London (AFP) – Pakistan finally found some spark in the third Test against England at Edgbaston but it was too little, too late to avoid a 3-0 whitewash.
Issued on: 12/09/2026 - 16:28
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Captain Joe Root led from the front on Saturday as England shrugged off the loss of two early wickets to win by eight wickets, following decisive victories at Headingley and Lord's.AFP Sport looks at three talking points after the end of a one-sided series.New Root eraEnglish cricket was at a low ebb just two months ago following a series loss to New Zealand and the exits of head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes.Joe Root was placed in charge again despite a modest record in his first spell, partly due to a lack of strong alternatives.The Yorkshireman, England's record Test runscorer, said he did not want to "rip up" the Bazball blueprint of ultra-attacking cricket played under McCullum and Stokes as he plotted how to turn the side's fortunes around.In truth, the skipper has had a gentle reintroduction to the job against a weak Pakistan team that have now lost 16 of their past 21 Tests.Root was often criticised for his tactics in his first spell as captain and questions were raised over his handling of the situation as Razaullah cut loose with the bat on Friday.Tougher tests lie ahead, beginning with a three-Test series against South Africa in December and January, but the captain at least has a platform to build on.Batting strengthEngland, boosted by a powerful seam attack, have scored enough runs to see off weak opponents, but they will need their batsmen to step up in tougher tests ahead.The home team scored a total of 14 fifties in the three-match series but not one of those was converted into a century.
