England bowlers struggle as Pakistan finally show resilience at Edgbaston

England’s fast bowlers were given a reality check after being met with spirited resistance from Pakistan at Edgbaston.

Having failed to reach 200 in five previous attempts and needing 268 to make their opponents bat again, Pakistan’s batters finally stood up to England’s vaunted quicks on day three of the last Test.

Fifties from Shan Masood, Babar Azam and Azan Awais helped to all but erase the deficit before 21-year-old debutant Razaullah crashed nine sixes in an astonishing assault from number nine to carry Pakistan to 449 all out, leaving England 130 to seal a 3-0 series clean sweep on Saturday.

Ollie Robinson had a rare off-day following his double breakthrough the previous evening, Josh Tongue and Jofra Archer were expensive, as was Gus Atkinson, who at least claimed three wickets after being the only England paceman to have a barren series.

Razaullah took his helmet off to face Lawrence and larruped his ninth six and while he overturned being given lbw, he was stumped next ball to end Pakistan’s innings.

They are still overwhelming favourites to win on Saturday, but their struggles may give incoming head coach Stephen Fleming and captain Joe Root pause for thought after Pakistan had their best day of the series.

Awais and Masood put on 52 to rescue Pakistan from nought for two and extended the partnership to 125 on Friday morning, nullifying England’s seamers with aplomb.

Masood, dropped on 13 the day before, had another couple of moments of luck. On 29, he edged through a vacant third slip the ball after Ben Duckett was moved from there, while he was on 40 when substitute fielder Theo Wylie, on for the injured Jamie Smith, spilled a chest-high chance at backward point.

Wylie, on Warwickshire’s books with five List A appearances but yet to make his first-class debut, was soon comforted by Root, who threw an arm over the 20-year-old’s shoulder.

Awais looked utterly unflustered, even when an Atkinson delivery reared up and hit his glove, but the opener perished for 59 after being strangled down leg by spinner Dan Lawrence’s second ball.

England’s appeals for a caught behind were turned down, but Root, stood at leg slip, immediately querying the decision was vindicated as a thin nick was picked up by the technology.

Under-pressure Pakistan captain Babar Azam shrugged off scores of eight, six and seven in this series to provide some support either side of lunch with Masood, who looked set to become the first centurion of the series.

However, he fell for 95 after Atkinson collected just his second wicket in three Tests, with Masood’s tentative prod flying to the cordon, where Lawrence took a sensational one-handed catch diving to his right.

Babar, without a Test century since December 2022, then diced with danger off successive Archer deliveries, the first taking the top edge and flying to Wylie, who stepped on the boundary cushion as he tried to take the catch before another wild slash just cleared the in-field.

But he was bounced out for the second time in two Tests in the next over, departing for 76 after awkwardly gloving off Tongue and stand-in wicketkeeper Jordan Cox completed a fine catch leaping to his left.

Saud Shakeel got in a tangle to Archer’s bumper and fended to short leg for 29 after tea and Atkinson had debutants Ghazi Ghori and Mohammad Imran caught behind with Pakistan still two runs in arrears.

However, Razaullah took Pakistan into the lead when he heaved a short ball from Tongue into the stands, proving it was no fluke by astonishingly dispatching Atkinson over the rope three times in four balls.

The second new ball failed to change England’s fortunes as Root recycled his quick options, plus Lawrence to no avail, with Archer left with his hands on his knees after being dispatched for successive maximums by Razaullah, which brought up Pakistan’s 400.

Abbas was a more than useful foil and belted two maximums himself before steering a short and wide delivery from Tongue to backward point for a Test-best 42.

Razaullah took his helmet off to face Lawrence and larruped his ninth six and while he overturned an lbw review, he was stumped next ball for 81 to end Pakistan’s innings.