Pakistan openers register worst outing in 35 years as batting woes continue against England

So far in the Test series, Pakistan has used three different opening pairings. In the first Test, Azan Awais and Imam-ul-Haq came as openers. In the second Lord's Test, Shan Masood and Azan failed to make a mark. Now at Edgbaston, Azan found his third batting partner, Saim Ayub, but the results were similar.

In the first Test, Azan and Imam could not put together a single run together in both innings, while at Lord's Azan and Shan made just five and seven runs together in the first and second innings respectively. At Edgbaston, Azan and Saim have aggregated eight and zero across the two innings. This leads to a combined aggregate of 20 runs.

This is Pakistan openers' joint-worst outing since the home series against West Indies in 1990/91.

As an opener, Azan has scored 129 runs across six innings at an average of 21.50, with just one fifty. Imam (42 and 0), Shan (1 and 26) and Saim (0 and 0) have been disappointing as his opening partners. Azan has managed just two 20-plus scores in six innings.

Coming to the match, England opted to bowl first and skittled out Pakistan for just 133, with Saud Shakeel (43) and Mohammad Abbas (21) being the only ones to cross 20-run mark. Josh Tongue (4/42), Ollie Robinson (3/15) and Jofra Archer (3/25) demolished the Pakistan batting with their lethal pace.

In their first innings, England went on to make 453 runs, taking a 320-run lead, courtesy of half-centuries from Emilio Gay (60), Harry Brook (75), Dan Lawrence (65) and Jamie Smith (69). Razaullah (4/148) took a four-wicket haul on debut.

Pakistan has responded better in the second innings and were 184/3, at Lunch, trailing by 136 runs. Azan (59 in 84 balls, with 10 fours) scored a stroke-filled fifty, while Shan Masood (83*), Babar Azam (26*) were unbeaten at the end of the first session. (ANI)