Pakistan holds a commanding 123-run first-innings lead over England heading into the fourth day of the third and final Test at Edgbaston in Birmingham, a position that could see the tourists avoid a series whitewash after England had already sealed the series with wins in the first two matches.
How the Match Has Unfolded
The Test, running September 9-13, 2026, saw Pakistan’s batting order dig in through a tense third day, grinding out a lead built on stubborn partnerships rather than fast scoring, in stark contrast to the tourists’ batting collapses that defined the first two Tests of the series. England had already wrapped up the series 2-0 before this match, meaning the Edgbaston Test is now effectively a dead rubber for the result of the series but very much alive for pride and individual milestones.
England’s Dominant Series So Far
England arrived at Edgbaston chasing what many English pundits had openly discussed as a possible 3-0 whitewash, having crushed Pakistan in the first two Tests behind disciplined seam bowling and a batting order that punished a Pakistan attack short on control in home-friendly English conditions. Joe Root has been central to that dominance, passing both Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh’s career fielding records during the series, a milestone that added an individual storyline to England’s collective rout.
Why Pakistan’s Push-Back Matters
A below-par batting effort in London and at Old Trafford had raised serious questions about Pakistan’s Test-match temperament away from home, with critics noting the tourists’ top order repeatedly failed to build partnerships under moving-ball conditions. The 123-run lead at Edgbaston, then, represents a rare show of resolve — proof, Pakistan’s supporters would argue, that the batting unit can still compete when application replaces the counter-punching approach that failed them earlier in the series.
The Selection Storm in the Background
The Edgbaston Test has played out against the backdrop of a wider selection controversy after former captain Babar Azam said he was ”blindsided” by the Pakistan Cricket Board’s decision to drop seven players from the squad, a public airing of grievance that has added tension to a tour already complicated by the 2-0 series deficit. Some former players have argued the timing of such sweeping changes mid-series undermined squad cohesion, while PCB officials have defended the moves as necessary to identify a core group for the future.
What a Fourth Innings Chase Would Look Like
Should Pakistan extend their lead significantly on the fourth day before declaring or being bowled out, England would face a fourth-innings target on a pitch that has shown increasing wear, a scenario that would test whether England’s batting depth — untested by adversity so far in the series — can respond under real pressure for the first time in the series.
What’s Next
The result at Edgbaston, whichever way it falls, will shape the narrative both teams carry into their next assignments: England into a home summer that will increasingly focus on white-ball cricket, and Pakistan into a period of introspection over both personnel and approach as the PCB’s reshuffling continues to generate internal debate. A Pakistan win would be their first Test victory in England since 2016, a landmark that would partially offset the series loss regardless of the final scoreline.
Photo: ell brown / BY via flickr