Pakistan suffered another top-order collapse in the third and final Test against England at Edgbaston on Wednesday, September 9, with the visitors reduced to 56/5 after 15.3 overs.
England won the toss and elected to bowl first, and their pace attack quickly exposed Pakistan's fragile batting order. Josh Tongue dismissed captain Babar Azam for 7, adding to wickets from Ollie Robinson and Jofra Archer as England seized control early in the innings.
The five-day Test is already a dead rubber in terms of the series result, with England holding an unassailable 2-0 leadafter convincing victories at Headingley and Lord's.
England Strike Early
England's decision to bowl first immediately paid dividends under overcast conditions at Edgbaston.
Ollie Robinson made the first major breakthrough, dismissing Saim Ayub for a duck. The wicket was also significant for Robinson, who reached 100 Test wickets with the dismissal and became the first England bowler since Ian Botham to achieve the milestone while maintaining a bowling average below 20.
Jofra Archer then added to Pakistan's problems by removing Shan Masood, who made 5, leaving the visitors struggling at 26/4.
Babar Azam Falls for 7
With Pakistan already four wickets down, Babar Azam came under pressure to stabilise the innings alongside Saud Shakeel.
The Pakistan captain managed only seven runs before Josh Tongue produced a delivery that beat Babar's attempted defensive stroke and crashed into the top of off stump.
Babar's dismissal left Pakistan at 48/5 after 15 overs, deepening the team's early crisis.
The wicket came after Babar had been expected to provide experience to a dramatically reshuffled Pakistan side. He had earlier acknowledged the unusual circumstances surrounding the tour and urged his team to play with greater freedom in the final Test.
Saud Shakeel Offers Resistance
Amid Pakistan's collapse, Saud Shakeel provided some resistance with a series of attacking strokes through the off side.
Shakeel survived a difficult moment when Ben Duckett dropped a catch at first slip. It was Duckett's second dropped opportunity of the innings, although England continued to maintain pressure with the ball.
The pitch itself appeared capable of supporting stroke-making, making Pakistan's rapid loss of wickets even more damaging.
Pakistan Make Four Changes
Pakistan entered the third Test after a turbulent build-up and made four changes to the XI that played at Lord's.
Three players — Ghazi Ghori, Imran Randhawa and Razaullah — made their Test debuts, while Saim Ayub returned to the red-ball side. The changes came after the Pakistan Cricket Board sent seven players home during the tour and launched an internal inquiry into reported discipline and conduct issues.
The reshuffle has added to the uncertainty surrounding Pakistan's campaign in England, with the visitors already having lost the series.
England Eye a 3-0 Sweep
England entered the Edgbaston Test with the series already secured following an innings-and-103-run victory at Headingley and a 194-run win at Lord's.
Joe Root's side remained unchanged for the final Test, with England looking to complete a clean sweep.
Pakistan, meanwhile, are attempting to salvage something from a difficult tour. Babar had urged his players to treat the final match as an opportunity to play without the pressure of the series result.
However, the early collapse at Edgbaston has put Pakistan on the back foot once again, with the lower order facing the task of rebuilding the first innings against an England attack that has dominated the series.
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