England v Pakistan player ratings: Robinson's mastery and Razaullah's impact

This was a series that never quite settled, a contest of jolts and jollying comebacks, and the final Test summed it up. England edged home, but the story ran much deeper than the scoreline. Careers were nudged forward, some stalled, and one or two may have been shoved towards the departure gate.

Here’s how they all measured up.

ENGLAND

Emilio Gay – 6 (Series – 6)
A Test-best 60 in the first innings, made in awkward conditions, felt like a statement: a young opener willing to scrap for his place. He left well, rode the movement and looked like he belonged. Then came the second-innings duck, a reminder that one innings doesn’t seal a winter ticket to South Africa. Promise, but not yet security.

Ben Duckett – 2 (Series – 2)
A grim end to his summer. Scores of 11 and 0 here, and just 44 runs at 8.8 across the three-Test series. The tempo and intent that usually define his batting never really surfaced. For an opener in an era of attacking starts, that kind of return drags scrutiny straight to the top of the order.

Jordan Cox – 7 (Series – 7)
A loose first-innings dismissal, then a nerveless, unbeaten 59 when the chase wobbled and Pakistan sniffed an opening. With the gloves, he was even more impressive: five dismissals after being thrust into the role when Jamie Smith’s finger gave way. Calm, tidy, and sharp enough to make selectors rethink the wicketkeeping pecking order.

Joe Root – 7 (Series – 7)
The captaincy came under the microscope during Pakistan’s second innings, as fields and bowling changes drew raised eyebrows. With the bat, though, Root did what Root does: 62 not out to drag England over the line. One concern lingers – 10 lbws in his last 14 innings. England’s all-time leading run-scorer has a technical kink to iron out before the winter.

Harry Brook – 7 (Series – 8)
This was Brook in grown-up mode. On day one, with Pakistan tightening the screw, he batted with patience and discipline, shelving the ego and playing the situation. His 75 should have become a century; instead, a run-out cut him off when he looked set. Even so, he finishes as the series’ leading run-scorer with 215 at 53.75. The numbers say it plainly: this is now a senior batter in England’s middle order.

Dan Lawrence – 7 (Series – 7)
Shunted up and down the order, yet he batted as if he’d been nailed to No 5 all his life. A measured 65, full of calm decision-making and crisp strokeplay, hinted at a player who just needs a proper run. His bowling barely got a look-in, but a series average of 46.75 with the bat should keep his name inked on the winter touring lists.

Jamie Smith – 6 (Series – 6)
Not quite the free-flowing stroke-maker who lit up earlier in the year, but he still banked back-to-back half-centuries across his last two Tests. Kept reasonably tidily in Pakistan’s first innings before a finger injury forced him off and opened the door for Cox. Not a step backwards, but not quite the leap forward he might have wanted.

Gus Atkinson – 6 (Series – 5)
Wicketless in the first innings and, for a while, it looked like another hard-luck story: effort, hostility, and nothing to show for it. Then a switch to the City End and a burst of energy brought three wickets and a much brighter mood. Not yet the finished article, but the raw tools are obvious.

Jofra Archer – 7 (Series – 8)
He took punishment at times in the second innings, the ball flying off the bat as Pakistan counter-punched. Still, the pace and aggression never dipped. One brutal bouncer that removed Saud Shakeel cut through the noise and reminded everyone exactly what a fit Archer brings: menace, intimidation, and moments that change games. England know it – keeping him fit over the next 12 months is non-negotiable.

Ollie Robinson – 8 (Series – 9)
With a Dukes ball in English conditions, who is better right now? Robinson set the tone again, a masterclass in seam, length and relentlessness. He finishes the series with 21 wickets at a miserly 8.76, numbers that belong to another era. He even tossed in a breezy half-century on day two to keep the crowd purring. England’s tone-setter, and the heartbeat of this attack.

Josh Tongue – 7 (Series – 8)
Four for 42 to wipe out Pakistan’s lower order in the first innings, and that was no one-off. Tongue walks away from the series with 19 wickets across three Tests and the look of a bowler who has already carved himself a role. Tall, heavy, and relentless, he’s no longer a curiosity – he’s a vital cog.

PAKISTAN

Azan Awais – 7
Still new to this level, still learning the rhythms of Test cricket, but he showed plenty. After Pakistan slumped to 0 for 2 in the second innings, he stood firm with a battling 59 from 84 balls. Positive, composed and unflustered under pressure. Pakistan have found someone worth backing.

Saim Ayub – 1
Drafted in after sweeping changes to the side, he arrived undercooked, having not played first-class cricket since last October. The result felt almost inevitable: a pair, and a Test debut to forget. He earns his solitary mark for dropping the CPL at a moment’s notice to answer the call. The timing, not the talent, let him down.

Abdullah Shafique – 1
Two half-centuries earlier in the series, but under heavy skies and with Robinson in rhythm, he looked vulnerable. Scores of three and nought here, both times undone by England’s seam specialist. A harsh reminder that English conditions can strip even classy players back to basics.

Shan Masood – 8
Softly dismissed in the first innings, then rolled up his sleeves and showed his steel. His second-innings 95 was composed, defiant and technically sound, the kind of knock that holds an innings together while chaos swirls around it. Pakistan needed someone to stand up; their captain with the bat did exactly that.

Babar Azam – 6
With the bat, there was that familiar elegance. A classy 76, all timing and ease, underlined why he remains one of the game’s premier sights when in full flow. The problem? It came too late to alter the course of the match. As a polarising captain in Pakistan cricket, he walks away knowing the debate around his leadership will only grow louder.

Saud Shakeel – 6
He flirted with danger often enough but still top-scored in the first innings with 43, then added 29 in the second before Archer’s savage bouncer ended his stay. Across the series he quietly became Pakistan’s leading run-scorer with 204 at 34.00. Not spectacular, but consistently in the fight.

Ghazi Ghori – 2
A debut that never quite settled. Scores of four and 16 with the bat, and a tough time with the gloves, especially standing up to the stumps for long stretches. Eighteen byes leaked told its own story. The technique and temperament will need work if he’s to stay in the frame.

Mohammad Imran – 6
Not the headline act, but crucial in the background. He was Pakistan’s most economical bowler, reining in England’s scoring when the game threatened to run away. That control allowed the attack to keep asking questions, even when wickets didn’t tumble.

Razaullah Khan – 9
A star is born. At 21, he charged in with a hint of a young Waqar Younis about him, all energy and late movement. His 4 for 148 in the first innings gave Pakistan bite they’ve been missing. Then he picked up the bat and produced something unforgettable: 81 runs, including a joint-best nine sixes, an innings that stamped his name across the series. This wasn’t just promise; it was a statement.

Mohammad Ali – 5
He hunted wickets, beat the bat often enough to feel he was close, but lacked the consistency and control needed at this level. The no-balls were costly, none more so than the one that reprieved Root in the second innings. The raw materials are there, but the discipline must follow.

Mohammad Abbas – 7
Pakistan’s Mr Dependable did what he always does: plugged away, ball after ball, spell after spell. At 36, he shouldered a huge share of the workload and still found enough to make the ball talk on day four, giving England a genuine scare. His lower-order runs helped force England to bat again. No fuss, just craft and resilience.

As the dust settles, England walk away with a series win and a clearer sense of who they can trust with a Dukes ball in hand. Pakistan, though beaten, may have unearthed a new spearhead in Razaullah Khan and a handful of batsmen worth investing in.

The next question is simple: who turns this promise into something that still matters when the winter tours roll around?