England Keep Tongue and Duckett for Final Test at Edgbaston
England have resisted any temptation to tinker. With the series already wrapped up, the selectors have doubled down on the side that has outplayed Pakistan at Headingley and Lord’s, keeping both Josh Tongue and Ben Duckett in an unchanged 15-man squad for the third and final Rothesay Test at Edgbaston.
The stakes are different now. The trophy is secure, but the tone of the summer is not. A clean sweep, at the end of the 2026 home programme, would say plenty about where this England side is heading.
Tongue leads a ruthless attack
Few players have seized a window of opportunity quite like Tongue. Drafted into an attack brimming with options, he has muscled his way to the front of the queue with 13 wickets at a striking average of 12.46, his best figures a ruthless 5 for 46 in Leeds.
Those numbers tell one story. The manner of them tells another. Tongue has hunted on helpful pitches with aggression and precision, giving Joe Root a cutting edge whenever the ball has started to talk. At Edgbaston, where conditions can reward pace and relentlessness, his inclusion was never really in doubt.
Around him, England’s bowling unit has looked balanced and hungry. With Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson offering pace, and the likes of Sam Cook and Ollie Robinson providing control and seam movement, Root has an attack that has consistently squeezed Pakistan out of contests long before the final session.
Duckett–Gay opening stand given another go
At the top of the order, Duckett keeps his place and his partner. He will once again walk out with Emilio Gay, as England back the left-handed pair to grow into their roles together.
Continuity is the message. The selectors have resisted any late reshuffle, trusting the same batting group that set up a 194-run win at Lord’s last week. With Duckett’s tempo and Gay’s more measured game, England are clearly intent on setting the tone early in each innings, forcing Pakistan’s bowlers onto the defensive.
Behind them, the core of England’s middle order remains intact. Root leads from No. 4, with support from Harry Brook, Ollie Pope and Dan Lawrence, while Jamie Smith and Jordan Cox offer flexibility with bat and gloves. It is a group that has already banked enough runs to let the bowlers attack without fear.
Unchanged squad, unfinished business
The unchanged squad underlines a simple message: job not finished. England have dominated the first two Tests, but a 3–0 scoreline carries a different weight to 2–1 or 2–0. A whitewash against Pakistan, at Edgbaston of all places, would stamp this series into the memory.
England Men v Pakistan
Third Rothesay Test, Edgbaston, 9–13 September
England squad:
Joe Root (Yorkshire, captain)
Jofra Archer (Sussex)
Gus Atkinson (Surrey)
Sonny Baker (Hampshire)
Shoaib Bashir (Derbyshire)
Harry Brook (Yorkshire)
Sam Cook (Essex)
Jordan Cox (Essex)
Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire)
Emilio Gay (Durham)
Dan Lawrence (Surrey)
Ollie Pope (Surrey)
Ollie Robinson (Sussex)
Jamie Smith (Surrey)
Series won, momentum secured, one final question remains: will England simply close the book at Edgbaston, or slam it shut?
