Joe Root breaks Sachin Tendulkar's Test record as England complete 3-0 sweep of Pakistan at Edgbaston
England finish the job at Edgbaston
England have completed a 3-0 clean sweep of Pakistan, sealing the series with a commanding eight-wicket win in the third Test at Edgbaston. The result capped a dramatic summer in which Joe Root's return proved the decisive subplot for the hosts.
Root goes where no batter has gone in 147 years
Root saved his biggest statement for the series, creating history by becoming the first batter in 147 years of Test cricket to score 2,000 runs in the fourth innings — breaking Sachin Tendulkar's long-standing Test record in the process. No batter in the format's long history had ever reached the milestone, underlining the scale of the achievement.
A rare feat, 138 years in the making
The series produced more than just a whitewash. The England-Pakistan contest also carved out a rare Test cricket feat not witnessed in 138 years, while the gulf between the sides was laid bare by one striking statistic: 15 vs 3.33. Somehow, an England side widely described as struggling still swept Pakistan 3-0.
A very unusual summer
It has been, as one report put it, 'a very unusual summer' for English cricket: Ben Stokes' retirement, Brendon McCullum's exit, the Brydon Carse controversy and Root's return have all shaped the season. That it should end with a statement 3-0 sweep of Pakistan only adds to the strangeness.
Kind words that mattered
For the tourists, there was at least one moment to treasure. Pakistan's Razaullah, whose fearless show at Edgbaston was among the visitors' few bright sparks, said Root's words to him afterwards were a 'great source of happiness'.
Off the field, Stokes found time for a lighter moment, posting a cheeky Instagram story reading 'Probs will go to a pub' as his team secured promotion in the County game. The whitewash also carries major World Test Championship implications, with the points table now reshuffled — and India's standing among the big questions being asked.