ENG vs PAK 3rd Test, Babar Azam Flops: Pakistan national cricket team suffered an alarming first-innings batting collapse on Day 1 of the third Test against England national cricket team at Edgbaston on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. After English captain Joe Root won the toss and elected to field under heavy overcast skies, the hosts dismantled Pakistan’s top order in ruthless fashion. Fast bowler Josh Tongue produced the highlight of the morning session, clean bowling former captain Babar Azam with an unplayable delivery that left the visitors reeling at 64 for six.
ENG vs PAK 3rd Test, WATCH: Josh Tongue Breaches Babar Azam’s Defense With Stunning Delivery
Operating from around the wicket, Tongue cleverly set up the premier Pakistan skipper by probing in the channel before unleashing a devastating good-length ball.
Pitching around the fourth stump line, the delivery nipped back sharply off the surface, exploited a slight gap between bat and pad, and clattered into the woodwork, sending the stump cartwheeling. The dismissal sent the Edgbaston crowd into loud celebration while reducing Pakistan to a desperate 48 for five.
Babar Azam gets broken through by Josh Tongue pic.twitter.com/VkAAsAygy8
— PctMedia (@PctMediaa) September 9, 2026
ENG vs PAK 3rd Test: Ollie Robinson And English Seamers Trigger Rapid Top Order Capitulation
Tongue strike was the crowning moment of a destructive morning orchestrated by the English pace battery. Earlier, seamer Ollie Robinson did the initial damage, removing Saim Ayub for eight before forcing young debutant Azan Awais to chip a simple catch to midwicket.
Robinson continued his relentless spell by dismissing Abdullah Shafique and trapping visiting captain Shan Masood in front for a four-ball duck.
Pakistan overhauled its batting order, featuring multiple fresh faces following sweeping management changes after heavy defeats at Leeds and Lord, and offered virtually no resistance against a red Dukes ball moving prodigiously under grey skies.
The capitulation worsened shortly after Babar’s departure, with Pakistan losing a sixth wicket to slump to 64 for six inside the opening session.
With England already holding an unassailable 2-0 series lead, the visiting side faces an uphill battle to avoid being bundled out for a double-digit total unless the lower order mounts an extraordinary counterattack on an unforgiving Birmingham surface.
