England’s Seamers Dominate as Tongue Unveils New Wobble Seam
England’s seamers tighten the screw as Tongue’s new weapon bites at Edgbaston
England’s four-man pace pack went hunting in tandem at Edgbaston and Pakistan’s brittle batting folded again, this time for just 133, as the series’ familiar pattern tightened its grip.
By stumps, England were 156 for four and already 23 runs to the good with six first-innings wickets in hand. The scoreline says control. The players on both sides insist the contest still breathes. The truth, as ever in Birmingham cloud, sits somewhere in the morning session.
Tongue’s wobble seam pays instant dividends
The day belonged to England’s seamers, and to Josh Tongue in particular. The tall quick has been a constant threat all series, but here he unveiled something new: a wobble seam delivery he has been quietly building away from the spotlight.
“I’ve spoken to Robbo quite a bit about it,” Tongue said, nodding towards Ollie Robinson, the master of that subtle deviation. “Obviously he’s unbelievable at that and he’s showed that throughout the series. So I’ve been speaking to him quite a bit during the last couple of Tests and I tried a couple of things in training the other day. That was the first time I’d bowled it in the game and it got me a wicket, so I’ll be using it again. I want to get more skills under my belt.”
The work in the nets translated brutally to the middle. Tongue finished with four wickets, the other six split evenly between Robinson and Jofra Archer, a neat reflection of how England’s seamers hunted as a unit rather than as solo acts.
Cloud cover, a tacky surface and a ball that wouldn’t stop talking did the rest. Pakistan never escaped the squeeze. This was the fifth time they have batted in the series and the fifth time they have been bundled out for fewer than 200. England, by contrast, are still waiting to be dragged below that mark.
Yet Tongue knows the job is only half done. “That first hour tomorrow morning is going to be very crucial,” he said. “We’ve just got to get through that first bit.” Survive that, and the scoreboard pressure could become suffocating.
Pakistan’s batters flounder again
For Pakistan, the script is becoming uncomfortably familiar. Early promise, a cluster of soft dismissals, and a total that leaves their bowlers straining to keep the game alive.
Saud Shakeel, who top-scored with 43, read the conditions with brutal honesty. “Early on, when we lost the toss, the pitch had some moisture in it and the overcast conditions helped their bowlers as well. We got some soft dismissals and we couldn’t come back from that,” he said.
The numbers are damning. Five innings, five sub-200 totals. Technique, temperament, and the simple shock of exaggerated movement have all been exposed. Shakeel did what he could, grafting against relentless seam, but found little support.
“We’re working hard, it’s not like we aren’t trying,” he said. “There’s a lot of lateral movement and we’re not used to facing that, but we are trying our best. I’m not saying our batting group has not struggled, we have accepted that. But the conditions have been difficult. Bowlers have been on top.”
Bowlers have indeed ruled this series, and at Edgbaston that balance tilted again towards England.
Razaullah’s raw pace offers Pakistan hope
Pakistan did at least unearth a shard of optimism. It came hurtling in at high speed from a 21-year-old playing just his ninth first-class match.
Razaullah, still raw and still learning, bowled with genuine menace. His action is awkward to line up, his pace heavy and hostile. He rapped England’s top order and claimed the wickets of Emilio Gay and Joe Root, two major early strikes that kept Pakistan in the contest.
Gay, one of England’s two half-centurions alongside the unbeaten Harry Brook, had looked set for a sizeable score before Razaullah cut him down. Root, the anchor of so many English innings, followed. For a side searching for positives, this was a significant one.
“I’ve just faced him one time in a domestic first-class game, so I haven’t seen him that much,” Shakeel said. “But he has some raw pace and a difficult action and we’re hoping he will continue bowling like this. With express fast bowlers, even if they haven’t played a lot of first-class cricket, it doesn’t matter. Their raw talent and pace is useful, which we saw from him today.”
If Pakistan are to claw their way back, Razaullah will have to lead the charge again. The target is not yet out of reach, but every extra English run on this surface feels heavier than the last.
England, with Brook still there and depth to come, stand poised. One dominant hour with the bat in the morning and this could turn into a chase Pakistan’s fragile top order simply cannot bear. One inspired burst from Razaullah and his fellow quicks, and the series might yet take a twist.
