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England and Pakistan will square off in the third and final Test of the series at Edgbaston in Birmingham, with the hosts already having secured an unassailable 2-0 lead. England won the opening Test by an innings and 103 runs at Headingley before registering a 194-run victory at Lord’s. The final Test, beginning on September 9, therefore presents England with an opportunity to complete a clean sweep, while Pakistan will be desperate to salvage some pride from a difficult tour.
Pakistan will arrive at Edgbaston after making sweeping changes to their setup. Seven players have been removed from the squad following the Lord’s defeat, while head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul have also been replaced. Babar Azam has returned to the captaincy and is expected to recover from a recent bout of fever in time for the match.
England, meanwhile, have retained a largely settled group after their dominant performances in the opening two Tests. Brydon Carse and Matthew Fisher have been left out of the 15-member squad, with Sonny Baker remaining in contention, although England are expected to continue relying heavily on their established pace attack.
Here are 3 player battles for third Test between England and Pakistan:
Few contests will attract as much attention as Babar Azam facing Jofra Archer.
Babar has endured a challenging series so far, and his task is unlikely to get any easier against an England attack that has consistently troubled Pakistan’s batting lineup. Archer produced one of the defining moments of the second Test when he hurried Babar with a short delivery, forcing a leading edge that was taken at third slip. Pakistan were already in serious trouble at 14/3 at that stage.
The England quick’s pace and ability to extract steep bounce make him particularly dangerous against a batter trying to re-establish himself at the crease. Archer does not necessarily need extravagant movement to create problems; his pace through the air can force batters into rushed decisions.
For Babar, the key will be to remain compact against the short ball while resisting the temptation to chase deliveries outside his preferred scoring areas. With Pakistan’s top order already under enormous pressure, a substantial contribution from their captain could be crucial.
Archer, meanwhile, will know that another early breakthrough could put Pakistan on the back foot immediately. This battle could set the tone for the visitors’ entire innings.
Joe Root’s duel with Mohammad Abbas promises to be another fascinating contest, particularly given what happened at Lord’s.
Abbas was one of Pakistan’s standout performers in the second Test. The veteran seamer repeatedly found movement off the surface and claimed Root’s wicket in the first innings. He finished the match with an impressive haul and was a constant threat to England’s top order.
Root, meanwhile, has endured an unusually difficult period against the ball moving back into him. He has been dismissed leg-before seven times this summer and nine times in his last 12 innings, adding an intriguing technical dimension to his matchup against Pakistan’s seamers.
Abbas is precisely the type of bowler who can exploit that uncertainty. He relies on accuracy, subtle movement and relentless pressure rather than raw pace. His ability to angle the ball into Root before getting it to straighten or move away could force the England batter into difficult decisions.
For Root, the challenge will be to trust his defence and make the smallest possible movements at the crease. If he can negotiate Abbas successfully, England will have one of the world’s finest Test batters capable of converting a start into a major score.
The battle between Harry Brook and Mohammad Ali could be decisive in the middle order.
Brook has been one of England’s most dangerous batters in recent years, but Pakistan’s seamers showed at Lord’s that they are capable of disrupting his attacking game. Mohammad Ali produced a superb delivery to dismiss Brook in the second Test, with the England batter falling after the Pakistani seamer found the perfect line and movement.
Ali’s ability to extract movement from a good length makes him an important weapon for Pakistan, particularly when England’s aggressive batters look to dominate the game. Brook, however, thrives on putting pressure back on bowlers and is capable of scoring at a remarkable rate once he gets settled.
This makes their contest one of patience versus aggression.
Ali will want to keep Brook playing as many deliveries as possible, particularly outside the off stump, while Brook will look to disrupt his lengths through proactive strokeplay. If Ali can remove Brook cheaply, Pakistan could significantly reduce England’s ability to build a commanding total. If Brook survives the initial examination, he could once again take the game away from the visitors in a matter of overs.
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