Birmingham (GNP): England edged ahead of Pakistan by 23 runs at the end of a gripping opening day of the third Test at Edgbaston on Wednesday, with half-centuries from Emilio Gay and Harry Brook helping the hosts recover from an early wobble to close at 156-4.
Brook remained unbeaten on 52 alongside Dan Lawrence on five at stumps, while Gay top-scored with a determined 60 off 114 balls, including nine boundaries, after Pakistan were dismissed for just 133 in their first innings.
Pakistan’s first innings folded for 133 in 33.5 overs after they resumed the post-lunch session at 100-7. Saud Shakeel offered the strongest resistance, scoring 43 off 47 deliveries with seven fours, while Mohammad Abbas contributed a fighting 21 from 36 balls.
Ollie Robinson struck early after the interval, dismissing debutant Razaullah for 11, before Josh Tongue removed Saud to accelerate the collapse, with Abbas the final wicket to fall. Tongue finished as England’s most successful bowler with four wickets for 42 runs from 10 overs, while Robinson claimed three and Jofra Archer also took three for 25 in 7.5 overs.
Pakistan endured a difficult start after being put in to bat, with Robinson dismissing returning opener Saim Ayub for a duck in the third over and Archer removing Azan Awais for nine to leave the visitors at 14-2. Robinson then dismissed Abdullah Shafique for three, before Archer removed former captain Shan Masood for five, reducing Pakistan to 28-4.
Tongue bowled captain Babar Azam for seven in the 15th over to make it 48-5, and debutant wicketkeeper-batter Ghazi Ghori fell for four after briefly opening his Test account with a boundary. Another debutant, Imran Randhawa, also fell cheaply to Tongue, leaving Pakistan in serious trouble at 84-7 before Saud and the lower order mounted brief resistance. For the first time in a Test innings in England, a team’s top five batters were all dismissed for single figures.
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England resumed their reply with Gay and captain Joe Root at the crease, but their third-wicket partnership lasted only 15 runs before Pakistan debutant Razaullah trapped Root lbw in the second over of the final session. Brook then joined Gay and counter-attacked effectively, the pair adding a crucial 104 runs for the fourth wicket to put England in control, before Razaullah ended the stand late in the day by dismissing Gay, who remained England’s leading scorer.
Brook and Lawrence then added an unbeaten 13 runs for the fifth wicket to ensure England finished the day ahead. Razaullah was the standout bowler for Pakistan, claiming two wickets on his debut, while Abbas and Ali took one each.
With England ending the opening day 23 runs ahead and six wickets still in hand, the second day promises another crucial contest as Pakistan look to strike back early and prevent the hosts from building a decisive advantage.
