Debutant Razaullah delivered a stunning late-innings performance on Friday, breathing life into Pakistan’s campaign and delaying England’s pursuit of a series clean sweep in the third Test at Edgbaston. With the tourists facing a massive first-innings deficit of 320 runs, Razaullah arrived at the crease under immense pressure but unleashed an astonishing 81 off just 63 balls, featuring nine sixes and four fours.
Pakistan, having struggled throughout the series, finally showed resilience by passing 200 runs for the first time in six attempts. Shan Masood anchored the effort with 95, while captain Babar Azam, returning from a hand injury, contributed 76. The pair helped stabilize the innings after Pakistan lost two wickets without scoring on Thursday, with opener Azan Awais adding a solid 59 before falling to Dan Lawrence.
The momentum shifted when Masood was dismissed by a sharp slip catch from Lawrence off Gus Atkinson, and Azam later edged a Josh Tongue delivery to stand-in wicketkeeper Jordan Cox. Further wickets fell to Jofra Archer and Cox, leaving Pakistan in a precarious position at 318-8. However, Razaullah and Mohammad Abbas combined for a defiant 121-run partnership for the ninth wicket, frustrating the English attack.
Abbas, who finished with 42, provided vital support as the pair took the score to 439-9. Razaullah’s power-hitting was on full display as he struck three sixes off Atkinson in a single over and later hammered Archer for consecutive sixes to reach his half-century in 43 balls. His aggressive approach forced England to return on Saturday, with the hosts now requiring 130 runs to complete a 3-0 series victory.
Razaullah’s innings eventually concluded when he was stumped by Cox off Lawrence in the final over of the day. His contribution was particularly notable given his earlier four-wicket haul in England’s first innings, where the hosts posted 453 following a dominant opening day that saw Pakistan bowled out for just 133.
The series has been largely one-sided, with England winning the first Test by an innings and 103 runs and the second by 194 runs. In response to these heavy losses, Pakistan overhauled their setup, releasing seven players and dismissing head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and assistant Umar Gul. The team entered the Birmingham match with four changes, finally finding a spark of resistance as they head into the final day of the series. The report also notes that with England seemingly powerless to stop the carnage late on the third day, fellow paceman Mohammad Abbas also joined the party as the pair took the score from 318-8 to 439-9. The report also notes that with the home home side needing to score 130 to wrap up a 3-0 win after dominating the series, it means the teams will have to come back on Saturday. The report also notes that pakistan, facing a first-innings deficit of 320, lost two wickets without scoring a single run on Thursday but opener Azan Awais and the experienced Masood took the score to 125. The report also notes that caught by Emilio Gay at short leg while trying to fend off a Jofra Archer bouncer, while two more Cox catches accounted for Ghazi Ghori and Mohammad Imran, saud Shakeel (29) was next to go. The report also notes that clubbing three sixes off Atkinson in four balls and the pair brought up their fifty partnership off just 57 balls, debutant paceman Razaullah showed his intent early.
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