England bowl Pakistan out for 133 as Tongue attacks the stumps

England dismissed Pakistan for 133 in 33.5 overs on the first day of the third Test at Edgbaston on 9 September. Josh Tongue took 4–38, with Ollie Robinson returning 3–15 and Jofra Archer 3–25. Cricket Australia’s match service confirms the innings total; Sky Sports’ live coverage supplies the bowling figures and dismissal detail.

The Test remains in progress. England entered it with an unassailable 2–0 series lead, as the venue’s preview confirms, but a completed Pakistan innings is only the first part of this match.

Keep the stumps in the contest

Tongue bowled Babar Azam, Mohammad Imran and Saud Shakeel, whose 43 was Pakistan’s highest score. Those dismissals give the bowling performance a specific point of reference: deliveries that finish at the stumps make the batter protect more than the outside edge.

Our view is that the value lies in keeping multiple dismissals available. A batter who can safely leave a succession of deliveries has one reliable way to reduce risk. When the line and length also threaten the wicket, that choice narrows. The defensive stroke must account for the ball that comes through the gap as well as the one that leaves the bat.

That is a demanding balance for the bowler. Going fuller without control can offer an easier scoring ball. The useful standard is how often the batter has to make a difficult decision, rather than how often the delivery merely looks threatening.

Build the advantage with the bat

England now need to turn the time their bowlers have created into a substantial first innings. There is room to score from loose deliveries without treating Pakistan’s low total as a deadline to accelerate every over. A partnership that survives a testing spell can change the field and the workload for the following batter.

Pakistan’s route back is to make that accumulation difficult enough to keep the first-innings gap manageable. England’s batting response will determine how much of this bowling advantage becomes control of the Test. For now, the firm conclusion belongs to the completed innings: the three wicket-taking seamers shared all ten, and Tongue repeatedly brought the stumps into play.

Cover photograph: Unsplash. Illustrative cricket imagery; not England, Pakistan or the Edgbaston Test.