The tour is on the verge of culmination as England (ENG) and Pakistan (PAK) collide for the third Test of the series at the Edbaston in Birmingham. The final five-day encounter is set to begin on Wednesday, September 09, with the hosts already holding an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series against the Babar Azam-led team.
England have been in some rollicking form as a unit since Joe Root took over as the captain once again. While the batting unit seems bolstered even without the presence of a few regulars, the youngsters are making a case for themselves by stepping up and scoring crucial runs. Their bowlers, meanwhile, have been bowling absolute gases and look like a formidable combination with the red cherry in their hands.
Pakistan, on the other hand, have made headlines for all the wrong reasons even before the match begins. They have announced a mind-boggling seven changes to their line-up, with vice-captain Agha Salman and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan among those asked to return home. While they have already lost the series, it is understandable that they will be playing only for pride at the Edbaston.
ENG vs PAK: Match Details
| Match | England vs Pakistan, 3rd Test, Pakistan Tour of England 2026 |
| Date and Time (IST) | September 09-13, 3:30 PM |
| Venue | Edbaston, Birmingham |
| Broadcast and Live Streaming | Sony Sports Network Channels and SonyLIV (App & Website) |
Edbaston, Birmingham: Pitch Report
The Edgbaston ground in Birmingham, apart from being one of the most well-known cricketing landmarks in this part of the world, is known for its bouncy nature and the deadly pitch where the express pace bowlers get a lot of help. Usually, the pitch here has been good for batting on the first couple of days, but as it wears out, the bowlers start to dominate. Spinners are unlikely to play any huge part but will look to bowl on the rough patches to expose the batters’ defence and keep them on their toes in the latter part of the match. The game is expected to last at least four days.
ENG vs PAK: Head-to-Head Record in Tests
| Matches Played | 94 |
| Won by ENG | 32 |
| Won by PAK | 23 |
| No Results / Drawn | 39 |
| First-ever Fixture | June 10-15, 1954 (Drawn) |
| Most-recent Fixture | August 27-30, 2026 (ENG Won) |
ENG vs PAK: Probable Playing 11s
England
Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jordan Cox, Joe Root (C), Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (WK), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Ollie Robinson, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir
Pakistan
Saim Ayub, Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam (C), Saud Shakeel, Arafat Minhas, Saad Baig (WK), Sajid Khan, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Ubaid Shah
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