Debutant Razaullah delivered a stunning late-innings performance on Friday, preventing England from securing a quickfire victory in the third Test at Edgbaston. With Pakistan on the verge of a series-ending defeat, the fast bowler produced an extraordinary 81 off 63 balls, featuring nine sixes, to keep his side in the contest.
The tourists, who have struggled throughout the series, finally showed resilience as they attempted to overcome a 320-run first-innings deficit. Following a disastrous start on Thursday where they lost two wickets for no runs, opener Azan Awais and Shan Masood stabilized the innings with a partnership that reached 125. Awais eventually fell for 59, caught by stand-in wicketkeeper Jordan Cox off Dan Lawrence.
Captain Babar Azam, returning after a hand injury, contributed 76, while Masood narrowly missed a century, falling for 95 after a sharp slip catch by Lawrence off Gus Atkinson. Azam’s fluent innings ended when he edged a Josh Tongue delivery to Cox. Further pressure mounted as Saud Shakeel was dismissed for 29, and Ghazi Ghori and Mohammad Imran fell to catches by Cox, leaving Pakistan in a precarious position.
However, the match turned when Razaullah joined Mohammad Abbas at the crease with the score at 318-8. The pair launched a counter-attack, putting together a 121-run partnership for the ninth wicket. Razaullah signaled his intent by hitting three sixes off Atkinson in a four-ball span, while Abbas, who previously held a top Test score of 29, smashed Ollie Robinson for a six.
Razaullah reached his half-century in 43 balls, celebrating with a fifth six off Jofra Archer. The duo’s aggressive approach left England struggling to contain the scoring rate. Abbas was eventually dismissed for 42, caught by Atkinson off Tongue, ending the vital stand that pushed Pakistan to 439-9.
In the final over, Razaullah continued his assault, launching Lawrence into the stands before surviving an LBW review. He was ultimately stumped by Cox for 81, having also claimed four wickets during England’s first innings. His efforts mean the match will extend into Saturday, with England requiring 130 runs to complete a 3-0 series sweep.
England had previously dominated the series, winning the first Test by an innings and 103 runs and the second by 194 runs. In their first innings at Edgbaston, the hosts posted 453 at a brisk pace after dismissing Pakistan for a meager 133 on the opening day.
The match follows significant upheaval within the Pakistan camp, which saw seven players released and both head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and assistant Umar Gul dismissed following the second Test defeat. The team entered the Birmingham fixture with four changes to their lineup in an attempt to salvage pride in the final match. 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 earlier, Shan Masood scored 95 and captain Babar Azam made 76 as much-changed Pakistan passed 200 for the first time in the series at the sixth attempt. 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.
