Pakistan produced their most compelling performance of the tour on Friday, staging a remarkable turnaround at Edgbaston to push the third Test into a final day. Led by half-centuries from Azan Awais, Shan Masood, Babar Azam, and a blistering debut knock from Razaullah, the visitors posted 449—their highest total of the series—to erase a 320-run first-innings deficit.
The day began with Awais and Masood building on their overnight partnership. While Jofra Archer tested them with short-pitched deliveries, the pair navigated the conditions well, both reaching their fifties around the drinks break. The stand was eventually broken when Dan Lawrence, introduced for his spin, claimed a review-assisted dismissal against Awais. Masood continued to anchor the innings, finding a reliable partner in Babar Azam, who had struggled for form earlier in the series. The duo put on 89 runs before Masood was caught at gully by Lawrence, falling just five runs short of a century.
Babar’s resistance ended when England utilized a short-ball tactic, leading to his dismissal off Josh Tongue. Saud Shakeel fell to the same strategy shortly after, gloving a delivery to short leg. By the start of the final session, Pakistan trailed by 23 runs with only five wickets remaining. The situation grew more precarious as England quickly removed Shakeel, Ghazi Ghori, and Mohammad Imran Randhawa.
With the team still behind, 21-year-old debutant Razaullah launched a spectacular counter-attack. He struck nine sixes—a record for a debutant—during his explosive 63-ball 81. His aggressive approach included taking 18 runs off a single Gus Atkinson over and muscling Archer over long-off to reach his half-century. Supported by Mohammad Abbas, who contributed to a vital 121-run ninth-wicket stand, Razaullah helped Pakistan secure a 119-run lead. Abbas eventually fell to Tongue for 42, and Razaullah was the final man dismissed, becoming Lawrence’s second victim.
England now requires 130 runs on the fourth day to conclude the match. In the first innings, England posted 453, anchored by Harry Brook’s 75 and Jamie Smith’s 69, while Razaullah claimed 4-148. Pakistan’s first innings concluded at 133, with Josh Tongue taking 4-42 and Ollie Robinson 3-15. The report also notes that the deficit was cleared in the post Tea session and Pakistan took the game to the fourth day with England set a target of 130, as a result of the ninth-wicket century stand. The report also notes that the senior batters displayed fine application in their 89-run stand before Lawrence plucked a low one-handed catch at gully to end Masood’s stay five short of a century. The report also notes that and the last batter to be dismissed, razaullah added 10 more runs to the team’s total before becoming Lawrence’s second victim of the innings. The report also notes that while Atkinson and Archer remained hard to put away, Josh Tongue provided ample scoring opportunities. The report also notes that it wasn’t enough to trouble the batters, even as there was slight movement on offer. The report also notes that he got a faint touch to the ‘keeper, looking to glance Dan Lawrence’s delivery going down leg. The report also notes that even as most of the close-in fielders didn’t seem excited and the umpire had ruled it not out, Joe Root got the decision reversed with a swift review.
