England vs Pakistan: Joe Root and Jordan Cox Secure Victory in Third Test
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England survive scare to sweep Pakistan series
By Stephan Shemilt, Cricket Correspondent at Edgbaston
Published 12 September 2026, 13:11 BST
Updated 4 minutes ago
Third Rothesay Test, Edgbaston (day four of five)
Pakistan: 133 (Tongue 4-42) & 449 (Masood 95, Razaullah 81, Babar 76, Awais 59)
England: 453 (Brook 75, Smith 69, Lawrence 65, Gay 60, Robinson 50; Razaullah 4-148) & 130-2 (Root 62*, Cox 59*)
Result: England won by eight wickets, won series 3-0
Scorecard
England survived a dramatic final day to secure an eight-wicket win and complete a 3-0 sweep against Pakistan. The home side’s victory was secured thanks to a composed knock from Jordan Cox (59*) alongside captain Joe Root (62*).
The match had seemed set for a remarkable turnaround when England found themselves on 2-2 in the opening over of their second innings, with Ben Duckett and Emilio Gay both falling to Pakistan debutant Razaullah. The pressure increased as Root was unexpectedly dismissed by a no-ball, but Cox steadied the ship.
The pair put on an unbroken stand of 128, ensuring England’s target of 130 was within reach before lunch. This victory marks a successful return to captaincy for Root and offers a much-needed positive end to a turbulent summer for English cricket.
With the format switch to white-ball cricket coming up against Sri Lanka in Southampton on Tuesday, England will be looking to continue their good form under new coach Brendon McCullum.
England Come Through Much-Needed Challenge
Despite dominant performances throughout the series, there were questions over England’s credentials following the departure of captain Ben Stokes and head coach Chris Silverwood earlier this summer. However, the final Test provided a chance for them to prove their mettle against a resilient Pakistan side.
While England dominated large parts of the match, Pakistan’s fighting spirit was evident as they pushed for a turnaround on the third evening. The visitors’ resilience almost paid off, but ultimately it was England who emerged victorious, securing their first sweep of a series since 2018.
