ENG vs PAK Clash Today: Live Scores, Highlights & Streaming Guide

The 2026 England vs Pakistan Test series is perfectly poised after two dramatic results that have kept cricket fans on the edge of their seats. Pakistan struck first, chasing down a tricky target at Headingley to win the opening Test by seven wickets, thanks to a fourth-innings masterclass from their top order and a fiery second-innings spell by Shaheen Afridi. England hit back just six days later, steam-rolling Pakistan by an innings and 103 runs, with Jofra Archer, Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue sharing 19 wickets between them to level the rubber 1-1. All roads now lead to Lord’s, where the third and final Rothesay Test starts on Thursday 27 August. Both captains have billed the match as an “early Ashes-style decider,” and the stakes are huge: ICC World Test Championship points, bragging rights in a storied rivalry, and momentum heading into the autumn white-ball tour. Lord’s has traditionally offered just enough movement with the new ball before flattening into a batting paradise, so expect both XIs to stack their seam attacks while retaining a wrist-spinner for the foot-marks on days four and five. Key storylines to watch: • Ben Stokes vs Babar Azam – Stokes’ counter-attacking 131 at Leeds set up England’s huge first-innings total, but Babar’s ice-cold 165* in the opener proved he can boss English conditions too. Whichever talisman wins this duel could swing the series. • Spin subplot – Rehan Ahmed and Abrar Ahmed have shared only six wickets so far, yet the forecast suggests a baking Bank Holiday weekend. If Lord’s breaks up, the leg-spinners may suddenly decide the trophy. • Reverse swing at twilight – Both teams unlocked prodigious reverse late on day three in the first two Tests; the pink tint of the evening Lord’s slope could be prime hunting ground for Haris Rauf and Mark Wood. Injury bulletin: England confirmed that veteran opener Zak Crawley (hamstring) is out; Harry Brook is likely to partner Ben Duckett at the top. Pakistan have added teenage quick Ubaid Shah as cover for Naseem, who left the field clutching his shoulder during England’s blitz. Weather & pitch: Met Office models show uninterrupted sunshine for the first three days, followed by patchy cloud on Monday and a thunder-threatening Tuesday finale. The Lord’s ground-staff left a healthy 9 mm of grass on a rock-hard surface at the 48-hour inspection, pointing to brisk early pace before the inevitable cracks appear. Tickets & broadcast: Only 300 public seats remain for day one, but all five days are available on Sky Sports Cricket in the UK and PTV Sports in Pakistan, with free digital clips on ECB and PCB social channels. Prediction: With both sides trading heavy blows and neither willing to blink, expect another result pitch. If England’s lower order can extend first-innings totals beyond 400, the hosts hold a slight edge, but Pakistan’s world-class new-ball pair means a collapse is always one magic spell away. Cricket’s oldest trans-continental rivalry is set for a blockbuster Lord’s climax – and fans worldwide wouldn’t have it any other way.