Venue: Edgbaston, Birmingham; Dates: September 9–13, 2026; Start Time: 11:00 AM local time
Series Context
Pakistan arrive at Edgbaston with the series already lost and their squad in disarray. Off-field turmoil has overshadowed the on-field struggles, with seven members of the touring party sent home after the heavy defeat at Lord’s, including a couple of former Pakistan captains. The PCB has ordered an inquiry into the matter, adding further uncertainty around a side that is now leaning heavily on inexperienced replacements. Head coach Mike Hesson and captain Babar Azam face a daunting rebuilding job in the middle of an active series, and while Pakistan have a history of fighting back when written off, the scale of disruption this time makes a turnaround look unlikely.
England, by contrast, are firmly in control. Their pace attack has dominated both Tests so far, and remarkably Pakistan haven’t crossed 200 in a single innings across the series. A win at Edgbaston would complete a 3-0 whitewash. The hosts will be hoping for bigger contributions from Emilio Gay and Jordan Cox, while Dan Lawrence has looked promising on his Test recall without yet converting starts into a big score.
Pitch Report
Edgbaston has historically been a batting-friendly surface once the ball stops seaming around, and history backs that up — the last Test played here saw Shubman Gill single-handedly score 430 runs in a massive Indian win. Expect the surface to offer some early assistance to the fast bowlers under overcast Birmingham skies, before flattening out and becoming increasingly good for batting as the match progresses. Spin is unlikely to play a major role until the final day, if at all. Rain is forecast to be a recurring visitor throughout the five days, which could disrupt play and add another variable to how the match unfolds.
Team News
England
Given the gap between the second and third Tests, England are expected to field an unchanged XI, sticking with the winning combination that has overwhelmed Pakistan so far.
Probable XI: Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jordan Cox, Joe Root (c), Harry Brook, Dan Lawrence, Jamie Smith (wk), Ollie Robinson, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue
Pakistan
Pakistan will be forced into at least four changes following the recall of several senior players, with the door open for more alterations depending on the form and fitness of the remaining squad.
Probable XI: Azan Awais, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam (c), Saud Shakeel, Ghazi Ghori (wk), Razaullah, Mohammad Abbas, Ubaid Shah, Mohammad Ali
What They Said
Joe Root struck a note of caution despite England’s dominance, pointing out that assessments of teams as simply “excellent” or “poor” are usually too simplistic, and stressing that this Test presents a fresh challenge regardless of the results in the first two matches.
Babar Azam acknowledged the inexperience in his new-look squad but framed it positively, noting the enthusiasm the young players have shown in training and expressing hope that the same energy translates onto the field.
Match Prediction
On current form, England are overwhelming favourites to complete a 3-0 series sweep. Their pace battery — led by Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson — has bowled out Pakistan cheaply in every innings of the series so far, and a batting-friendly Edgbaston pitch should only make life easier for England’s top order, particularly Joe Root and Harry Brook, both in rich vein of form.
Pakistan’s problems go well beyond personnel changes at this point. A squad missing several senior players, a coaching staff in transition, and the psychological weight of the off-field controversy make it hard to see a real turnaround happening in just a few days. Their best hope lies in early rain interruptions denying England enough playing time to force a result, or a inspired individual performance from the likes of Babar Azam or Mohammad Abbas keeping them competitive for a session or two.
Prediction: England to win the 3rd Test and complete a 3-0 series whitewash, barring a major weather intervention.
Squads:
England: Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jordan Cox, Joe Root (c), Harry Brook, Dan Lawrence, Jamie Smith (wk), Gus Atkinson, Ollie Robinson, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir, Sonny Baker, Sam Cook, Ollie Pope
Pakistan: Azan Awais, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood, Babar Azam (c), Saim Ayub, Saud Shakeel, Ghazi Ghori (wk), Arafat Minhas, Ubaid Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Sajid Khan, Mohammad Imran Randhawa, Mohammad Imran, Saad Baig, Abdullah Fazal, Razaullah
Also Read: IND vs SA Scorecard: How South Africa Stunned India by 76 Runs to End a 12-Match World Cup Streak
