England’s pacemen dismantle Pakistan for 133 as Tongue leads surprising Edgbaston barrage.
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What a day for England!
What went wrong for Pakistan?
At Edgbaston, England‘s bowlers left Pakistan with little time to settle.
Pakistan were bowled out for a meager 133 in the third Test as Josh Tongue led the charge in a stellar display by England’s fast men.
Despite losing three wickets, England had the better day.
Tongue Leads England’s Pace Attack
The pitch at Edgbaston gave Eng pace bowlers some assistance, which they milked out of the ground to spectacular effect.
Josh Tongue was the standout performer, bowling with pace and accuracy to remove a key wicket, leaving Pakistan reeling.
In particular, the leg-spinner dismissed Babar Azam for a mere seven runs, with the Pakistan captain’s stumps removed as he attempted to play a sharp delivery that had drifted through the gate.
Tongue finished with figures of 4-42, playing a pivotal role in Pakistan’s collapse.
Ollie Robinson also had a special day, claiming his 100th Test wicket and finishing with equally eye-catching statistics of 3-15.
Jofra Archer added three early wickets to his name.
The main bowling figures said it all:
- Josh Tongue: 4-42
- Ollie Robinson: 3-15
- Jofra Archer: 3-25
- Pakistan: 133 all out
All three Eng bowlers combined to make Pakistan’s batters look very silly.
Pakistan Lose Four Wickets Quickly
Pakistan’s woes began almost immediately as the innings got underway.
They slumped to 26-4 during the morning session, with their top order failing to cope with England’s attacking line-up.
Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique and Shan Masood were all out before lunch, with England not offering them any let-off.
The next big blow came in the form of the crucial wicket of Babar.
The Pakistan captain made a mere seven before being removed, adding to the woes of a side already in disarray.
However, Saud Shakeel showed tremendous character in raising his bat to a well-made 43 from 47 balls.
Shakeel batted positively when he could and provided the run-scoring required by Pakistan at that point in the innings.
The tail-enders also contributed, with a late 10th-wicket stand helping Pakistan post a score of 133 instead of being bowled out for an even smaller total.
It was not enough, however.
England Also Feel Pressure
England had the chance to walk away as victors at the end of the day’s play, but Pakistan’s bowlers had other ideas.
Mohammad Abbas and Mohammad Ali struck early in the innings as England lost two early wickets, with Ben Duckett and Jordan Cox falling victim to their hostile bowling.
England ended the day on 40-3, still 93 runs behind Pakistan’s first innings total.
Simple Analysis: Why This Matters
Eng has demonstrated the power of a good pace attack in Test cricket, with Tongue, Archer and Robinson all attacking Pakistan’s batters without let-off.
Pakistan’s top order failed to deal with the challenges posed by the English bowlers, who made life very difficult for the visitors.
Now Eng have the task of batting carefully as Pakistan’s bowlers will be eager to create further problems for the home side.
What Happens Next?
The match is far from over and Eng have the shorter innings to bat, but three wickets have already fallen.
Pakistan will be hoping for further collapses, while England will be hoping for their remaining batters to continue their composed innings.
Day 1 belonged to Eng’s fast bowlers, but Test matches are known to change quickly.
Can Eng make the most of their great start and make a statement of intent to the world at Edgbaston?
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