Pakistan have one Test left to give their supporters something worth remembering from England. After four innings without reaching 200, two heavy defeats, and a sweeping change of personnel, even the prospect of a competitive contest requires a substantial improvement.
The third Test begins at Edgbaston on September 9, with England holding an unassailable 2-0 lead. Joe Root’s second spell as captain has started with consecutive victories. Babar Azam faces the harder assignment: restoring enough confidence and batting discipline to prevent another collapse.
A Pakistan victory would provide a considerable morale boost. The evidence, however, makes England clear favorites. Their advantage extends beyond form to bowling variety, contributions throughout the batting order, and continuity while Pakistan attempt another hurried rebuild.
TL;DR
- England lead 2-0 after victories by an innings and 103 runs at Headingley and 194 runs at Lord’s.
- Pakistan’s four totals are 171, 135, 110, and 194.
- Ollie Robinson took 8/35 at Lord’s; Pakistan found resistance through Mohammad Abbas and Saud Shakeel.
- Seven players and two coaches have departed Pakistan’s touring setup.
- Babar needs substantial runs and clear leadership; Root can pursue a sweep with an established squad.
England vs Pakistan: Third Test Information
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | England vs Pakistan, third Test |
| Venue | Edgbaston, Birmingham |
| Scheduled dates | September 9–13, 2026 |
| Series position | England lead 2-0 |
| Captains | Joe Root and Babar Azam |
| England’s objective | Complete a 3-0 sweep |
| Pakistan’s objective | Avoid a whitewash and produce sustained resistance |
| Selection status | Squad selections are distinct from confirmed playing XIs |
The ECB’s official squad announcement confirms Root leads England’s 15-player group for the finale.
Four Innings Explain Why England Are So Far Ahead
| Test | England | Pakistan | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headingley | 409 | 171 and 135 | England won by an innings and 103 runs |
| Lord’s | 290 and 208 | 110 and 194 | England won by 194 runs |
Pakistan have accumulated 610 runs across four innings, averaging 152.5 per innings. Those returns leave almost no protection against an opponent capable of recovering after early wickets.
The series-clinching defeat at Lord’s exposed the distinction. England did not need a huge total to control the match. Their first-innings 290 became decisive when Pakistan replied with 110, conceding a 180-run deficit.
Calling Pakistan the worst visitors in 50 years requires a defined comparison across teams, eras, and conditions. Their actual returns already support a severe assessment without presenting that sweeping judgment as a statistical fact.
Joe Root 2.0: A Winning Start, With More to Prove
Root has enjoyed the results every returning captain would want. England have won comfortably while showing they can find solutions when their leading batters fail.
That matters more than portraying the series as completely effortless. Pakistan have created difficult passages, particularly with the ball. England have handled those passages better.
The next test of Root’s leadership is maintaining those standards after securing the series. A weakened opponent can encourage loose batting or unnecessary experimentation. England should approach Edgbaston as an opportunity to consolidate their methods.
Their squad offers flexibility through Robinson, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue, Sam Cook, and Sonny Baker. Root has options if fitness or conditions require adjustment, without needing to reconstruct the entire team.
Ollie Robinson Gives Pakistan No Easy Recovery Period
Robinson’s 8/35 at Lord’s captured the effectiveness of England’s attack. Pakistan struggled to score against him and could not reliably defend their wickets either.
The tactical challenge is avoiding two extremes. Chasing deliveries outside off stump increases the risk of edges; becoming completely scoreless allows England to attack with crowded catching fields.
Pakistan need clearer decisions about which deliveries to leave and where singles remain available. Against Archer, they also need a settled response to the short ball. Surviving one bowler’s spell will mean little if the next immediately forces another error.
Babar Azam Must Give Pakistan an Innings to Build Around
Babar missed Headingley through injury before returning with eight and six at Lord’s. His absence from the opening Test interrupted the start of his latest captaincy assignment; his return did not repair the batting.
Pakistan now need him to occupy the crease long enough for partnerships to develop. A substantial innings would also carry leadership value by giving younger teammates a practical example of how to negotiate England’s attack.
As our assessment of Babar’s return to Test captaincy explored, changing the captain cannot resolve every structural weakness. He nevertheless remains responsible for his own decisions and output.
His message at Edgbaston should be specific: know your role, respect difficult spells, and prevent a single dismissal from becoming a sequence of wickets.
Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Abbas Offer Genuine Hope
Shakeel’s second-innings 97 and Abbas’ nine wickets at Lord’s provide the strongest cricketing reasons to believe Pakistan can improve.
Shakeel demonstrated that scoring remained possible. Abbas showed England’s batting could be penetrated. Neither performance received enough collective support.
Pakistan’s task is to connect those contributions. A productive bowling session needs a batting response; an established batter needs someone to remain alongside him. The concerns raised in our assessment of Pakistan’s comeback prospects before Lord’s therefore remain relevant.
England can afford a quiet match from an established player because others have contributed. Pakistan have repeatedly asked their strongest individual performances to compensate for failures elsewhere.
PCB’s Overhaul Adds Pressure Before the First Ball
Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke have replaced Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul, while seven players have left the squad. The incoming personnel have limited time to establish working relationships before facing a confident England side.
The questions surrounding PCB’s leadership and handling of the tour now extend well beyond selection. For the new coaches, the immediate challenge is giving players a manageable cricketing assignment amid that uncertainty.
The confirmed disciplinary inquiry must remain distinct from unproven allegations. Sky Sports’ reporting on the investigation does not establish wrongdoing by every player released.
Nor has all English criticism amounted to mockery. Nasser Hussain has questioned whether PCB’s response adds pressure when players need support, including its handling of the Imam-ul-Haq injury dispute. His argument concerns how a struggling team should be managed. His comments were reported by The Indian Express.
What Would a Credible Pakistan Response Look Like?
| Area | Improvement to watch |
|---|---|
| New-ball batting | Established batters surviving together beyond the opening spells |
| Partnerships | More than one meaningful stand in an innings |
| Bowling | Maintaining pressure after removing England’s top order |
| Fielding | Converting the chances needed to support the attack |
| Captaincy | Clear plans that remain coherent after a difficult session |
These are observable measures of improvement. Reaching 200 would end an unwanted sequence, but it would not automatically produce a competitive total.
Pakistan must also avoid treating attacking intent as a substitute for judgment. The objective is to make England bowl longer, work through established partnerships, and reconsider their fields.
England Deserve Favoritism, Pakistan Must Make Them Work
Pakistan’s victory in the Caribbean earlier this summer offers a reminder that this team can recover. Edgbaston presents a considerably tougher assignment after the events of the past fortnight.
England have the stronger recent evidence, greater bowling variety, and fewer immediate selection uncertainties. A 3-0 finish is the more convincing expectation.
Pakistan can challenge that expectation by turning isolated resistance into partnerships and sustained pressure. Babar cannot repair the entire system in five days. He can still lead an innings, make sound decisions, and give his bowlers a total they can defend.
Follow The Sports Encounter’s cricket coverage for further reporting and analysis as the final Test unfolds.
