Chris Woakes finished with a Test-best six for 70 to help bowl Pakistan out for 339. Bounding into the crease, Shah’s feat was all the more impressive as his wickets came on a largely unresponsive pitch, with his variations in pace, as much as spin, deceiving the batsmen.
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England now need to at least equal their record fourth-inning score to win a Test at Lord’s of 282 for three against New Zealand in 2004 if they are to go 1-0 up in this four-match series.
Sarfraz Ahmed (45) and Shah frustrated England in a seventh-wicket stand of 40. Younis dropped the low one-handed chance and just failed to cling on to the rebound.
James Vince was caught by Younis Khan from the bowling of Wahab Riaz after scoring 42 runs from 49 balls after hitting nine boundaries. You don’t take offence but it’s an emotive time, in the 20 minutes or so after you’ve lost a game.
Soon after victory, all the Pakistan players lined up and did press-ups on the field – a gesture remembering their instructors at an army academy back home where they underwent training to prepare for the four-test series against England.
“A lead of 300 would be very nice tomorrow”, Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur said. When I was out there facing him it didn’t seem to be too much danger.
Yasir’s 5-64 kept Pakistan in the hunt for a valuable first inning lead as England were still 86 runs behind at 253-7 for 7 when play ended on Friday.
Cook, on 22, added an immediate insult to injury by clipping the next ball off his pads for four as he and Root sought a foothold.
The Yorkshireman, whose tame dismissal in the first innings precipitated a collapse, pulled a short ball straight to Yasir at deep square leg.
It could all be in vain though as Pakistan are in the driving seat, albeit still a few runs short of the total they would ideally have posted second time around.
Stuart Broad only managed to add six runs to his overnight total before he fell to a full inswinger from Wahab.
Steven Finn has been known to block up an end and Woakes was happy to let him have the strike but he became Yasir’s sixth victim three overs later, trapped in front of leg stump by a ball that skidded on.
In a match billed for months as the Test return of Amir after his five-year ban for spot-fixing here, and all that might entail in terms of crowd and opposition reaction, it has been intrigue of the right kind which has taken over from the outset. Chris Woakes was unbeaten at 30 with Stuart Broad batting at 11.
Shan Masood and Azhar Ali steered Pakistan to lunch but both fell to Woakes in the afternoon session, Masood edging an outswinger to Alastair Cook having made 24 and Azhar out lbw after an unsuccessful review.
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“He’s part of the team that has won the Test match, it will be one of the memorable days of his life and from here he can start his career again”, Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq said.
