One more strike and he won’t be allowed to bowl in the rest of the innings, which would be a huge blow for England with Pakistan eyeing a giant score from their current 257-3, led by Azhar Ali’s 139. The avoidance of another mass workout on the outfield of Edgbaston will be difficult from here but no one in the England set up will be trying harder than Anderson.
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Aslam, a 20-year-old left-handed opener, was in sight of a well-deserved maiden Test hundred when he was run out responding to Azhar’s poor call.
Azhar Ali celebrates by doing press-ups after reaching his century.
Both Aslam and Azhar were content to bide their time: 72 runs came in the first session and 82 in the second.
Anderson admitted his reaction to both on-field umpires was “out of order”, in separate incidents after each pointed out he was running into the prescribed “danger area” on the pitch in his follow-through.
Left-hander Aslam guided Stuart Broad wide of gully for the first four of Pakistan’s innings in the fifth over.
Cape Town – Pakistan are threatening to take control of the third Test at Edgbaston after ending day two on 257/3 in pursuit of England’s first-innings total of 297.
“As a batsman, you really need just to focus as much as you can on that”, the 31-year-old Azhar told reporters after stumps.
“This being my first century outside Asia makes me proud”. I tried to ball fast, I can still bowl fast.
Azhar was put down by Root at second slip just after the break and the number three brought up a deserved half-century by punching Steven Finn (0-44) through the covers for three.
“It was unfortunate that he got run out”.
There were few thrills and spills as Ballance, with his first 50 in his last seven Test innings spread over more than a year, exercised plenty of caution.
“I’ve apologised for my behaviour to the umpire”, said Anderson. It was the way I behaved didn’t look great.
Anderson’s day was not improved by the fact that Joe Root dropped Ali on 38.
“It probably added to (the frustration), but you have to deal with things in cricket”, said Anderson. His smart leaving meant the bowlers were drawn into being straighter, when he would either knock them into the off-side gaps or work them off his pads, and neither was he unsettled when he ducked into a short ball from Woakes that struck the back of his helmet.
It is still hoped he may return for England’s limited-overs series against Pakistan, which begins at the end of this month.
Given that Vince and Ballance are playing to secure their places, they counter-punched impressively either side of lunch as Pakistan’s bowlers offered up a liberal supply of loose deliveries between the threatening ones.
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“My competitive edge has helped me through my career and I know at times I can get close to that line”. At the moment Day 2 is also going the same way.
