Wallaroos scare England but fail 'mission impossible'

England secured an 8-wicket victory over Pakistan in the third Test at Edgbaston, completing a 3-0 Test series whitewash. Joe Root, the England captain, led the team with an unbeaten 62, marking his 110th Test innings of 50 or more, which includes 41 centuries. Despite falling early to Ben Duckett and Emilio Gay, Root and Jordan Cox maintained calm and slowly took control of the chase.

Root narrowly avoided a significant blow when Mohammad Ali bowled him for 23, but the delivery was declared a no-ball. Pakistan missed two more opportunities when Root edged Abbas between the slips and when neither fielder went for a catch off a similar delivery. Root's contribution was crucial as England reached the target in the 25th over with eight wickets in hand.

Pakistan showed more fight in the match, with debutant Razaullah scoring an impressive 81, but their first-innings collapse of 320 runs proved costly. England's fast bowlers, led by Ollie Robinson, dominated Pakistan's batting, leading the attack with 21 wickets and earning the series player of the series award. The series came after a challenging period for England, who needed to recover from a defeat to New Zealand following the Ashes loss.

Root's return to the captaincy ended with a series whitewash, while Pakistan suffered their 16th loss in their last 21 Tests.