England’s Pace Attack Overwhelms Pakistan on Opening Day at Edgbaston

Lunch – Pakistan 100 for 7 (Shakeel 37*, Tongue 3-23) vs England

England’s pace attack was in total control of a hapless Pakistan at lunch on the opening day of the third and final Test at Edgbaston.

Josh Tongue finished with 3 for 23, while opening bowlers Ollie Robinson and Jofra Archer each claimed two wickets. Robinson bowled economically, taking 2 for 9 from eight overs, as Pakistan were dismissed for 100.

Pakistan suffered one of their worst collapses ever, even considering the off‑field turmoil that had forced three debutants into the side. By the 15th over they were five wickets down for just 48 runs, and captain Babar Azam had already returned to the pavilion.

Saim Ayub, playing his ninth Test after returning as one of four changes to the side that lost by 194 runs at Lord’s, survived an early lbw appeal on the fifth ball of the match.

He fended off a nip‑backer from Robinson and was struck on the thigh, but the review cleared him as the ball was projected to miss the stumps. However, a second lbw call from Chris Gaffaney was upheld, and Robinson claimed his 100th Test wicket in the next over.

Archer saw Azan Awais dropped at first slip by Ben Duckett, but Tongue held a catch two balls later as Awais chipped the ball to mid‑wicket.

Ollie Robinson had Abdullah Shafique caught by Dan Lawrence in the slips•Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images

Dan Lawrence took a sharp catch off Abdullah Shafique, giving Robinson his second wicket of the innings. In the following over, Shan Masood was caught on the pull by substitute fielder Theo Wylie off Archer.

Trailing at 26 for 4, Pakistan looked to Babar for stability, but he was dismissed for just seven by an excellent Tongue delivery that seamed in from a good length and rattled his off‑stump.

With Pakistan relying on debutants, veteran Saud Shakeel anchored the innings with a defiant 37 off 38 balls, including six fours, remaining unbeaten at lunch.

Wicketkeeper Ghazi Ghori began positively, hitting a four off Tongue’s first ball in Test cricket. He survived an lbw review two balls later, but Tongue later pinned him on the back leg and the decision was upheld.

Shakeel added two fours in three deliveries from Gus Atkinson, but his effort was in vain as Tongue delivered a yorker that dismissed another debutant, Mohammad Imran Randhawa.

The third Pakistani debutant, Razaullah, showed willingness and power rather than polish, racing to two boundaries off Tongue’s fifth over – a pull to mid‑wicket and an outside‑edge over cover. He finished the day on 11 not out from ten balls.

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