England's hopes of wrapping up a three-day victory over Pakistan at Edgbaston were dramatically derailed by a stunning assault from 21-year-old debutant Razaullah on Friday evening. The young batter's pyrotechnic display of six-hitting kept the tourists alive in the contest and forced a fourth day of play, denying the hosts what would have been a first-ever home series whitewash against Pakistan.
Pakistan's third day proved their finest of an otherwise troubled series, though they remained two runs adrift when their eighth wicket fell in the early evening session. What followed was an extraordinary turnaround as Razaullah unleashed a barrage of boundaries, smashing 81 runs from just 63 deliveries with nine sixes that tied the record for the most by an innings in England, matching Ben Stokes' effort at Lord's in the 2023 Ashes.
Resuming on 52-2, Pakistan had begun cautiously on the third morning, adding only 15 runs from the opening 7.2 overs. The transformation came swiftly thereafter, with the visitors plundering 117 runs across the next 20 overs in a period of sustained aggression. Azan Awais (59) fell to a feathered edge down leg off Dan Lawrence, but this proved the only significant setback during a morning session that left England's four-pronged pace attack toiling without reward.
After lunch, the home side's bowlers found greater rhythm. Gus Atkinson's opening burst of eight overs proved particularly effective as he claimed his second wicket of the series. Shan Masood, who had accumulated 95 runs, fell victim to a spectacular catch by Lawrence in the slips—a one-handed diving effort low to his right that removed Pakistan's most accomplished batter of the day.
Babar Azam represented Pakistan's next realistic pathway to a century, a milestone that would have marked his first in Test cricket for almost four years. England's response was to deploy short-pitched bowling through Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue, setting a deliberate trap. Despite repeated warnings, Babar succumbed to the ploy, gloved a delivery from Tongue (2-106) behind the stumps, while Archer (1-120) soon accounted for Saud Shakeel (29) with another brutal short ball that ballooned to short-leg.
Jordan Cox's wicketkeeping prowess then came to the fore as he took two sharp catches to dismiss debutants Ghazi Ghori (16) and Mohammad Imran (4), with Atkinson (3-109) locating their inside and outside edges respectively. At this juncture, Pakistan's resistance appeared to be crumbling, with four wickets falling for just 40 runs.
Enter Razaullah, whose entry into the Test arena had already captured attention. The debutant had impressed with the ball in Pakistan's first innings, claiming four wickets including that of England's leading Test run-scorer Joe Root in his opening over. Now, with the bat, he produced a display of striking that transformed the match's trajectory entirely.
Partnering with Mohammad Abbas (42), Razaullah constructed a 121-run partnership that swung momentum decisively Pakistan's way. His first six put Pakistan into the lead, and he reached his fifty in just 43 balls, demonstrating a maturity and aggression that belied his inexperience at this level. Abbas contributed two sixes of his own before picking out point off Tongue in the closing stages.
Razaullah struck three sixes in one over off Atkinson, a sequence that epitomised his fearless approach to the crease. His innings finally ended when he was stumped off Lawrence (2-17), bringing both his remarkable knock and the day's play to a close.
Pakistan were ultimately dismissed for 449 in their first innings, finishing with a 129-run lead and forcing a fourth day at Edgbaston. The target represents a significant departure from what had appeared likely earlier in the evening, though England should still be capable of chasing down 130 to secure their first whitewash of Pakistan on home soil.
The tourists will rue missed opportunities from their senior batters. Masood's dismissal, while unfortunate given the quality of Lawrence's catch, was at least understandable. Babar's departure was far more culpable—the captain walked directly into an obvious short-ball trap set by England on the stroke of tea, a lapse in judgment that proved costly.
Razaullah's emergence as a match-changing force comes amid significant upheaval within the Pakistan squad. The team had sent home seven players and their coaching staff mid-series before making four changes for this final Test, with Razaullah among three debutants rushed into the side following that shake-up. England had already secured a 2-0 series lead before this match began, meaning victory here would complete a dominant campaign.
What happens next
England will resume their chase of 130 on day four at Edgbaston, with the match now extending into Saturday rather than concluding inside three days as initially appeared probable. The hosts remain strong favourites to complete their assignment and claim a historic series victory, though Razaullah's heroics have ensured the contest will go to a fourth day and provided Pakistan with at least a mathematical chance of an improbable turnaround.
Coverage of day four of the third Test between England and Pakistan at Edgbaston will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10.15am on Saturday. Those without a Sky subscription can access the latest Sky Sports deals or stream with no contract on NOW.
