only the sixth time that Pakistan had started a Test innings at 0-2 and the second against England. The previous occasion against England also came at Edgbaston in 1982 when Ian Botham took both wickets.

With Pakistan 52-2 and still 268 runs behind, England remain firmly in control.

The hosts now need some big batting to get England batting again and keep the Test alive. But with England already 2-0 up in the series, the visitors will be confident of completing a 3-0 draw if the weather allows enough play in the final days.