Day three at Edgbaston saw Pakistan finally come to the party, but England are expected to wrap up a quick victory on Saturday.
Cricket tips: Day four betting update
No recommended bets
Pakistan finally had something to cheer about following a brave rearguard with the bat on day three at Edgbaston, meaning England will require 130 runs to complete a series clean sweep when play resumes in Birmingham on Saturday.
Debutant Razaullah stole the show, spanking nine sixes in his blistering 81 from number nine, bringing back memories of Ashton Agar's 98 on debut in the 2013 Ashes Test at Trent Bridge.
In truth, England's bowling was found wanting when Pakistan were there to be finished off but, in fairness, this attack hasn't put a foot wrong all series, so perhaps we should be focussing on crediting the tourists rather than pointing fingers elsewhere.
Skipper Babar Azam had earlier batted with a touch of class of his 76, that after Shan Masood had played superbly for his 95, a fine catch from Dan Lawrence denying him a century, while Azan Awais also contributed 59.
For the neutral, and actually most England fans in the ground, it was a joy to finally see Pakistan turn up and deliver a contest, though this Edgbaston surface has proven to be an excellent one for batting which should ensure England's run chase is straightforward.
There isn't much doing from a betting point of view from here, for all I can see England wrapping this up quickly.
The hosts scored at a touch over five runs per over in their first innings 453, while Pakistan weren't too far behind with a run rate of 4.64 in their 449.
As such, England's 10 overs run line of 41.5 with Sky Bet looks achievable, for all I can let that one go at 4/5.
Preview posted at 20:45 BST on 11/09/2026
Cricket tips: Day three betting update
No recommended bets
Backing runs paid dividends on day two at Edgbaston, though Harry Brook's needless run out when on course for three figures prevented the full house for followers of these pages.
It was a shame, really, as England's final total of 453 could and should have been a good bit more. Five fifties ensures most of the batters will be pleased with their work, but England will need hundreds from their top seven against much stronger opposition in the winter.
That's all to come, as is day three in Birmingham, Pakistan set to resume their second innings on 52-2 having rallied from 0-2 after Ollie Robinson's first over was again bang on the money.
Friday's weather forecast looks reasonably clear and, as we saw on Thursday, this is a pretty good pitch when the sun comes out.
Nevertheless, Pakistan's highest total in the series thus far came in the second innings at Lord's when Saud Shakeel hauled the tourists to 194.
Perhaps with the pressure off and nothing to lose, Pakistan will again save their best till last, though the innings runs line of 214.5 currently available to back on the Betfair Exchange is not for the faint-hearted.
One thing we have seen all throughout the series is a weak Pakistan lower order unable to contribute much against England's four-man pace attack.
I'll look to short Pakistan runs should they put themselves in a handy position with four or five wickets down. A big collapse is never far away with this team.
Don't be surprised if Josh Tongue is the man to mop up that lower order, just as he has done all summer.
Preview posted at 20:25 BST on 10/09/2026
Cricket tips: Day two betting update
1pt England to score 400+ first innings runs at 3/1 (Sky Bet, Paddy Power, Betfair)
0.5pt England to score 450+ first innings runs at 6/1 (Paddy Power, Betfair)
Day one at Edgbaston was one for the form students, Pakistan very much keeping to script as they once again folded tamely with the bat, the tourists this time bowled out for 133 having been put into bat in the third Test.
Overhead conditions did aid England’s impressive four-man pace attack, but general consensus was that this is the best pitch served up in the series so far. England closed on 156-4, with Harry Brook unbeaten overnight on 52, the Yorkshireman having led the rearguard after the hosts had slipped to 24-2.
There was seam movement for the bowlers throughout the day, but there was very little swing after the new ball and, as quickly as Pakistan pacer Razaullah bowled on debut, the pitch didn’t exactly help in that regard. Easy-paced was my assessment.
If anything, the surface required patience and some old-fashioned graft, making Brook’s half-century all the more impressive given he was starved of the strike for a lengthy period after Tea, and then had to spend plenty of time chained to his crease with the Pakistan wicket-keeper again up to the stumps.
But there are clearly no demons in this pitch and, with the ball now 39 overs old, one senses that Brook, Dan Lawrence and Jamie Smith will try to make the most of the next 41 overs before the second new ball.
As such, I suspect we might see England’s batters take a more aggressive approach in the morning and, while some sunshine wouldn’t go amiss, the hosts might just turn the screw from here.
Given the battering Pakistan endured in Leeds and at Lord’s, and the inexperience in their XI this week, I’ve always wondered whether the tourists would unravel in the field if England properly put their foot down with the bat.
Get through the opening burst from Mohammad Abbas in the morning, with Brook still at the crease, and England could yet post a very sizeable total. Don’t forget, last summer’s Test match on this ground with India saw first-innings scores of 587 and 407.
I’m not sure we’ll get much in-between, so a par line in the region of 350 England innings runs doesn’t interest me much, but taking a punt on ENGLAND TO SCORE 400+ FIRST INNINGS RUNS at 3/1 does, with 6/1 about ENGLAND TO SCORE 450+ FIRST INNINGS RUNS also chanced to small stakes.
Historically, things tend to happen quickly on this ground, so it’s not fanciful to think England could score at four runs per over from here up until the second ball, putting them somewhere in the region of 320 by that point.
Were one of their big batting guns still going strong at that stage, with some useful hitters to come down the order, anything would be possible.
Preview posted at 21:50 BST on 09/09/2026
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