Pakistan’s batting collapsed inside 50 overs for the fourth time in five innings as England seized control on the opening day of the Edgbaston Test on Wednesday. This capitulation marked the fourth time Pakistan failed to last 50 overs this series, following innings of 48.1 and 37.3 overs at Leeds, and 37.2 and 50.5 overs at Lord’s.

Put into bat under overcast skies, Pakistan were skittled out for a meager 133 in 33.5 overs. In reply, England closed the day on 156 for four – holding a 23-run lead – with Harry Brook (52 not out) and Dan Lawrence (5 not out) set to resume on Thursday as the prospect of another three-day Test looms large.

Pakistan’s familiar top-order frailties were laid bare once again. Saim Ayub (0) started the procession early, and within 15 overs Pakistan were in disarray with Azan Awais (9), Abdullah Shafique (3), Shan Masood (5), and Babar Azam (7) all back in the pavilion. Debutant wicketkeeper Ghazi Ghori managed just four.

Had Saud Shakeel not contributed a gritty 43 off 90 balls (featuring seven boundaries) – ably supported by tail-enders Mohammad Abbas (21) and debutant Razaullah (11) – Pakistan’s plight would have been even worse after slipping to 48 for five and 84 for seven.

Josh Tongue was the pick of the England bowlers, capturing four for 42 in 10 overs by accounting for Babar, Saud, Ghazi, and Mohammad Imran Randhawa. Ollie Robinson proved relentless once again with figures of three for 15 from 11 overs, while Jofra Archer claimed three for 25 in 7.5 overs.

Defending a sub-par total, Mohammad Abbas provided early hope by having Ben Duckett caught at slip before pinning Jordan Cox lbw to leave England 24 for two.

Razaullah then justified his call-up with pace and pinpoint accuracy, trapping Joe Root lbw for eight – the fourth consecutive time Root has fallen lbw in the series – to reduce England to 39 for three.

However, opener Emilio Gay (60) repaired the damage alongside Harry Brook, anchoring the innings with a fluent 104-run fourth-wicket partnership off 135 deliveries before Razaullah returned to remove Gay late in the day.

The match followed turbulent days in the Pakistan camp post-Lord’s. Three players were handed Test caps: Razaullah, Ghazi Ghori, and fast bowler Mohammad Imran Randhawa, while white-ball specialist Saim Ayub replaced Imam-ul-Haq at the top of the order.

Controversy, however, surrounded the omission of fast bowler Ubaid Shah, who debuted in Port of Spain last month. Selector and Director of High Performance Aqib Javed recently revealed he had instructed former head coach and fellow selector Sarfaraz Ahmed to play Ubaid at Lord’s. Sarfaraz’s refusal reportedly led to his dismissal, leaving questions over whether the interim management will face similar scrutiny.

With Pakistan’s batters continuing to show a glaring lack of confidence and application, spectators at Edgbaston may well be left with a free weekend if the match concludes inside three days.

Scores in Brief (Day 1 of 5):

Pakistan: 133 all out in 33.5 overs (Saud Shakeel 43, Mohammad Abbas 21, Razaullah 11; Josh Tongue 4-42, Ollie Robinson 3-15, Jofra Archer 3-25)