Harry Brook, Jamie Smith fifties put England in command as Pakistan trail by 268 after horror start at Edgbaston

England strengthened their grip on the third Test against Pakistan at Edgbaston on Thursday, piling up 453 in their first innings before reducing the visitors to 52/2 at stumps on Day 2.Having started the day with a 23-run lead, England added another 297 runs across the first two sessions to take a massive 320-run first-innings lead. Pakistan then endured a nightmare start to their second innings, losing both openers in Ollie Robinson’s opening over.Shan Masood and Azan Awais offered some resistance before rain and bad light brought an early end to play. Pakistan still trail by 268 runs, with eight wickets in hand.England’s batters pile on the runsResuming on 156/4, England’s middle and lower order kept Pakistan’s bowlers under pressure throughout the morning and afternoon sessions. Harry Brook top-scored with 75, while Jamie Smith made 69 and Dan Lawrence contributed 65. Emilio Gay also struck a fluent 60 before Ollie Robinson added a rapid 50 off 47 balls.Five England batters passed fifty, but none could convert their starts into a century. The hosts were eventually bowled out for 453 shortly before tea.Pakistan debutant Razaullah was their most successful bowler, finishing with 4/148. He had moments of promise but struggled to contain England’s scoring rate, while Mohammad Ali and Mohammad Imran picked up two wickets each.Robinson rocks Pakistan with double strikePakistan needed a strong response after being asked to bat again with a 320-run deficit, but Robinson immediately exposed their top order. The England seamer removed Saim Ayub for a first-ball duck before dismissing Abdullah Shafique soon after, leaving Pakistan 0/2.Robinson, who has been England’s standout bowler in the series, finished the day with 2/10 and once again gave Pakistan’s batters plenty to think about.Masood and Awais provide some resistanceWith Pakistan in serious trouble, captain Shan Masood and Azan Awais steadied the innings with an unbeaten 52-run partnership for the third wicket. Masood was unbeaten on 21, while Awais made 29 not out when rain interrupted play.The weather eventually forced an early finish, with the ground staff unable to prepare the outfield in time for a restart.At 52/2, Pakistan remain 268 runs behind England and have yet to cross the 200-run mark in any of their innings in this three-Test series. England, meanwhile, are firmly in control and will sense an opportunity to complete a 3-0 series sweep.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.