Photograph: Philip Brown/Getty Images

Grim predictability blights Pakistan’s brief moments of light amid Test gloom | Andy Bull

September 10, 2026 · The Guardian

Pakistan suffered an immediate setback during the opening morning of their Test match at Edgbaston, collapsing to three down inside the first three-quarters of an hour. Although Razaullah had earlier displayed some attacking spirit, Babar Azam walked to the crease under bleak skies and switched-on stadium lights as light drizzle threatened. Azam faced a daunting situation that mirrored his team's broader struggles, greeted by five slip fielders and a wicketkeeper standing right up to the stumps for Ollie Robinson. Operating from the opposing end, a loosening Jofra Archer was already into his fourth over of pace, adding to the extreme early pressure on the visitors.

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