ENG vs PAK 3rd Test Live Commentary - Birmingham (09 September 2026)

Starts with a bit of a loosener. Down leg, full in length, Saud Shakeel misses his flick and Jamie collects it with a full-length dive to his right.

FOUR! Smashed! Good length, outside off, Saud gets on top of the bounce and crunches it away through cover-point for a cracking boundary.

Nips down the leg stump, full in length. Shakeel fails to connect his flick and the ball beats Jamie's dive to his right. One of the fielders from the cordon runs across and stops the ball. One bye.

Slams the pitch hard, on middle, Babar Azam is squared up on the back foot and with soft hands, he taps it to backward point.

Full on the stumps, Babar Azam weighs forward and defends it to the leg side.

OUT! b Josh Tongue.

FOUR! Not at all convincing. Full in length, on middle, angling in. Babar Azam, who is a dominant leg-side player, tries to flick it through mid-wicket, but the ball comes quicker than he expects and squirts off the inside edge. It rolls through a massive square leg gap for a boundary.

Full and outside off, Babar defends it to the off side.

The length is pulled back, on the leg stump. Babar Azam hops on the toes and steers it behind square on the leg side for a single.

Slanted into the batter, on a good length. Saud Shakeel tucks it to short mid-wicket.

Edged but dropped! Ben Duckett shells a second chance. You expect him to take these catches, but it looks like he was undone by the pace at which the ball cannoned at him. Back of a length, outside the off stump, nipping away with bounce. Saud Shakeel stays put and flashes very hard at it to cut it square on the off side. Only manages to get a massive outside edge and the ball flies over and between first slip and the keeper. Ben Duckett is perhaps a fraction late to react and leaps by sticking his right hand up over his head to pluck the ball, but it deflects off his fingertips and rolls behind for a single.

Full and straight, on off, Babar firmly drives it down the ground. Gus sticks his right hand out on his follow-through and stops it.

On a fullish length, angling in, Saud Shakeel clips it off the inner portion of the bat to short mid-wicket.

Keeps it stump-to-stump, does Robinson, full in length. Saud stretches his hands in front and caresses it to mid off.

Good effort by Tongue. Saves a certain boundary. Short of a length, on middle, but with no venom or pace on it. Saud Shakeel pulls it to the right of deep square leg. Josh Tongue skates across and dives to flick the ball back in but while doing so, his right knee gets plugged into the outfield, but he manages to save a couple of runs.

Full ball on off stump, nips back in, Shakeel defends the ball with an angled bat to the left of short mid-wicket.

Length-delivery, outside off, left alone as the ball curves away.

In thereabouts of the off stump, full in length, shaping away. Saud Shakeel prods in front and taps it out into covers.

Full-length delivery, outside off, Babar Azam drives it to mid off. 

Hard length, outside off, Babar Azam shoulders arm at it. 

Gus Atkinson bends his back and hits the good length hard, nipping in, over the off stump. Babar Azam hangs back and blocks it down.

Beaten! Pitches it up, fuller in length, outside off. Babar Azam tries to defend it without moving his feet. The ball just glides past the outside edge and beats the batter.

On a length, around off, Babar Azam defends it to mid on. 

Beaten once again! Hard-length delivery, outside off, angling in, Babar Azam looks to block the inside line and gets beaten on the outside edge. 

Fuller, outside off, Saud Shakeel blocks it toward cover.

On a length, outside off, Saud Shakeel shuffles across to cover the stumps and lets it pass through. 

FOUR BYES! Some free runs for Pakistan! On a nagging length, angling it down the leg side. Saud Shakeel misses his flick and Jamie Smith fails to glove it. The ball races away through short fine leg and there's no man in the deep to restrict the boundary. 

Good length, outside off, Saud Shakeel leaves it alone. 

Scrambled seam now from Ollie Robinson, on the fuller side, just outside off. Saud Shakeel gets on his front foot to offer a defence, but it hits the outer part of his bat. The ball dribbles past the gully fielder and the batter gets a couple of runs. 

On a length, around off, Saud Shakeel misses to flick it across and wears on the pad.

Back of a length, slanting cross the lefty. Shan Masood is happy to let that one pass through. 

Attacking the middle stump now, fuller in length. Shan Masood tucks it with soft hands to the leg side. 

OUT! EASY CATCH! Pakistan are left gobsmacked. Nothing shot, really, by Masood. Short of a length around leg stump, clocked at 141 kph, angling across the batter. Masood lifts his front leg up in the air and looks to tuck it away into the leg side but goes through with a half-hearted short-arm jab, and a leading edge balloons up in the air. The substitute fielder at short mid-wicket, Sam Cook, settles underneath and pockets a straightforward catch. England are running riot now. Archer picks up his second wicket. Pakistan are 26/4 in just 9.3 overs.

Oh, that's a beauty! Archer hits the deck hard to get some bounce off the deck, seaming it away from the batter. Saud Shakeel looks to defend off the back foot, but it zips past the outside edge by a few inches. 

Fullish, around off, Saud Shakeel pushes it down the ground, presenting the full face of the bat. Gus Atkinson chases it from the mid off region and the batter gets three runs. 

Back of a length, outside off, Babar Azam looks to cut it away, but gets beaten on the outside edge. There's an appeal for caught behind, but Jofra Archer doesn't seem confident with the shout. 

Hard-length delivery, angling in, on middle. Abdullah Shafique nudges it to mid-wicket.

OUT! EDGED AND CAUGHT! Number 2 for Robinson and he just keeps improving his credentials in the longest format. Full in length, angled in from off, Abdullah Shafique is forced to play at it. Tries to push it straight, but his bat comes down at an awkward angle. That's inviting trouble, like stepping yourself onto a minefield. Ekes a fat outside edge and it flies flat to gully. Dan Lawrence is standing nice and low and snaps a fine catch. This one-sided series refuses to change its rhythm. Pakistan slide down further and are 24/3.

Fuller in length, way outside off. Babar Azam lunges to dab it late to slip. 

Good-length delivery, outside off, Babar Azam looks to defend the inside line and gets beaten on the outside edge. 

Nagging length, shaping in, on off and middle. Babar Azam rolls his wrists and flicks it through backward sqaure leg for a brace. 

Pitches it up, on off, nipping in. Babar Azam strides out and dead-bats it down the deck. 

FOUR! Streaky! Good-length delivery, pitching it outside off, slanting in, but seams it just a bit away. Shan Masood presses forward to block it with soft hands, but it takes the outside edge and dribbles away into the gap between slip cordon and gully for four runs. 

On a length, outside off, Shan Masood clips it to square leg for one.

Good length, outside off, Abdullah Shafique leaves it alone. 

Just behind the fuller length, outside off, not much movement on this one. Abdullah Fazal lunges forward and hangs his willow in the air, offering no shot at it.

Back of a length, over off, Abdullah Shafique hops a bit and tucks it to mid-wicket to get across. 

Good leave! Swinging it away from the left-hander, on the fuller side, outside off. Shan Masood shoulders arms at it. 

Pitches it fuller, does Robinson, just outside off, Abdullah Shafique gets on his front foot to defend, but gets the outside edge before it rolls wide of the gully fielder. Two runs taken and Shafique is off the mark.

Just a shade behind the good length, angling in, around middle and leg. Abdullah Shafique misses his flick and gets thumped on his front pad. 

Back of a length, just outside off, Shafique hangs back and defends it right under his eyes.  

Ollie pushes his length fuller again, attacking the middle stump. Abdullah Shafique works it to square leg. 

Just beating the outside edge! Slightly behind the good length, pitching it outside off, angling in, but nipping it away as well. Abdullah Fazal prods halfway and looks to defend it down, but it whiskers past the outside edge. 

That's one of the bravest leaves one has seen of late. On a nagging length, outside off, Abdullah Shafique lunges to cover his stumps and lifts his willow up to let it travel to the keeper. It passes scarily close to the off pole and the English players have hands on their heads.

Cannons one on a fullish length and the ball curves in sharply on the pads. Abdullah misses the flick and the ball strikes his front pad hard before rolling to short fine leg. They get a leg bye.

EDGED AND DROPPED! Ben Duckett puts it down. Archer has his head down and turns back to his mark. Maybe, maybe he is standing a fraction too deep as there is not much pace in this pitch. Seaming away from a fuller length, outside off, Azan Awais looks to drive it to the off side, but the ball catches the outside edge and dips in front of Ben Duckett. He dives to his right but cannot wrap his fingers under the ball and it pops out and drops down.

Springs off the surface, outside off, on a length. Let through.

On a length, outside off, left alone by Awais.

OUT! CHIPPED TO TONGUE! A soft, soft dismissal for Awais. Quite unusual for an opener to get dismissed in this fashion. Good-length delivery that spits up a bit from the surface, on middle and leg. Azan Awais tries to nudge that into the leg side, but the ball seemingly holds on the surface and arrives a fraction late. End result? Awais already goes through his shot and the ball gets chipped towards short mid-wicket. Josh Tongue dives forward and scoops the ball nice and clean to send Awais packing. The smile is back on Jofra Archer's face after Ben Duckett's dropped catch a couple of balls ago. Pakistan have slipped down to 14/2.

A mild appeal for LBW, but not given. Full ball, angling in and around leg stump. Masood goes for the flick, misses it completely, and the ball squirts off his front pad down to deep fine leg. The batters scamper back for the second. Signalled as leg byes. England do not review it, so perhaps it is sliding down leg.

Stays a bit low from a good length as Robinson challenges the front pad. Azan Awais hangs back and stabs it back to the bowler.

A fractionally full, outside off, shaping away late. Azan Awais leans forward to defend, but gets a fat outside edge. But he plays with soft hands and hence the ball goes to ground and rolls to the first slip fielder. Where, Root? is stationed.

Good length, outside off, Azan Awais is forced to play at it because of the angle created by Ollie. But the ball nips away and beats his outside edge.

Fuller and straighter now, Azan Awais keeps it out to the point region.

 Beauty! Hits the length hard, just outside off. Azan Awais tries to defend it down but his bat is nowhere close to the line of the ball and Jamie Smith nestles the ball nicely in his gloves.

At 125 kph, outside off, on a good length. Azan camps back and loosely hangs his bat away from his body, only to get beaten again.

FOUR! Lovely shot! Even better than the first one he played. Full and wide outside off, Azan Awais cashes on the width and cracks it past the vast acreage in the cover-point region for a boundary.

Hammers it on a good length, and gets it to leave the batter. Azan Awais gets completely squared up but just manages to drag his bat inside the line to let it fly through to Smith behind.

Spears it on a fuller length, and attacks the pads. Azan Awais brings the bat in front and solidly blocks it out.

Slanted down leg, full, Awais whips it to deep backward square leg for a single.

Bangs it short and outside off, Shafique ducks underneath it.

Full and on middle with just a hint of an inward shape, Abdullah Shafique stretches forward and pushes it straight back at the bowler.

Beaten! Inviting line and length. Full, just outside off, Saim Ayub draws the front foot out and looks to drive it straight but the ball lands and just nips away to beat his outside edge.

Nice and full, around off, crunched away to the short cover fielder.

Short of a good length, on off, angling in. Ayub hangs back and knocks it to mid off.

OUT! LBW! There's the first wicket and Robinson gets his 100th Test wicket in just his 24th appearance in the whites. Bowls it full and angles it into the batter. It further jags in off the pitch. Saim Ayub gets drawn forward and attempts to drive it straight, but gets beaten on the inside edge with the ball thudding his back pad. A lot more confident appeal from Robinson and the men behind the bat, and Chris Gaffaney obliges. Saim Ayub has immediately sent it upstairs for a review. UltraEdge shows no bat involved. In fact, it's a daylight gap between bat and ball. Ball Tracking comes up and confirms three reds, with the ball projected to crash into the leg stump. A ten-ball duck for Ayub as Pakistan are 8/1.

Attacks the stumps, on a fullish length, Abdullah Shafique blocks it in front by pressing forward.

Play and a miss! Probes it on a good length, just outside off. Abdullah Shafique leans forward to defend, but the ball zips away and beats his outside edge. Jamie Smith is standing up to the stumps and gathers it sharply behind the wickets.

Archer starts with a full ball, outside the off stump. It lands and skids through and Awais tries to drive through covers, but gets beaten on the bottom edge.

Hits the deck hard, on off, Awais camps back and dabs it to backward point.

Nagging length, outside the off stump. Let through by Awais.

On a fuller length, around off, this is watchfully blocked out by Azan.

Massive deviation, full and outside off, Awais lets it be.

FOUR! A pistol-click sound when it left the bat. Long half-volley by Archer, outside the off stump. Azan Awais leans on, frees his arms and cracks it through the covers for a boundary to get off the mark. First runs off the bat for Pakistan.

FOUR BYES! A bit of a loosener to start the final Test. From around the stumps, this is bashed hard on a length, but it swings down leg. Saim Ayub misses the flick off the back foot and the ball shoots off the thigh pad to the deep fine leg fence.

Nagging length, nipping away this time, Ayub gets on top of the bounce and taps it out to covers.

Bowls it much fuller now, angling it in and then getting the ball to curve away late. Ayub presses forward and defends it out carefully.

Beats the bat! Beauty from Robinson. Back of a length, around off. It straightens up from the surface after landing on the seam and beats Saim on the outside edge as he looks to defend.

Almost a wicket for Robinson! Good length, jagging in sharply off the pitch with a little bit of bounce. Saim Ayub covers the stumps and shoulders arms. A massive appeal for LBW and up goes the finger. Robinson on the money in the first over, but Ayub has it straightaway reviewed. No shot is offered, so the impact does not matter here, but height can save Ayub here. And that's exactly what has happened. Ball Tracking confirms that the ball is projected to miss the off stump on height. The on-field decision is overturned and Saim gets an early reprieve. But that always looked to be missing the stumps, honestly.

Good length ball which keeps angling in from around off. Saim looks to defend down but gets beaten on the inside edge and wears it high on the front thigh pad. A gentle appeal for LBW, but wanes away instantly as the umpire shakes his head.