Razaullah’s Debut Brilliance Thwarts England’s Bid for Historic Series Clean Sweep

England were denied a series whitewash of Pakistan inside three days at Edgbaston after a spectacular display of power hitting from 21-year-old Razaullah late on day three.

Pakistan enjoyed their finest session of an otherwise dismal campaign, yet they still trailed by two when their eighth wicket fell in the early evening. However, Razaullah smashed an unbeaten 81 off just 63 deliveries, clearing the ropes a staggering nine times to equal Tim Southee’s record for a debutant.

He shared in a crucial 121-run partnership with Mohammad Abbas (42), who himself struck two sixes before being caught at point off Josh Tongue in the closing overs, while Razaullah’s explosive innings was eventually halted, along with the day’s play, as he was stumped off Dan Lawrence (2-17).

England, guilty of losing control during the final session, will now attempt to chase down 130 on day four, a far stiffer target than initially anticipated, albeit one they should still overhaul to clinch a first-ever home series whitewash of Pakistan.

The tourists will be ruing their inability to test England further, with Shan Masood (95) and Babar Azam (76) both squandering golden opportunities to register the first century of the series.

While Masood can count himself somewhat unfortunate, dismissed by a spectacular one-handed diving catch by Lawrence in the slips, Babar’s exit was far more perplexing. The captain walked straight into an obvious short-ball trap set by England on the stroke of tea.

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That wicket appeared to signal the end of Pakistan’s resistance, with four wickets falling for just 40 runs before Razaullah had entirely other intentions and pushed the match into a fourth day with immense swings of the bat.

Resuming the third morning on 52-2, Pakistan had been cautious initially, adding only 15 runs from a rather sedate opening 7.2 overs, before suddenly igniting and smashing 117 off the next 20 overs. The only blemish on their morning was the wicket of Azan Awais (59), who fell to a feathered edge down the leg side off Lawrence.

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England’s four-pronged pace attack had not experienced such a grueling session without reward this series, but they improved after the lunch interval. Gus Atkinson’s initial eight-over burst was particularly impressive, as he finally secured his second wicket of the series, with Masood undone by Lawrence’s brilliance in the slips.

Babar was Pakistan’s next hope for a century, which would have been his first in Test cricket in nearly four years, but England turned to Jofra Archer and Tongue for a barrage of bouncers. Babar simply could not resist playing them despite repeated warnings.

It was Tongue (2-106) who eventually dismissed him, Babar gloving one behind, while Archer (1-120) accounted for Saud Shakeel (29) shortly after the tea break with another brute of a short ball that he could only balloon to short-leg.

A couple of superb catches from Jordan Cox behind the stumps then accounted for debutants Ghazi Ghori (16) and Mohammad Imran (4), as Atkinson (3-109) located their inside and outside edges, respectively.

But Pakistan’s third debutant, Razaullah, having already impressed with the ball by claiming four first-innings wickets—including that of England’s leading Test run-scorer Joe Root in his very first over—put on yet another show with an extraordinary display of strokeplay to not only see his side into a lead, but establish a 129-run advantage.

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