The morning began with a jolt for England. Jamie Smith, the new face behind the stumps, emerged with his finger in a splint after a blow on day one. The word from the camp is reassuring enough: he is expected to bat in his usual position. The real question lingers over the second innings. Will he be able to keep wicket when Pakistan go in again?
For now, England’s batters are carrying the load – and the advantage.
England build from a position of strength
Under bright Birmingham sunshine, England resumed on 160-4, Harry Brook on 52 and Dan Lawrence on 9, holding a lead of 23. It felt like one of those days that could quietly decide a series: a platform built, a lead stretched, or an opportunity tossed away.
All eyes went to the end of Razaullah’s run-up.
Pakistan’s sling-armed quick, who lit up day one, started with a statement. His first ball of the morning was a brute. Lawrence tried to sell the leave, but the ball whistled past, beating him all ends up. A reminder, sharp and early, that Pakistan still had a weapon who could change the script.
Lawrence didn’t retreat. Later in the over he clipped Razaullah neatly off his hip for England’s first runs – and first boundary – of the day. A small moment, but an important one. England were not about to be bullied.
Razaullah’s arrival
Razaullah has already stamped his name on this Test. Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja, speaking on Test Match Special, could barely hide his admiration.
“Razaullah blasted his way through and made the headlines for all the right reasons,” he said. Pace, accuracy, that whippy, slinging arm – it all looks built for long spells with an older ball. Just as telling was the mentality. “He wanted it,” Raja added. A tremendous Test debut, and Pakistan know they have found something.
On a morning when England sought control, Razaullah provided the threat that kept them honest.
Emilio Gay stakes his claim
Away from the immediate tension in the middle, one of the enduring stories of this match is Emilio Gay. Under pressure for his place, the opener responded with exactly what selectors want to see when the heat is on: runs and resolve.
His 60 on day one was his third Test fifty. On paper, his average this summer – 26.1 – hardly screams security. On the field, his tempo and temperament told a different tale.
Sir Alastair Cook, who knows the scrutiny of opening for England better than anyone, believes Gay has done enough to book his ticket for the winter tour of South Africa.
“Emilio Gay’s played really nicely. I would say he’s confident and intense,” Cook told Test Match Special. The key line followed. “He is definitely a run-getter when he gets in. He seems to have that real stubborn and strong will to make it count if he can.”
For Cook, that stubborn streak matters more than the raw number. South African pitches, he pointed out, should offer truer bounce and a bit more reward for good technique. “He has done enough for me to take him to South Africa to continue the progress of a player where the pitches will be slightly easier to bat on and he should open the batting.”
A modest score, a big endorsement, and perhaps a turning point in Gay’s Test career.
Brook’s moment and England’s standards
Back in the here and now, England’s dominance with the ball has created a cushion. The challenge is to turn that cushion into a commanding total.
Michael Vaughan, another former England captain on Test Match Special, didn’t sugar-coat it. He praised the attack – “too powerful for this Pakistan batting line-up” – but pointed to a glaring omission.
“The one thing they haven’t done is get a hundred yet,” he said. His eyes, like many, were on Harry Brook. For all the control England have enjoyed, Vaughan argued the batting has not matched the bowling. This pitch, this opposition, this situation – it’s a chance, in his view, to post something substantial and ruthless.
“They should get a lead of 200/250,” he said, setting the bar. England may be winning here, but inside that dressing room they know tougher examinations lie ahead. Runs now, big runs, are the habits they want ingrained before those tests arrive.
Calm after the chaos
The most striking theme around this England side is not just the scoreline. It’s the mood.
Sir Alastair Cook framed it neatly. This is the third straight game where England’s bowling unit has operated at a “very good level”. The caveat is obvious: the true standard will only be clear against stronger batting line-ups. But you can only beat what’s in front of you, and this group is doing that with increasing authority.
The contrast with the recent past is stark. Cook referenced the early Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum era, when everything felt like chaos – thrilling, but chaotic. Selection churn, tactical noise, uncertainty in the dressing room.
Now? “After two and a half games it feels a lot calmer,” Cook said. Results have a way of quietening doubts. Stability helps too. Cook was “really pleased they didn’t change the team.”
So England move on through this Test with a lead in hand, a keeper nursing a damaged finger, a debutant quick tormenting their middle order, and an opener nudging his way into South Africa plans.
The scorecard tells one story. The shifting hierarchy inside this England side might be telling an even bigger one.
