Walking out with intent and flair, the wicketkeeper-batter smashed a quickfire 51 off just 56 deliveries in the morning session, propelling England to a strong 387.
"He has taken to Test cricket like duck to water," Nasser Hussain, who was on-air, said.
Ollie Robinson's devastating two-wicket opening over left Pakistan reeling at 52-2, with England needing just eight wickets to seal a 3-0 series sweep at Edgbaston.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has significantly expanded its central contract list to 30 players, alongside nine development contracts, for the 2026/27 season, introducing several new faces and extending deals for key players.
Mohammad Abbas claimed four wickets as Pakistan controlled much of the opening day at Lord's, but England recovered through Cox, Smith and Atkinson to reach 248-9.
A dominant display against a hugely disappointing Pakistan side saw the game wrapped up before tea on the third day despite the loss of more than half a day's play to rain.
England have left Brydon Carse out of the final Pakistan Test as he remains under police investigation, while Sonny Baker retains his place after England secured a 2-0 lead.
New Zealand defeated England by 160 runs at Trent Bridge to clinch the three-Test series 2-1, as Ben Stokes' international career ended in defeat following his surprise retirement announcement during the match.
England have called up pacer Sonny Baker to their squad for the second ICC World Test Championship clash against Pakistan, replacing Brydon Carse, who has been omitted while the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) investigates an incident from the weekend.
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam attributed his team's 194-run defeat against England in the second Test at Lord's primarily to their batting failures in both innings, despite winning the toss and opting to bowl first.
Joe Root will captain England on a permanent basis for the first time since 2022 in the upcoming three-match Test series against Pakistan, with Jordan Cox taking the number three spot due to Jacob Bethell's injury and Dan Lawrence earning a recall.
All-rounder Jamie Overton, who played the only Test match of his career back in 2022, has been recalled to the 15-member England squad
England moved to the brink of victory at Lord's as Dan Lawrence's unbeaten fifty extended their lead to 357, leaving Pakistan facing an almost impossible chase.
Paris St Germain defeated Barcelona 4-2 in a Champions League clash on Tuesday, ending Barcelona's perfect season record. Liverpool also secured a 4-3 comeback win against Villarreal, while Manchester City thrashed AEK Athens 5-1.
Joe Root's unbeaten 62 guided England to a dominant eight-wicket victory in the third Test against Pakistan, securing a 3-0 series whitewash despite early batting jitters. This marks England's first series win in 19 months.
New Zealand took control of the third Test at Trent Bridge with Tom Latham and Devon Conway setting a record partnership for the Kiwis against England on Thursday.
England seized total control at Lord's after bowling Pakistan out for 110, building a 261-run lead as Ollie Robinson and Jofra Archer dismantled their batting.
England batter Joe Root defended fellow teammate Jamie Smith for his dismissal in the first innings of the final Sydney Test
'I do not believe there is one way of playing Test cricket. You have got to be adaptable and play the situation.' 'It is never the same throughout five days, there is different challenges and you have got to adjust to the ebbs and flows throughout.'
England has announced their 12-player squad for the first Test against New Zealand, which begins at Lord's on Thursday. The squad includes two uncapped players and sees the return of Ollie Robinson, while Zak Crawley and Jofra Archer are notable omissions.
New Zealand opener Tom Latham has equalled legendary Martin Crowe's record of 17 Test centuries, becoming the joint third-highest century-scorer for his country. This milestone was achieved during his impressive 151-run knock against England in Nottingham, further solidifying his place in New Zealand's cricketing history.
Shubman Gill climbed to eighth in the latest ICC Test batting rankings, while Harry Brook returned to the top spot, replacing England teammate Joe Root.
Former Australian hockey legend Jamie Dwyer believes the Indian team possesses the talent and infrastructure to become a dominant force in world hockey but stresses that 'they need to maintain consistency as a team' to realise their true potential.
Ollie Robinson marked his return to England's Test side with a four-wicket haul as New Zealand slid to 61-6 at stumps, trailing by 79 runs after a see-saw opening day of the three-match series at Lord's on Thursday.
'The tailenders should have looked to bat with Jamie Smith. Really poor from the batters towards the end. The plan should have been to give him the strike and let him do the heavy lifting.'
Captain Ben Stokes and speedster Gus Atkinson will return to the side for the third Test against New Zealand in Nottingham following conclusion of a disciplinary hearing.
Fast bowler Gus Atkinson and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith will make their red-ball debuts for England in the first of the three-match home series
England exploited to the full a Lord's pitch once again offering erratic bounce and lateral movement on Sunday to win the rain-interrupted first Test against New Zealand by 115 runs with a day and two sessions to spare.
Review technology under fire again in Adelaide Ashes Test
'There's always some calculated thinking behind it.'
England lost the first three matches in the ongoing Ashes series but chased down 175 to win the fourth by four wickets and score a first Test victory in Australia in 15 years.
Joe Root contributed a magnificent 160 to England's first-innings tally of 384 but Travis Head drove Australia to 166 for two in response on the second day of the fifth and final Ashes Test.
Mitchell Starc made a late-career bid for all-rounder status when he scored a half-century and grabbed two wickets under the Gabba floodlights to push Australia to the brink of victory at the close of day three of the second Ashes Test.
IMAGES from Day 5 of the 3rd Ashes Test in Adelaide on Sunday.
India finished day three of the second Test on 64/1 to lead England by 244 runs after they dismissed the hosts for 407 in the first innings at Edgbaston on Friday.
England have dropped opener Zak Crawley and selected Emilio Gay as Ben Duckett's opening partner in a reshaped squad for the first Test against New Zealand.
He returned with figures of 4-22 in 12.1 overs to join an elite list comprising legends Vinoo Mankad, Bishan Singh Bedi, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar and Srinivas Venkataraghavan, who have taken four wickets or more at the iconic venue.
Jacob Bethell has represented England in 29 matches across all formats and will lead the team in the absence of the regular Test players.
England lost both matches by eight wickets and will relinquish all hopes of regaining the Ashes if they are unable to win the third Test, which begins at Adelaide Oval on Wednesday.
Batters Jamie Smith and Jordan Cox have been axed while seamer Saqib Mahmood could not retain his place either.
