England steady at the close of play after Pakistan once again fold with the bat

After a chaotic week in which the head coach was sacked and seven new players brought in, it was England captain Joe Root that won the toss elected to bowl first in overcast conditions in Birmingham.

Pakistan did not fare well with bat, a common theme in the series, and were quickly in trouble as they slipped to 28-4 inside the opening 10 overs, with seamers Ollie Robinson and Jofra Archer both taking two wickets.

Josh Tongue (4-42) then came into the attack after the opening burst and the lanky paceman made it 48-5 when he castled the the stumps of visiting skipper Babar Azam.

Tongue took a further two wickets in the morning session as Pakistan went to the lunch break on 100-7 with Saud Shakeel the only batter to look in any sort of decent touch on 37 not out.

Robinson got his third scalp after the interval before Mohammad Abbas slapped four boundaries for his 21 to lift the tourists to a total of 133 before they were eventually all out.

England did not get off to the best of starts with the willow themselves as they slipped to 39-3, with Pakistan's debutant seamer Razaullah getting the big wicket of home captain Root.

Emilio Gay and Harry Brook then calmed the England dressing room with a partnership of 104 with opener Gay going his third Test fifty in his sixth appearance.

The stand was broken when Razaullah got the left-handed batter to drag a ball onto his stumps close of playto walk back for 60, but Brook (52 not out) and Dan Lawrence took England to stumps with no further damage.

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