Pakistan's Shan Masood walks back to the pavilion after losing his wicket for five runs in the third Test cricket match against England [Oli Scarff/AFP] Published On 9 Sep 20269 Sep 2026 Pakistan have claimed another unwelcome record on their cricket tour of England, becoming the first team to have their top five batters dismissed for nine or fewer runs in the first innings, as the visitors were dismissed for 133 in the first innings of the third Test in Birmingham.
Babar Azam’s team included four new faces, including three debutants, after being sent in to bat by Joe Root’s England on an overcast morning at Edgbaston Stadium on Wednesday.
The visitors entered the match having lost the series 2-0 and faced growing criticism of both their on-field performances and off-field decisions.
Pakistan sent home seven players and sacked both head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and assistant Umar Gul after losing the second Test by 194 runs at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London.
England won the first Test by an innings and 103 runs at Headingley, Leeds, earlier in August.
Mohammad Imran looks at the stumps as the bails fly and loses his wicket on day one of the third Test [Oli Scarff/AFP] Neither the new names nor the old guard were able to change the team’s fortunes, as England’s pacers tore through the top order to leave Pakistan reeling at 48-5 by the time captain Azam was dismissed in the 15th over.
Middle-order batter Saud Shakeel offered some resistance with an innings of 43 runs, while a debutant bowler survived the fast-bowling onslaught for 11 balls.
Pakistan’s standout bowler Mohammad Abbas was the third player to score in double figures when he scored 21 off 36 balls before his dismissal wrapped up Pakistan’s innings in 33 overs and five balls.
Advertisement All 10 Pakistan wickets were claimed by pace bowlers, led by Josh Tongue’s 4-42, which included the wickets of Azam and Shakeel.
Ollie Robinson, player of the match in the first Test, took 3-15, and Jofra Archer claimed 3-25 to end Pakistan’s ordeal.
Josh Tongue took four wickets for England [Oli Scarff/AFP] Fast bowler Razaullah gave Pakistan hope with two wickets on his debut, including the key scalp of Root for just eight.
Emilio Gay (60) and Harry Brook (52 not out) shared a fourth-wicket stand of 104, however, before England reached stumps on 156-4, a lead of 23 runs.
Gay’s determined 114-ball innings ended when he played on to the fiery Razaullah, the 21-year-old taking 2-42 in nine overs.
Brook reined in his attacking instincts while compiling a 70-ball half-century with a mere four fours.
England also lost early wickets as Ben Duckett and Jordan Cox were dismissed.
