The Pakistan cricket team endured an "embarrassing" and "chaotic" morning session on day one of the third Test at Edgbaston, losing seven wickets for 100 runs. Former captain Ramiz Raja described the team's "technique and mindset" as "pretty ordinary" and noted "mental fatigue and turmoil in the dugout." Raja suggested the players have been "waiting for the ball to come and damage them completely" rather than being proactive on what he termed a "flat pitch."
England won the toss and elected to bowl in autumnal conditions, with their four-pronged seam attack exploiting the conditions. Michael Vaughan, former England captain, stated that Pakistan appeared "clearly shot for confidence" after the morning's events. He expressed sympathy for the tourists, given the "embarrassing" situation compounded by recent changes made by the Pakistan Cricket Board, which were intended as a "defibrillator" for the team.
The collapse saw Pakistan's top five batsmen all dismissed for single figures, a historical low for a first innings in Test cricket. This marks the 12th time a team's top five have been out for single digits in a Test, but the first occurrence in the opening innings. The team is also on track to set a new record for the worst start to an innings in a series in England, potentially surpassing Australia's 1888 record for the lowest average partnership for the second wicket in a series.
Opener Saim Ayub, playing his first first-class match since October 2025, was among those dismissed early. Veteran batsmen Saud Shakeel and Babar Azam were noted for extravagant strokeplay outside off stump, a departure from the discipline required. Pakistan's false-shot percentage in the morning session was 40%, the second highest recorded for an opening session since 2006. Azam was bowled by Tongue, and reportedly gestured at the pitch afterwards, with Ramiz Raja commenting that Azam "disintegrated" and has to manage the "mayhem" while dealing with teammates he described as more suited to T20 cricket than Test matches.