England survived a dramatic opening-over collapse and a spirited Pakistan fightback before Joe Root and Jordan Cox guided the hosts to an eight-wicket victory at Edgbaston and a 3-0 Test series sweep.
England completed a 3-0 Test series whitewash over Pakistan at Edgbaston on Saturday, but not before a match that had appeared routine was suddenly transformed into a tense final-day contest.
Set 130 to win, England began the fourth morning in disastrous fashion. Mohammad Abbas dismissed Ben Duckett and Emilio Gay for ducks in the opening over, briefly giving Pakistan hope of an extraordinary comeback after they had spent much of the match on the defensive.
That hope grew when England slipped to 2 for 2, but Joe Root and Jordan Cox responded with the calmest partnership of the match.
Root finished unbeaten on 62, while Cox made an unbeaten 59, the pair adding 128 runs and carrying England to victory by eight wickets. The chase was completed in just over 24 overs.
Yet Root’s innings contained a pivotal moment that Pakistan will view with considerable frustration.
A No-Ball Changes the Mood
With Root on 23, Mohammad Ali produced what appeared to be the breakthrough Pakistan desperately needed.
Root edged the ball onto his stumps, seemingly leaving England three wickets down and opening the possibility of further pressure.
But the dismissal was overturned when replays showed that Ali had overstepped.
It was a no-ball.
The reprieve proved costly. Root remained at the crease, regained complete control of the chase and went on to anchor England’s victory. He later survived another opportunity when a catch was dropped, adding to Pakistan’s sense that the small moments had once again gone against them.
For an experienced batter of Root’s quality, one escape was enough.
From that point onward, he and Cox steadily dismantled Pakistan’s hopes.
Pakistan’s Remarkable Fightback
The fact that Pakistan had a chance at all represented a considerable recovery.
Earlier in the match, they had appeared destined for a crushing defeat after being dismissed for just 133 in their first innings.
England responded with 453, building a commanding 320-run advantage. Harry Brook made 75, while Dan Lawrence, Jamie Smith, Emilio Gay and Ollie Robinson all made useful contributions.
At that stage, Pakistan seemed to be heading toward another heavy defeat.
Instead, their second innings produced one of the most spirited responses of the series.
Shan Masood scored 95, Babar Azam added 76 and Azan Awais made 59 as Pakistan began to erase the enormous deficit.
The most spectacular contribution, however, came from debutant Razaullah.
Batting at No. 9, the 21-year-old launched an extraordinary counterattack, scoring 81 from 63 balls and hitting nine sixes. His innings transformed the atmosphere at Edgbaston and helped Pakistan reach 449.
Razaullah shared a 121-run ninth-wicket partnership with Mohammad Abbas, who contributed 42.
For a period, England’s bowlers struggled to finish the innings, while Pakistan moved from attempting to avoid humiliation to setting a potentially awkward fourth-innings target.
Razaullah’s nine sixes also equalled a notable record for a Test innings in England, underlining the remarkable nature of his debut.
Abbas Gives Pakistan One Last Chance
Pakistan needed something extraordinary with the new ball, and Abbas almost provided it immediately.
Duckett edged the first delivery of England’s chase and was dismissed without scoring. A few balls later, Gay was trapped lbw, also for a duck.
Suddenly, a target of 130 did not look quite so straightforward.
Pakistan’s fielders became animated, England’s dressing room grew noticeably more tense and the possibility of one of Test cricket’s most unexpected collapses briefly emerged.
But Root’s arrival immediately changed the tempo.
He resisted the temptation to attack recklessly and instead allowed the pressure to dissipate.
Cox followed the same approach.
The pair initially concentrated on survival before gradually increasing the scoring rate as the bowlers tired and the pitch offered fewer threats than Pakistan had hoped.
By the time Root reached his half-century, the contest was effectively over.
Root’s Experience Proves Decisive
The innings was another demonstration of why Root remains central to England’s Test side.
His unbeaten 62 was not among the most spectacular innings of his career, but the situation demanded control rather than aggression.
It was also his 110th Test score of 50 or more, another illustration of the consistency that has defined his international career.
The innings also carried additional significance because Root is again leading England following Ben Stokes’ retirement.
After a difficult period that included losses to New Zealand and in the Ashes, the Pakistan series has provided England with a more positive beginning to their latest red-ball transition.
A 3-0 victory does not remove all of England’s weaknesses, but it gives the team momentum before more demanding assignments.
Cox Makes His Case
Jordan Cox’s contribution may prove almost as significant.
His unbeaten 59 was his third half-century of the series and came under genuine pressure after England’s disastrous first over.
Rather than allowing Root to carry the responsibility alone, Cox matched his captain’s composure and showed the adaptability required for Test cricket.
His performances throughout the series may strengthen his case for a more permanent role in England’s plans.
England still have questions surrounding the balance of their batting order, particularly with other players potentially returning for future tours.
But Cox’s ability to respond calmly in a difficult fourth-innings situation will have impressed the selectors.
Robinson Dominates the Series
England’s overall superiority across the three Tests was built largely on the strength of their bowling.
Ollie Robinson finished the series with 21 wickets at an average below nine, earning England’s player-of-the-series award.
His accuracy and ability to extract movement repeatedly exposed Pakistan’s batting weaknesses.
Dan Lawrence, meanwhile, was named player of the match at Edgbaston after contributing with both bat and ball.
The series therefore offered England several encouraging individual performances.
But it also exposed problems.
The inability to quickly dismiss Pakistan’s lower order in the second innings demonstrated that England can still lose control of matches when opponents counterattack effectively.
Their batting also remains vulnerable to sudden collapses, as the final morning showed.
Pakistan Leave With More Questions Than Answers
For Pakistan, the series ends in disappointment despite flashes of considerable promise.
Their second-innings performance at Edgbaston showed that the side possesses talent and resilience.
Razaullah’s extraordinary debut offered perhaps the clearest reason for optimism.
But those moments were undermined by inconsistency.
Pakistan’s tour was also affected by internal instability, including coaching changes and significant alterations to the squad.
Captain Babar Azam acknowledged that missed opportunities had proved costly.
The final Test illustrated that problem perfectly.
Pakistan produced an exceptional second-innings recovery, took two wickets in England’s opening over and then created the chance to remove Root.
But the no-ball erased what could have been the decisive wicket.
Against elite opponents, those margins matter.
A Whitewash, But Not a Perfect One
England will ultimately remember the series for the scoreline.
Three Tests. Three victories.
Yet the closing match also provided useful warnings.
Pakistan’s lower order exposed vulnerabilities in England’s bowling attack, while the opening-over collapse showed how quickly their batting can become unstable.
New head coach Stephen Fleming, who is preparing to take charge ahead of England’s forthcoming assignments, will inherit a team with obvious strengths but also several areas requiring refinement.
Still, winning provides the best environment in which to make those adjustments.
England were shaken, Pakistan threatened an improbable comeback, and Root required the fortune of a no-ball to survive a potentially decisive moment.
But when the pressure was highest, England’s most experienced batter made the opportunity count.
Root and Cox turned 2 for 2 into victory without losing another wicket, transforming what briefly threatened to become an extraordinary upset into a comfortable eight-wicket win — and ensuring that England’s Test summer ended with a clean sweep.
