Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali shared a brisk century stand to build a 311-run lead on Saturday as England started to dominate the third test against Pakistan.
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Sohail Khan got an early breakthrough for Pakistan in the form of Alastair Cook.
With England’s lead just 118, Vince, on 28 at the time, was facing a huge examination of his Test credentials. “We had to show quite a lot of patience”.
“If we do take early wickets we’ve got a really good opportunity to put Pakistan under pressure”.
“I haven’t seen it break up for a while”, he said.
England seamers took two wickets in the morning before Pakistan had matched England’s first innings score of 297, but Misbah hit a patient 44 off 89 balls and Sarfraz Ahmed was 20 not out.
Two and a half poor days for the England skipper, including a dropped catch off Steven Finn, were replaced by a glorious evening in which he eased past Kevin Pietersen to become the nation’s highest run scorer across all three formats.
He is prepared to give due credit to Bairstow and Moeen, though. “England will push hard tomorrow but it’s looking like a draw”. Mid-session will be crucial in revealing which way this match is going to head.
This Midlands surface here has been better than that but has not deteriorated in a way that has threatened wickets. He made his One Day International debut against India in August 2014 and his Test debut against South Africa in December 2015.
England were more than 100 runs behind on first innings after over 10 hours in the field.
Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur, meanwhile, has lamented the absence of an all-rounder like Woakes in the tourists’ ranks.
Even though England began yesterday’s play with all ten wickets intact, their first priority was to establish a position from which they were unlikely to lose. A contest that was drifting suddenly woke up. Pakistan might have trouble batting on Day 5.
It was tough luck on left-arm quick Rahat, who reeled off five successive maidens in a probing spell of seven overs costing just seven runs.
Root played down fears about his troublesome back, for which he had to receive treatment during his innings.
And Root was full of praise for the way England’s batsmen turned the match on its head.
Yet the pair ultimately put on 95 either side of lunch before Root was caught at short fine leg on 62 sweeping Yasir Shah, the leg-spinner prevailing after changing the angle of attack to around the wicket.
There was a touch of fortune about England’s next success, Yasir Shah setting off late for a second run and Jonny Bairstow’s dislodging of the bails with his elbow far from orthodox but authentic as he gathered the ball simultaneously.
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James Vince did his best to play a Test innings. “I thought he bowled exceptionally well in the first innings but the key is you’ve got to do it both innings”. It is clear he has the talent but the patience snapped and he fended another catch to slip, falling for the fourth time for a score of 35-42, ensuring he is back to square one at the Oval next week.
