Pakistan Cricket Crisis: Babar Azam Clean Bowled As England Dominates Third Test

The third and final Test match between England and Pakistan has commenced, and the narrative remains unchanged for the Pakistani side. On the very first day of the encounter, the vulnerabilities of the Pakistan cricket team were exposed once again as their batting lineup crumbled under pressure. The spotlight, however, was firmly on Babar Azam, whose dismissal via a clean bowl has become a major talking point across social media and cricketing circles, while the video of his dismissal highlights a lack of judgment that has left fans and critics alike in a state of disbelief, as the former captain failed to live up to the expectations once more.

Early Blows and the Opening Struggle

The match began with high expectations for a turnaround, but those hopes were quickly dashed. England won the toss and their captain, Joe Root, opted to field first, putting the Pakistani batsmen under immediate scrutiny. The decision proved to be a masterstroke as Pakistan lost their first wicket almost immediately. Saim Ayub, the opening batsman, was dismissed for a duck, failing to even open his account. This early exit added to a dismal record for the team; in this series, the Pakistani opening pair has failed to reach a double-digit partnership in any of their innings so far. Every time, the first wicket has fallen before the team score could reach 10 runs. Saim Ayub's personal form has been particularly concerning. Since the beginning of 2025, he has played 48 innings and has been dismissed for a duck 9 times, which is currently the highest number of ducks in international cricket during this period.

Babar Azam's Failure and the Batting Collapse

As the wickets continued to tumble, Babar Azam walked out to the crease at number 5. There was significant anticipation surrounding his performance, especially since he had made confident statements just a day before the match. However, his stay at the crease was short-lived. Babar Azam managed to score only 7 runs off 18 balls, including a single boundary. He was eventually clean bowled by Josh Tongue. The footage of the dismissal shows that Babar seemed completely unaware of the ball's trajectory as it zipped through his defense and crashed into the stumps. This dismissal has once again made him a target of criticism and mockery. Following his exit, the rest of the batting order offered little resistance. More than half of the team was sent back to the pavilion with the total score still under 100 runs.

A Team in Turmoil and Series Outlook

The current state of the team follows a period of intense upheaval in Pakistan cricket. After losing the first two matches of the three-match series against England, the management took drastic measures. Seven players were dropped from the squad and sent home, and even the head coach was removed from his position, while in their place, new players were brought in, five of whom had not even made their Test debut yet. Despite these sweeping changes, the results on the field remain disappointing. In the four innings played across the first two Tests, Pakistan failed to cross the 200 run mark even once. The trend seems to be continuing in the third Test, with the team struggling to build any meaningful partnerships. With the match progressing rapidly on the first day, it appears unlikely that the game will last the full five days. Pakistan seems on the verge of a complete series whitewash as they struggle to find answers to England's bowling attack.

Josh Tongue on target 🎯

Follow every ball live 👉 https://t.co/VUdUehsgT2 pic.twitter.com/uzGWAoT65y

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 9, 2026