Ollie Robinson and Mohammad Abbas ended the England-Pakistan Test series as two of the standout performers and the third Test at Edgbaston produced an unusual and rare piece of history involving the two fast bowlers.
Both pacers made an impact in the second innings of the match with Robinson putting England in a commanding position before Abbas gave Pakistan a late chance of pulling off a surprise result.
England had already taken an unassailable 2-0 lead after winning the first two Tests, but Joe Root’s side were determined to finish the series with a clean sweepRobinson had been central to their success throughout the tour and continued his excellent run in Birmingham.
Pakistan were dismissed for just 133 in their first innings after England chose to bowl firstJosh Tongue took four wickets, while Robinson and Jofra Archer picked up three eachMohammad Abbas was one of the few Pakistan players to offer resistance, scoring 21.
England then took complete control with the batHarry Brook made 75, Dan Lawrence scored 65, Jamie Smith added 69 and Emilio Gay contributed 60Robinson also made a useful 50 as England reached 453, giving them a massive 320-run lead.
Ollie Robinson then made his biggest impact with the ballHe removed Saim Ayub with the first delivery of Pakistan’s second innings before dismissing Abdullah Shafique three balls laterPakistan were suddenly 0-2 and in serious trouble.
Robinson finished the series with 21 wickets and was named England’s Player of the Series after consistently troubling Pakistan’s batters with movement and accuracy.
Pakistan, however, refused to go down without a fightShan Masood made 95 and Babar Azam scored 76, but it was debutant Razaullah who changed the mood at EdgbastonThe fast bowler smashed 81 off 63 balls, hitting nine sixes, while Abbas joined him in an extraordinary ninth-wicket stand.
Abbas made a career-best 42 and the pair added 121 for the ninth wicketTheir attack pushed Pakistan’s second-innings total to 449 and gave England a target of 130.
How England won the third Test
England’s chase got off to a terrible start when Abbas struck twice in the opening over, dismissing Ben Duckett and Emilio GayAt 0-2, Pakistan briefly had a chance of causing a major upsetJoe Root then took control of the chaseHe scored an unbeaten 62, while Jordan Cox remained not out on 59The pair added an unbeaten stand that took England safely past the targetEngland finished on 130/2 to win by eight wickets and complete a 3-0 series sweep.
The victory capped a dominant series for England, who had won the first Test by an innings and 103 runs and the second by 194 runsRobinson’s bowling was a major reason for their success, while Root’s unbeaten half-century ensured there was no late drama in the final chase.
