Brimingham hosts the third and final test match between England and Pakistan, the game gets under way on Wednesday and England are a short price to complete a 3-0 series clean sweep
England (409) beat Pakistan (171 and 135) in the first test at Headingley by an innings and 103 runs and they made sure of a series with a 195 run victory in the second test at Lords.
Pakistan won the toss and opted to bowl first at Lords and England posted 290 with Jordan Cox (55) and Jamie Smith (61) the top scorers. Mohammad Abbas took 4 wickets and Mohammad Ali 3. Pakistan could manage only 110 runs in reply with Azan Awais making 46 runs and the second top score was just 16. Robinson took 4 wickets and archer 3.
In the second innings England were all out for 208 with Dan Lawrence the only batsmen to go past 50 and Abbas took 5 wickets. Despite Saud Shakeel making 97 Pakistan were all out for 194 in the final innings with Robinson taking 4 more wickets and the Man of the Match award.
This was how the teams lined up at Lords
England: Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jordan Cox, Joe Root (c), Harry Brook, Dan Lawrence, Jamie Smith (wk), Ollie Robinson, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue
Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Azan Awais, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood, Babar Azam (c), Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Ali Usman, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali
After the second test Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Imam-ul-Haq, Ali Usman, Khurram Shahzad, Aamir Jamal and Muhammad Awais Zafar were recalled home by the Pakistan cricket board and a disciplinary inquiry (for which few few details are available) is apparently under way. The revised squad with the replacements for the above players is as follows.
Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicket-keeper), Razaullah, Saad Baig (wicket-keeper), Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah.
The Venue, Edgbaston, Birmingham
Over the course of the last 10 years England have played 8 test matches at this venue, winning 4 and losing 4
The most recent test at this venue came in July 2025 and England (407 &27) lost to India (587 & 427/6 dec) by 336 runs
Click Here For The Weather Forecast
3rd Test Betting
Prices quoted from Sportingbet are correct at the time of writing but are subject to change.
England are 1 / 4 to win the third test with a draw at 7/1 and Pakistan can be backed at 21/4
Price boosts include Joe Root to be England’s top 1st innings run scorer at 100/30 (from 11/4) and Babar Azam to be Pakistan’s top 1st innings bat at 4/1 (from 100/30)
The Verdict
England have been streets ahead and ought to win this as comfortably as the match result betting suggests but their top bat and bowler markets are competitive so I’m looking to Pakistan’s side for a betting interest.
I’m not sure how the visitors batting order will look with all the changes in the squad but given his 2nd innings knock at Lords Saud Shakeel could be worth an interest to be their top scorer in the first knock. Mohammad Abbas returned to form at Lords and is taken to be their top 1st innings bowler.
Bets: 1st innings top Pakistan batsman Saud Shakeel at 19/4 with Sportingbet
Pakistan top 1st innings wicket taker Mohammad Abbas at 9/4 with Sportingbet (price boost)
Note, prices are subject to change