England Overcomes Early Scare to Win 3rd Cricket Test Against Pakistan and Sweep Series

BIRMINGHAM: After sensational six-hitting by No. 9 batter Razaullah Khan had helped to force a fourth day, Pakistan bowler Mohammad Abbas gave England another scare on Saturday in the third cricket Test by reducing the hosts to 2-2 in the first over.

But captain Joe Root (62 not out) and Jordan Cox (59 not out) came to the hosts' rescue at Edgbaston as England successfully chased down a winning target of 130 runs.

England finished at 130-2 in 24.2 overs in a single session to win by eight wickets with a day to spare and sweep the series 3-0.

The third-day whipping was followed by a fourth-day horror start for England, which immediately lost Ben Duckett - caught behind to medium-pacer Abbas - and Emilio Gay on the last ball of the same over. Gay was trapped leg before wicket.

Root and Cox guided England to its first three-test whitewash since 2024 on the same ground against the West Indies.

Abbas, who overall took 9-130 in the second test, finished with 2-27 in eight overs.

Pakistan was dismissed in its second innings for 449 after its first innings scrounged 133 runs.

England opened with 453, a lead of 320 runs.

Pakistan had been expected on Friday to follow the previous two tests in the series - including an innings defeat in Leeds - and be cleaned up during the third day by a usually rampant England pace attack against the lackluster visitors.

The Pakistan Cricket Board pressed the panic button a week ago and yanked home seven players and fired the head coach