England’s Seamers Dominate Pakistan at Edgbaston

England’s seamers tighten the screw as Tongue’s new weapon bites at Edgbaston

England’s four-man pace pack went hunting in tandem at Edgbaston and Pakistan never escaped the trap. Rolled for 133, dismissed for a fifth successive sub‑200 total in the series, they again found themselves outgunned by an England seam attack that looks more dangerous with every shared spell and every shared idea.

At the heart of it stood Josh Tongue, armed with something new.

Tongue’s wobble seam pays instant dividends

Tongue has been open about the work that goes on away from the television cameras. Net sessions, small technical tweaks, quiet conversations between overs. This time, the project was a wobble seam delivery, honed with the help of Ollie Robinson and unleashed in a match for the very first time.

“I’ve spoken to Robbo quite a bit about it,” Tongue said after taking four wickets, with the other six split between Robinson and Jofra Archer. Robinson has been England’s wobble‑seam craftsman all series; Tongue wanted a piece of that armoury.

He tried it in training a couple of days ago. At Edgbaston, he trusted it under pressure. First ball in a game, first wicket with it. Immediate validation.

“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.”

That hunger for variation is feeding into a collective menace. Archer brings raw pace and hostility, Robinson the relentless nagging line and that late movement, Tongue the hit-the-deck aggression now laced with craft. Together they squeezed Pakistan, again.

Game in the balance, but England in front

By the close, England had turned that bowling dominance into a position of clear strength. They reached 156 for four, already 23 runs ahead with six first‑innings wickets still in hand. Pakistan insist they are not out of it. England know they can’t afford to drift.

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

Survive that passage and the scoreboard pressure could become suffocating. Lose early wickets and the door swings back open for Pakistan. It is that kind of Test: low scores, exaggerated movement, momentum capable of flipping in a single spell.

Pakistan’s batting struggles laid bare

For Pakistan, the pattern is becoming grimly familiar. Five innings in the series, five totals under 200. Again at Edgbaston, a combination of helpful conditions and loose strokes left them exposed.

Saud Shakeel, who top‑scored with 43, cut a realistic figure as he weighed up the damage.

“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.”

Soft dismissals have become a theme. Edgbaston offered lateral movement all day, but England’s batters have found ways to ride it. Pakistan’s have not. The contrast is stark: Pakistan have yet to reach 200; England have yet to be bowled out for less.

“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.”

That last line rang true. On a surface sweating with moisture under heavy skies, this was a day for seamers, not strokemakers.

A raw quick offers Pakistan hope

Amid the gloom for Pakistan’s batters, one bright spark cut through: Razaullah. Just 21, playing only his ninth first‑class match, he ran in with intent and genuine pace, shaking England more than once.

He removed Emilio Gay, one of England’s two half‑centurions on the day alongside the unbeaten Harry Brook, and then prised out Joe Root. Those are serious early scalps for a young quick still learning his craft.

“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.”

Pakistan have long trusted in fast bowling as their route back into any contest. Razaullah’s emergence only strengthens that instinct.

“With express fast bowlers, even if they haven’t played a lot of first-class cricket, it doesn’t matter,” Shakeel said. “Their raw talent and pace is useful, which we saw from him today.”

If Pakistan are to claw their way back, he will almost certainly have to do it again in the morning, supported by a more disciplined unit around him.

A defining morning ahead

So the stage is set. England, 23 ahead with six wickets in hand, sense the chance to drive this Test out of reach. Pakistan, armed with a young tearaway and a lingering belief in their attack, cling to the idea of one ruthless session turning everything on its head.

On pitches like this, with ball moving and confidence fragile, it does not take long for a match to tilt. The question now is simple: will England’s seamers get another chance to dictate, or will Pakistan’s quicks rip up the script before lunch?