England complete historic Test sweep against Pakistan
BIRMINGHAM: England secured a historic 3–0 series victory over Pakistan after clinching an eight-wicket win in the third and final Test at Edgbaston, marking their first-ever home Test series sweep against the visitors.
Chasing a modest target of 130 runs in their second innings, England experienced a brief early scare when pacer Mohammad Abbas struck twice to remove both openers cheaply.
However, Joe Root and Jordan Cox neutralized the threat with a composed, unbeaten third-wicket partnership. Cox top-scored with a fluent 59*, while Root anchored the chase with 62*, guiding England home with minimal fuss.
Pakistan avoided an innings defeat earlier on Day 4, courtesy of a fighting second-innings total of 449. The highlight of the innings was a blistering debut by Razaullah, who smashed 81 off just 63 balls, including 9 sixes and 4 fours.
Contributions across the order helped set England a target, with Shan Masood scoring 95, Babar Azam adding 76, and Azaan Awais making 59. Mohammad Abbas also contributed a valuable 42 runs lower down the order. For England, Gus Atkinson was the pick of the bowlers with 3 wickets, while Ollie Robinson, Josh Tongue, and Dan Lawrence claimed two apiece, alongside a solitary wicket for Jofra Archer.
The match had tilted heavily in England’s favor during the first innings. Pakistan were bundled out for a meager 133, to which England responded with a massive total of 453, taking a commanding 320-run first-innings lead. Despite Razaullah’s fireworks and solid top-order half-centuries in the second innings, the initial deficit proved insurmountable.
Speaking after the match, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam acknowledged England’s dominance while citing key factors behind the result. “Joe [Root] and Jordan [Cox] played exceptionally well after we managed those early wickets,” Babar said. “We selected three fast bowlers anticipating assistance from the green top. Playing in England is always challenging for both batters and pacers, requiring constant adaptation.”
“We need to learn from our mistakes and settle on our best Playing XI moving forward. On a positive note, the newcomers showed encouraging signs and performed well under pressure,” Babar asserted.
