England's Seamers Dominate Pakistan Again at Edgbaston

England’s seamers squeeze Pakistan again as Tongue’s new weapon bites at Edgbaston

England’s four-man pace pack went hunting in tandem at Edgbaston and once again found Pakistan badly exposed, rolling them for 133 and tightening their grip on a series that has turned into a trial by seam.

By stumps, England were 156 for four and already 23 runs ahead, with Harry Brook unmoved and in control. The scoreline says “advantage England”. Both dressing rooms, though, spoke about a match still on a knife-edge. The truth sits somewhere in between: England in front, Pakistan hanging on by their fingertips, the first hour on the second morning looming like a verdict.

Tongue’s wobble seam pays instant dividends

At the heart of Pakistan’s latest collapse stood Josh Tongue, a bowler still adding pieces to his craft and already seeing them pay off. He took four wickets, the other six split neatly between Ollie Robinson and Jofra Archer, as England’s seamers once again hunted as a pack.

Tongue’s breakthrough came not just from rhythm, but from homework. Away from the spotlight, he has been tinkering with a wobble-seam delivery, leaning heavily on Robinson’s expertise.

“I’ve spoken to Robbo quite a bit about it,” Tongue said after play. “Obviously he’s unbelievable at that and he’s showed that throughout the series. So I’ve been speaking to him quite a bit during the last couple of Tests and I tried a couple of things in training the other day. That was the first time I’d bowled it in the game and it got me a wicket, so I’ll be using it again. I want to get more skills under my belt.”

One ball, one wicket, one more weapon for a bowler already difficult to line up. On a surface offering lateral movement under heavy skies, that was a cruel combination for Pakistan’s batters, who again found themselves groping outside off stump and walking back far too soon.

Pakistan’s batting woes deepen

This was Pakistan’s fifth innings of the series. It was also the fifth time they failed to reach 200.

England, by contrast, have not yet been dismissed for less than that mark, and sit 156 for four in this Test. The pattern is starting to feel less like coincidence and more like a gulf in adaptation.

Saud Shakeel, who top-scored with 43 and looked the most assured of Pakistan’s batters, did not pretend otherwise.

“Early on, when we lost the toss, the pitch had some moisture in it and the overcast conditions helped their bowlers as well,” he said. “We got some soft dismissals and we couldn’t come back from that. But we started well with our bowling and if we can get them out quickly there’s a good chance we can get back in the game.”

The candour went further. “We’re working hard, it’s not like we aren’t trying,” Shakeel added. “There’s a lot of lateral movement and we’re not used to facing that, but we are trying our best. I’m not saying our batting group has not struggled, we have accepted that. But the conditions have been difficult. Bowlers have been on top.”

Those bowlers, in English conditions, have been ruthless. Tongue and Robinson, with their ability to nip the ball both ways off a scrambled seam, and Archer with his pace and hostility, have repeatedly dragged Pakistan into the same trap: hard hands, uncertain feet, and a scorecard that looks eerily familiar.

England ahead, but wary

For all that dominance with the ball, England’s players were not talking as if the job was done. Four wickets down, a lead of only 23, and a fresh ball not too far away leaves room for nerves if Pakistan can strike early.

“That first hour tomorrow morning is going to be very crucial,” Tongue said. “We’ve just got to get through that first bit.”

If Brook pushes on and the lower order chips in, England can bat Pakistan out of the contest. If the tourists, buoyed by their young quick, can slice through the middle order, a chase of anything around 200 could yet feel awkward on a pitch that has not eased as much as some expected.

Razaullah offers Pakistan a glimpse of the future

For Pakistan, amid another underpowered batting display, one bright, sharp shard of optimism cut through the gloom: Razaullah.

Just 21, and in only his ninth first-class game, the fast bowler charged in with raw pace and menace, unsettling England’s top order and earning the wickets of Emilio Gay and Joe Root. Gay, one of England’s two half-centurions alongside the unbeaten Brook, had looked set for a sizeable score before Razaullah’s hostility broke him. Root followed, a prize scalp for a young quick still learning his trade.

“I’ve just faced him one time in a domestic first-class game, so I haven’t seen him that much,” Shakeel said. “But he has some raw pace and a difficult action and we’re hoping he will continue bowling like this. With express fast bowlers, even if they haven’t played a lot of first-class cricket, it doesn’t matter. Their raw talent and pace is useful, which we saw from him today.”

On a day when Pakistan’s batting frailties were once again laid bare, Razaullah’s spell hinted at a different story: a fast-bowling future that could yet reshape contests like this, if the rest of the side can catch up.

For now, though, the narrative belongs to England’s seamers and a wobble seam that turned planning into payoff. The next chapter arrives with the new ball and that “crucial” first hour. Will Pakistan finally punch back, or will this series continue to be written by English quicks and visiting collapses?