ENG vs PAK 3rd Test:The third match of the three-game Test series between England and Pakistan was played at Edgbaston, Birmingham. In this match, hosts England handed Pakistan a crushing 8-wicket defeat, completing a 3-0 clean sweep of the series.
Chasing a target of 130 runs for victory on the fourth day, England got off to a poor start, losing two wickets in the very first over. However, Joe Root and Jordan Cox then took charge, batting aggressively to chase down the target in the opening session itself and securing a one-sided 8-wicket win for England.
Root and Cox Bat Superbly
Chasing a target of 130 runs in the fourth innings, Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Abbas caused a stir by dismissing Ben Duckett and Emilio Gay in the very first over, leaving England at 0/2. Stepping to the crease during this crisis, the experienced Joe Root and the young Jordan Cox adopted a strategy of dominating the Pakistani bowlers.
England scored runs at a rate exceeding five runs per over. Joe Root remained unbeaten on 62 off 69 balls, while Jordan Cox played an unbeaten knock of 59 off 76 balls. The duo shared an unbroken, match-winning partnership of 130 runs for the third wicket, effectively sealing the match before lunch.
Pakistan bowled out for 133 in the first innings
England dominated the match right from the start. In the first innings, Pakistan's batting lineup collapsed like a house of cards, and the entire team was bowled out for 133 runs in just 33.5 overs.
In response, England posted a massive total of 453 runs in their first innings. Powered by half-centuries from Harry Brook, Dan Lawrence, Emilio Gay, Jamie Smith, and Ollie Robinson, England secured a commanding lead of 320 runs.
Then, in the second innings, Pakistan staged a magnificent comeback by scoring 449 runs fueled by Shan Masood (95), Azan Awais (59), Babar Azam (76), debutant Razaullah (81), and Mohammad Abbas (42) setting England a target of 130 runs.
However, due to their disastrous performance in the first innings and the partnership between Root and Cox in the final innings, this spirited effort by the Pakistani team proved insufficient to save the match. Pakistan had also suffered crushing defeats in the first two matches of the series.
