Joe Root steered England to a 3-0 Test series whitewash over Pakistan, finishing with an unbeaten 62 to secure an eight-wicket victory in the final match at Edgbaston. The win marks England’s first series success in 19 months, providing a positive conclusion to a period defined by internal team uncertainty.
Chasing a target of 130, England faced immediate pressure when Mohammad Abbas dismissed Ben Duckett with the first ball of the innings, followed by Emilio Gay later in the same over. Root provided the necessary stability, though he benefited from a stroke of luck when he was bowled by Mohammad Ali on 23 off a no-ball—the 17th such delivery Ali conceded during the series. A final opportunity for Pakistan slipped away when Root, then on 38, edged a ball from Abbas that fell between the first and second slips.
This performance marked the 110th time Root has scored 50 or more in a Test innings, a tally that includes 41 centuries. With Jordan Cox providing steady support in an unbeaten 59, England reached their target in the 25th over, overcoming a first-innings deficit of 320 to complete the sweep.
Reflecting on the match, Root acknowledged the intensity of the opposition, stating, “Fair play to Pakistan, they threw some punches last night. They made it very difficult for us and in some ways it’s a good thing to go through that.” He added that while there are areas for improvement, he is pleased with the outcome given the skepticism surrounding the team at the start of the series.
The victory serves as a successful return to the captaincy for Root following the international retirement of Ben Stokes. While the series was largely dominated by England, Pakistan showed late resistance through debutant Razaullah, whose aggressive 81 off 63 balls on Friday evening provided a rare highlight for the visitors.
England’s pace attack, spearheaded by player of the series Ollie Robinson, proved decisive on favorable surfaces. Robinson, who claimed 21 wickets across the series, remains grounded about the future. “I’m a realist, I know it’s not always going to be like this. We know there’s going to be tougher times ahead,” he noted, looking toward upcoming challenges.
The team is now set for a transition, as interim red-ball head coach Marcus Trescothick prepares to hand over duties to Stephen Fleming for the upcoming winter tour of South Africa. Selection decisions remain ongoing, particularly in the batting lineup, where Jordan Cox has bolstered his case for inclusion after filling in as wicketkeeper following a finger injury to Jamie Smith.
For Pakistan, the tour has been marked by significant turmoil, including the mid-series replacement of seven squad members and the dismissal of head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and assistant Umar Gul. Captain Babar Azam lamented the team’s inconsistency, noting that the first-innings performance and recurring “soft dismissals” ultimately cost them the series.
Despite the lopsided result, Azam expressed hope that the experience provided valuable lessons for his younger players ahead of their next series against Sri Lanka in October. England, meanwhile, looks to build on this momentum as they prepare for a more demanding schedule against South Africa in December and January. The report also notes that on 38, edged Abbas between first and second slip who both left the ball for each other, pakistan’s last chance came and went when Root. The report also notes that pakistan, who conceded a first innings deficit of 320, showed commendable fight to take the game into a fourth day, but with Jordan Cox supplying solid back-up to his captain with an unbeaten 59, England eased to victor. The report also notes that test cricket is not always going to go your own way but to see us actually be quite clinical with the bat off the back of that was good too. The report also notes that of course there’s things we will want to improve on but we came into this series with a lot of question marks and a lot of noise around the team and we’ve walked away 3-0 winners so in that respect I’m quite pleased. The report also notes that if only Pakistan had shown up in the first two tests as they did belatedly in Birmingham this could have been an enthralling series. The report also notes that as it was, England’s total dominance made it something of a damp squib.
