Pakistan hits back after being skittled for 133 in 3rd test vs England
BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Pakistan's new-look team was unable to shake off old problems as it was bowled out for a paltry 133 after being put into bat by England in the third and final cricket test at Edgbaston on Wednesday.
However, the under-fire touring team hit back by claiming two quick wickets to reduce England to 35-2 at tea. Captain Joe Root was unbeaten on 8 and Emilio Gay 6 not out.
Pakistan, which caused a major surprise by sending seven players home after its second-test defeat at Lord's, plus the head coach and the bowling coach, made four changes at the start of play in Birmingham but the batters were all at sea yet again.
England claimed a first breakthrough when the recalled Saim Ayub was trapped lbw for a duck to give quick bowler Ollie Robinson his 100th test wicket.
Jofra Archer then forced Azan Awais into offering mid-on fielder Josh Tongue a low, diving catch off a leading edge.
Abdullah Shafique was next to go, caught low down by Dan Lawrence at third slip off Robinson.
Shan Masood became the fourth wicket to fall when he lobbed the ball to mid-wicket off fast bowler Archer following a poor cross-bat stroke.
Fellow paceman Tongue then removed Pakistan captain Babar Azam before dismissing debutants Ghazi Ghori and Imran Randhawa, lbw and clean bowled respectively, before lunch.
Razaullah Khan, another debutant, fell for 11 in the afternoon session. Saud Shakeel, who made a fighting 97 in a losing cause at Lord's, was the one shining light for Pakistan as he top-scored with 43 before being clean bowled by a sharp inswinging delivery from Tongue.
Archer took the final wicket when he had Mohammad Abbas caught in the slips for 21 to finish with figures of 3-25. Robinson picked up 3-15 in a miserly 11-over stint and Tongue 4-42.
Then, in England's first-innings reply, Ben Duckett was removed by Mohammad Ali for 11 before Jordan Cox fell to Abbas for 4.
England took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series after beating Pakistan by 194 runs at Lord's.
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