England produced a masterful batting performance with everyone contributing and the tail wagging. But it was Ollie Robinson who stood out with the bat with his important half-century, while Ollie Robinson came back later to pick up two early wickets in the first over of the Pakistan innings. Pakistan have steadied things a bit before rain played spoiler and reduced the final session.
For England, Harry Brook scored 75 while Daniel Lawrence scored 65 and keeper batter Jamie Smith scored 69. The tail wagged as well with Ollie Robinson scoring 50 and Jofra Archer remaining unbeaten on 32 off 27 balls. Josh Tongue chipped in with 15 as well while Atkinson made 19. Razaullah, on debut for Pakistan, picked up a 4-wicket haul on a hard toil for the Pakistan bowlers and team. England would like to clinch the game tomorrow itself.
Daniel Lawrence & Harry Brook pummel Pakistan before being dismissed as England drive home the advantage in the morning session
Harry Brook and Daniel Lawrence came out to resume proceedings for England on Day 2 while Razaullah had the ball in hand for Pakistan. Lawrence hit the first boundary of the morning as he stood tall and clipped the ball away through square leg for a boundary. Mohammad Abbas had the ball in hand from the other end as Lawrence took full toll of it as he clipped it through square leg for a boundary and then got the outside edge past second slip for a boundary.
Razaullah continued as Lawrence shuffled across and pulled it past the keeper for a boundary. Brook got himself going as he drove away from the body to get the outside edge through gully and away for a boundary. Abbas continued as Lawrence dabbed it away to backward point for a triple. The lead crossed 50 runs. Lawrence then punched the ball through covers for a triple off the back foot. Razaullah continued as Lawrence pulled it away past deep fine leg for a boundary and then lofted it over backward point for another boundary. The 50-run stand came up between the duo as the 200 came up in 44 overs.
Abbas continued as Lawrence was in a roll as he punched the ball away through mid-on for a boundary. Lawrence took the attack to Abbas as he punched the ball off the back foot through backward point for a boundary. Mohammad Ali came into the attack next, and he overstepped but bowled a quiet over. Abbas continued and bowled a quiet over. Saim Ayub came into the attack next as Lawrence reached his fifty in 47 balls, his 7th Test fifty.
Ali continued as Brook poked at it away from the body and got the outside edge past gully for a boundary. Ali overstepped yet again. Then against the run of play, Brook was run out for 75 off 97 balls with 6 fours to his name as the 86-run stand came to an end. Keeper batter Jamie Smith came out to bat next and got off the mark next. Ali continued and overstepped yet again. England reached 231/5 in 51 overs at Drinks on Day 2 morning session.
Ayub continued after the break and bowled a decent over. Ali continued and bowled a rare maiden. Ayub continued as Smith skipped down the track and swung through the line to clear long-on for the maximum. Smith then skipped down the track and drilled the ball past mid-on for a boundary. Ali continued as Smith leaned into the drive through the covers for a boundary. Smith then helped it on its way as he shuffled across and flicked it past the keeper for a boundary.
Ayub continued as Lawrence skipped down the track and swung through the line to mid-on for a boundary. Ali continued and overstepped yet again. Muhammad Irfan Randhawa came back into the attack. He bowled a decent over. Razaullah changed ends and was milked for runs. Randhawa continued as Smith clipped it past mid-on for a boundary. The 50-run stand came up between the duo. Imran overstepped yet again. Razaullah continued as Smith got into the act by clipping the ball past deep square leg for a boundary, and then the pull shot got the top edge over the keeper for a boundary.
Imran continued and broke the partnership as he prized out Lawrence for 65 off 82 balls with 9 fours to his name as the batter chopped it back onto the stumps. Gus Atkinson came out to bat next. He got off the mark soon. Razaullah continued as Atkinson was given OUT LBW, and he reviewed it as an inside edge was detected on replays. Atkinson then slashed and slashed hard, which got the outside edge past first slip and gully for a boundary.
Imran had the ball in hand for the last over before lunch, and he overstepped but bowled a tight over. England reached 299/6 in 64 overs with Smith unbeaten on 47 off 53 balls and Atkinson unbeaten on 5 off 10 balls as the players left the field for Lunch on Day 2. The lead was at 166 runs at this stage.
Jamie Smith & Ollie Robinson score half-centuries while the tail wags as England finish with 453 in 89 overs with a lead of 320 runs at Tea on Day 2
Jamie Smith and Gus Atkinson came out to resume proceedings for England while Razaullah had the ball in hand for Pakistan. Atkinson drove on the up past mid-on for a boundary as the 300 came up for England in 64.4 overs. Smith then slapped it powerfully through the covers for a boundary as he reached his half-century in 54 balls. Muhammad Imran Randhawa had the ball in hand from the other end as he conceded 4 byes to the batting side. Randhawa overstepped yet again.
Razaullah continued as Atkinson pulled it away over midwicket for a boundary. Imran continued as Atkinson crunched the ball through the covers for a boundary. Randhawa then gifted 4 byes as a bonus to the batting side. Mohammad Abbas came back into the attack next. Abbas bowled a decent over. Imran continued and knocked Atkinson over for 19 off 36 balls with 4 fours to his name by knocking him over. Ollie Robinson came out to bat next.
Abbas continued and conceded 4 byes to the batting side as the lead raced past 200 runs. Smith took the aerial route and lofted it over mid-on for a boundary. Randhawa continued as Robinson walked down the track and flicked it away past midwicket for a boundary. Abbas continued as Robinson whipped it away over midwicket for a boundary. Robinson charged down the track and swung across the line to get an inside edge past fine leg for a boundary.
Randhawa continued as Robinson looked to play the square cut and got a bottom edge through gully and first slip for a boundary. Saim Ayub came back into the attack next and bowled a decent over. Randhawa continued as Smith survived a close run-out scare as the direct hit at the striker’s end would have had him short. Ayub continued as Pakistan wasted a review on caught behind against Smith.
Razaullah came back into the attack as Smith went straight as an arrow down the ground for a boundary. Razaullah had the last laugh as he picked up Smith for 69 off 84 balls with 9 fours and a six to his name as the leading edge was taken by the bowler himself. Drinks were taken at this stage. Jofra Archer walked in after the break and got off the mark straightaway. Ayub continued and bowled a decent over.
Razaullah continued as Robinson clipped it away past deep fine leg for a boundary as the lead went past 250 runs. The second new ball was due and was taken straightaway. Abbas was with the second new ball in hand as Robinson skipped down the track and swung across the line past mid-on for a boundary. Robinson then took on Abbas and deposited him over deep midwicket for the maximum.
Razaullah continued as the 400 came up for England in 82 overs. Abbas continued as Robinson hung back and cut the ball past backward point for a boundary. Robinson reached his fifty in just 46 balls. Abbas gifted 4 byes as a bonus to the batting side. Razaullah then struck for Pakistan as he removed Robinson for 50 off 47 balls with 7 fours and one six to his name as Shan Masood took the catch at cover point inches from the ground. Josh Tongue came out to bat next and got off the mark soon.
Ali continued as Archer took him on and whacked it over deep midwicket for the maximum. Tongue then shuffled across and punched it firmly down the ground for a boundary past mid-off. Razaullah continued as Archer hung back and cut the ball past point for a boundary. The lead crossed 300 now for England. Ali continued as Tongue crunched the square drive through point for a boundary.
Razaullah continued as Archer took him on and looked to pull the short ball away. The ball got the top edge that flew over deep fine leg for the maximum. Ali continued as Tongue pushed away from the body and got the outside edge past Saim Ayub at second slip and away for a boundary as the 450 came up for England. Ali bowled a wide ball and eventually got the wicket of Tongue for 15 off 20 balls with 3 fours to his name, caught behind. Archer remained unbeaten on 32 off 27 balls with one four and two sixes to his name as England finished with 453 in 89 overs. A whopping 45 extras were given by Pakistan.
It was a hard toil for the Pakistani bowlers, and they were a mixed bag. Razaullah on debut was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with 4/148 in 23 overs. Mohammad Ali finished with 2/92 in 19 overs. Muhammad Imran Randhawa finished the proceedings with 2/47 in 16 overs. Mohammad Abbas finished with 1/95 in 23 overs. Saim Ayub bowled 8 overs for 41 runs. So, England finished with a lead of 320 runs in the first innings at Tea on Day 2, as the Tea Break was taken at the fall of the 10th wicket. Pakistan were set to come out to bat in the final session of Day 2.
Ollie Robinson’s double strike rocks Pakistan before Azan Awais & Shan Masood steadied Pakistan in rain-curtailed final session
Faced with a deficit of 320 runs, Saim Ayub and Azan Awais came out to open the batting for Pakistan while Ollie Robinson had the ball in hand for England. Robinson gave England the perfect start as he removed Ayub for a golden duck, as the left-hander bagged a pair in the Test match, with the edge being taken at second slip by Harry Brook. Abdullah Shafique came out to bat next. Robinson had two in the over as he dismissed Shafique for a golden duck, with Root taking the catch at first slip.
Shan Masood came out to bat next. Jofra Archer shared the new ball from the other end as Azan got off the mark with a crunching cover drive for a boundary. Awais then helped it on its way past square leg for a boundary. Awais was in the zone as he stood tall and cut the ball past backward point for a boundary. Robinson continued and bowled a tight over. Archer continued as Azan hit a cracking drive through the covers for a boundary. Robinson continued and bowled a maiden.
Archer continued and kept things tight. Robinson continued as Masood cut the ball away past point for a boundary. Gus Atkinson came into the attack as we had a change in the bowling. He bowled a decent over. Robinson continued and kept things tight. Atkinson continued and should have got rid of Masood, but the edge was put down at third slip as Ben Duckett dropped a sharp chance, which turned out to be his 3rd dropped catch of the match. Azan then looked to punch the ball through covers but got the outside edge past third slip and gully for a boundary.
Robinson continued and bowled a maiden. Atkinson continued as Azan hopped and looked to punch it through the off-side and got an inside edge past Cox to the fine leg fence. Pakistan were 46/2 in 11.4 overs when rain intervened, but this turned out to be a passing shower for 5 minutes. Play resumed soon after with Atkinson completing his over. Archer came back into the attack as Masood tucked the ball away through square leg for a boundary as the 50 came up for Pakistan in 12.1 overs.
Pakistan were 52/2 in 12.4 overs with Azan unbeaten on 29 off 30 balls with 6 fours to his name while Masood is unbeaten on 21 off 42 balls with two fours to his name when the rain intervened and became heavy enough to wash out the remainder of the final session. 2 extras given by England so far.
Three bowlers used by England so far in this short session. Ollie Robinson was the star yet again with figures of 2/10 in 6 overs. Jofra Archer finished with 0/24 in 3.4 overs while Gus Atkinson finished the day with 0/16 in 3 overs. So, Pakistan trail by 268 runs with 8 wickets in hand at stumps on Day 2 and with their backs to the wall as we speak.
What Lies Ahead on Day 3
Day 3 is called the moving day of the Test match in general, but this Test match, much like the whole English summer, has moved at a breathtaking speed. It’s been all one-way traffic at Edgbaston, Birmingham, as England are 8 wickets away from winning this match by an innings and still have 268 runs in the bank as we speak. England will aim to be professional and finish the job on a high and complete the sweep. Pakistan, on the other hand, will look to show character and resilience and bat a lot better than what they have been doing in the series.
Pakistan will do well to take the Test to Day 4 if they bat well tomorrow. Otherwise, tomorrow could be the last day of the series. Can Pakistan fight? Or will England run away with it? Let’s see what Day 3, which could be the last day of the series, has in store for us.
Also Read: ENG vs PAK: Josh Tongue’s Incisive 4-Wicket Haul Sinks Pakistan