BIRMINGHAM, England: Sensational six-hitting by No. 9 batter Razaullah Khan on his Test debut capped an extraordinary Pakistan fightback against England at Edgbaston on Friday, as the visitors turned what appeared to be another one-sided contest into a potentially tense finish to the series.
Pakistan, who had already surrendered the three-match series after losing the opening two Tests, looked destined for another heavy defeat after England had established a commanding 320-run first-innings lead.
A splendid lower-order fightback led by Razaullah 💫
The debutant belted a record 81 off 63 balls as Pakistan post 449 in their second innings 🏏#ENGvPAK | #PakistanCricket pic.twitter.com/ET4eYxLAwS
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) September 11, 2026
Instead, the visitors produced their most spirited batting performance of the series, recovering from a precarious position to be bowled out for 449 in the final over of the third day.
The remarkable turnaround gave Pakistan a 129-run first-innings lead and left England requiring just 130 runs to win the final Test.
With the fourth day still to come, England remain overwhelming favourites to complete a 3-0 series sweep, but Pakistan’s stunning lower-order resistance ensured that the hosts will have to bat again rather than celebrate victory before the scheduled fourth day’s play.
The result has also given Pakistan their first genuine moment of dominance in a series in which England’s pace attack had repeatedly dismantled their batting line-up.
RAZAULLAH’S HEROICS KEEP PAKISTAN ALIVE! 🇵🇰🔥
Powered by Razaullah’s sensational 81-run knock, Pakistan have set England a target of 129 runs.
Can Pakistan’s bowlers pull off a remarkable victory? 👀⚔️
Image Credit: Sony LIV#PAKvsENG #Razaullah #JoeRoot pic.twitter.com/QAbKRYzKSo
— CricInformer (@CricInformer) September 11, 2026
Razaullah turns debut into record-breaking spectacle
The biggest surprise of the day came from Razaullah, who walked out at No. 9 with Pakistan still facing the possibility of being bowled out without a meaningful lead.
Instead, the debutant launched an extraordinary counterattack.
Razaullah repeatedly cleared the boundary with nine towering sixes, transforming the complexion of the innings in a breathtaking late-day assault.
His innings was particularly remarkable because of the speed with which he reached his half-century. The Pakistan debutant registered the fastest fifty on Test debut for Pakistan, combining fearless strokeplay with an extraordinary appetite for hitting sixes.
Razaullah is the character Pakistan cricket needs right now. 🔥🔥
From not even scoring 200 runs on the entire England tour to making 400* when everyone had written Pakistan off.
This is Pakistan cricket for you. 🇵🇰 pic.twitter.com/dF8vDg6ESW
— Mian Ahmad (@aHmADmIaN150) September 11, 2026
His barrage also saw him establish a record for the most sixes by a Pakistan batter on Test debut, turning what had been a recovery effort into one of the most memorable late-order counterattacks in Pakistan’s recent Test cricket.
Rather than attempting merely to survive England’s attack, Razaullah took the game to the bowlers.
His aggressive approach unsettled England at a stage when the hosts appeared certain to wrap up the innings and set up an easy chase.
🚨 STANDING OVATION FOR RAZAULLAH 🚨
What a remarkable Test debut! 🔥🥶
🏏 Fastest fifty by a Pakistani batter on Test debut.
💥 Joint-most sixes on Test debut.
🚀 Most sixes by a No. 9 batter in Test cricket.What a player Pakistan has discovered out of nowhere! 🇵🇰👏 pic.twitter.com/nDAFXU8rO5
— Cric Passion (@CricPassionTV) September 11, 2026
Shan, Babar and Azan lay the foundation
Razaullah’s extraordinary assault would not have been possible without a series of crucial contributions earlier in the innings.
Shan Masood led the initial resistance with a fighting 95, narrowly missing out on a deserved century after spending a long period at the crease under intense pressure.
Captain Babar Azam also produced an important 76, providing stability during a phase when Pakistan desperately needed a substantial partnership to prevent England from completing another dominant victory.
Opener Azan Awais added a valuable 59, helping Pakistan build the platform for the middle-order recovery.
The three innings were crucial in reducing the enormous deficit created by England’s first-innings total and gave the lower order a chance to complete an unlikely turnaround.
Pakistan had been staring at a massive defeat when the day began, but the combination of determined top-order batting and fearless lower-order hitting gradually brought the visitors back into contention.
Read Also: Pakistan 52/2 at Stumps After England Take 320-Run Lead in Third Test
Abbas joins Razaullah in stunning late assault
The drama intensified when Mohammad Abbas, batting at No. 10, joined Razaullah in the middle.
Instead of simply defending England’s fast bowlers, the pair continued to attack and eventually carried Pakistan beyond England’s first-innings total.
Their partnership became the defining passage of the match.
Every boundary increased Pakistan’s lead and extended the possibility of an unlikely result in a Test that had appeared almost certain to end inside three days.
England’s bowlers, who had dominated Pakistan’s batting throughout the series, suddenly found themselves confronted by two lower-order batters playing with remarkable freedom.
Razaullah’s six-hitting provided the spectacle, while Abbas offered valuable support as Pakistan crossed the 320-run deficit and moved into a lead.
The visitors were eventually dismissed for 449 in the last over of the day, but by then they had achieved something that seemed highly unlikely when the innings began, they had forced England to chase a target rather than simply waiting for Pakistan to collapse.
Read Also: Debutant Razaullah Takes Four as Pakistan Bowl Out England for 453 in Third Test
England need 130 to complete whitewash
England will require 130 runs on Saturday to complete a 3-0 series whitewash.
The hosts will also be looking to secure their first three-Test clean sweep since 2024, when they achieved the feat against the West Indies at the same venue.
Pakistan, meanwhile, will hope their dramatic recovery can translate into one final twist.
A target of 130 would ordinarily be considered modest in Test cricket, particularly on a pitch on which England have already demonstrated their superiority.
Razaullah (81) and Mohammad Abbas (42)’s remarkable partnership of 121 for the 9th wicket helped Pakistan to set a target of 130 for England and take the match into the fourth day when few would have backed them to do so.#ENGvPAK #England #Pakistan pic.twitter.com/xw5oiZejCo
— Circle of Cricket (@circleofcricket) September 11, 2026
But Pakistan’s late fightback has at least given the fourth day a competitive dimension that appeared impossible earlier in the match.
For England, victory would complete a comprehensive series triumph and underline their dominance over Pakistan.
For Pakistan, defending 129 runs would require their bowlers to produce an extraordinary performance, but after Razaullah and Abbas produced one of the most unexpected batting counterattacks of the series, the visitors have ensured that England cannot simply walk away from Edgbaston after three days.
