England moved closer to a series whitewash over Pakistan as the tourists ended the second day of the third Test at Edgbaston at 52 for two, with rain forcing an early close to play.
Pakistan's batting order faltered for a second consecutive innings, starting the day with a deficit and quickly losing wickets. Ollie Robinson was instrumental in Pakistan's struggles, taking the wickets of Saim Ayub on the first ball of the innings and Abdullah Shafique shortly after. Ayub was caught by Harry Brook at first slip, and Shafique was also caught by Joe Root at first slip, leaving Pakistan at nought for two.
Despite the early setbacks, Pakistan managed to reach 52 for two before rain interrupted play around 5 p.m. local time. The day began with England extending their first innings total. Resuming on 156 for four, they added 297 runs in 60 overs before being dismissed for 453. Robinson contributed significantly with the bat, scoring his second Test fifty.
Harry Brook and Dan Lawrence had steadied England's innings, adding 73 runs in the first 10 overs of the day. Brook was eventually run out for 75 after setting off for a single. Lawrence fell for 65, chopping a delivery onto his stumps just before lunch. Jamie Smith, playing with a dislocated finger, scored a quickfire 60 before being caught. Robinson was the last man out, contributing to an England total that included 21 half-centuries from their batters in six games this summer, with only one century.
The dominance of England's performance has highlighted concerns about the state of Test cricket and the growing disparity between nations. The article notes that the one-sided nature of the series raises questions about the format's future, particularly in light of the expansion of T20 franchise leagues and what is described as an unequal financial model within the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Pakistan's tour has been marred by internal issues, including a significant culling of their squad between matches. The team's chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, also serves as the country's interior minister, a situation described as farcical in the context of managing the cricket board.
Robinson continued his impressive series performance, taking his wicket tally to 21 at an average of 6.66. His early dismissals of Pakistan's openers continued a pattern of dominance over the tourists' top order. The article suggests that unless Pakistan's batsmen can achieve a significant score in their second innings, this series could be the first in England of three matches or more not to feature an individual century since the 1888 Ashes.