Cricket
England show no mercy as Pakistan bowled out for 133 on day one at Edgbaston
England’s on-song seamers showed no mercy to Pakistan as the tourists were bowled out for a pitiful 133 on the opening day of the third Test at Edgbaston.
Josh Tongue claimed four for 42 while there were three wickets apiece for Ollie Robinson and Jofra Archer as Pakistan’s banishment of seven players and two coaches after falling 2-0 down in the three-match series seems to have had no impact on their fortunes.
The hosts lost Ben Duckett and Jordan Cox to go to tea on 35 for two although the pitch appears relatively blameless, albeit with cloud cover – the floodlights have been on all day – providing a hint of movement for the fast bowlers.
The easy-paced nature of the surface was highlighted by number 10 and 11 batters Mohammad Abbas and Mohammad Ali putting on 26 in 46 balls, the highest partnership of Pakistan’s miserable innings.
Their efforts put a shabby top-order into the spotlight after Joe Root won the toss for an unchanged England and elected to take advantage of the overhead cloud cover by asking Pakistan to bat.
Predictably it was the metronomic Robinson who made the breakthrough, reaching 100 Test wickets as he continued a sensational summer, averaging just 7.96 with the ball since being recalled to the side.
Saim Ayub, drafted in for his first first-class appearance since October 2025 as one of four Pakistan changes from Lord’s, survived being given lbw once but not a second time, dismissed for a 10-ball duck after missing a lavish drive off Robinson coming round the wicket.
Azan Awais and Shan Masood both got into awkward positions from innocuous Archer deliveries and succeeded only in bunting tame catches into the leg-side, while Abdullah Shafique perished to Robinson for the fourth time in five innings after edging low to Dan Lawrence at gully.
When Tongue found the top of off-stump, breaking it, to see off Babar Azam, Pakistan’s top-five were all dismissed for single figures – the first time that has happened in the first innings of a Test.
Saud Shakeel showed a measure of resistance although he was given a reprieve on seven, with Duckett dropping his second catch of the morning at first slip after the luckless Gus Atkinson found the outside edge.
Tongue, though, continued to challenge the stumps and saw off debutants Ghazi Ghori and Mohammad Imran, while Razaullah, the third player making his Pakistan bow, was dismissed from his first ball after lunch as he nicked Robinson to Duckett.
Shakeel’s defiance ended for 43 after he was bowled through the gate before Abbas and Ali momentarily held up England before Archer came back to bring Pakistan’s innings to an end from 33.5 overs.
Ali defied a painful blow to the ankle from Archer to open the bowling and made the breakthrough when England batted, with Duckett out for 11 after nicking a loose drive to second slip.
Cox also departed before the tea interval, rapped on the back leg by Abbas and taking a review with him.
