Pakistan’s opening batters endured a disastrous Test series against England, combining for just 20 runs across six opening partnerships in the three-match series, their joint-worst performance in 35 years. The latest failure came in the third Test at Edgbaston, where Pakistan’s opening pair was dismissed without adding a run to the scoreboard in the second innings.The 20-run aggregate is Pakistan’s lowest for an opening partnership across a Test series since their home series against the West Indies in 1990-91.
Three opening combinations, no 10-run stand
Pakistan tried three different opening combinations during the series, but none managed to produce even a double-digit stand.
| Test | Opening Pair | 1st Innings | 2nd Innings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Test, Headingly | Azan Awais & Imam-ul-Haq | 0 | 0 |
| 2nd Test, Lord’s | Azan Awais & Shan Masood | 5 | 7 |
| 3rd Test, Edgbaston | Azan Awais & Saim Ayub | 8 | 0 |
| Total | 13 | 7 |
Across six innings, Pakistan’s openers managed just 20 runs, with their best opening stand being only eight runs.
Awais fights alone at the top
Azan Awais was the only Pakistan opener to offer any consistency during the series. The youngster scored 129 runs in six innings at an average of 21.50, but received almost no support from his partners. Imam-ul-Haq managed scores of 42 and 0, Shan Masood made 1 and 26, while Saim Ayub returned 0 and 0 in his two innings as an opener.The repeated early dismissals left Pakistan’s middle order under pressure almost immediately.
Another unwanted record at Edgbaston
Pakistan’s problems at the top were part of a much wider batting collapse in the third Test. In the first innings at Edgbaston, Pakistan were bowled out for just 133, with their top five batters all dismissed for single-digit scores. It was the first time a team had lost all of its top five wickets for single-digit scores in the first innings of a Test in England.
