But on 39, an uncertain defensive prod outside off stump against Sohail saw Vince edge low to second slip Younis Khan.
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Cook will need to do his sums overnight, but the likelihood is that there will be half-an-hour’s batting at most on the final morning before England try to test Pakistan’s second-innings mettle.
England missed two great opportunities to take the scalp of Azhar after dropping the number three on 38 and 69 – Root and Moeen the guilty parties – and the 31-year-old made the most of his lifelines.
It was after watching himself on television replay that Anderson – also reprimanded by the match referee earlier this summer for “disrespecting” umpire Sundaram Ravi in the Lord’s Test against Sri Lanka – realised an apology was necessary.
Australia’s Oxenford twice officially warned Anderson in one over for running on the pitch, with the Lancashire star risking being barred from bowling again in the remainder of the Pakistan innings if he receives another such caution.
The pair defied England’s four-man seam attack for almost four hours after James Anderson dismissed Mohammad Hafeez off the fourth delivery of the day with Pakistan yet to score.
Azhar (139) put on 181 runs with Sami Aslam (82) for the second wicket as Pakistan reached 247-3 at the stump in reply of hosts’ 297.
The stand finally ended when left-hander Aslam was run out by James Vince going for a quick single that was never on with a ton there for the taking, but Azhar was not to be denied and copied his captain Misbah-ul-Haq’s press-ups celebrations after ending a wait of over 13 months for a Test century.
As reported by cricket.com.au, Anderson said, “I’ve apologised for my behaviour to the umpires”.
James Anderson had dismissed Mohammad Hafeez off his fourth delivery before Pakistan had scored, but England had to wait until after tea for the next success when 20-year-old Aslam was run out.
Oxenford first used the perspex protection during a ICC World T20 warm-up match in March and then again England’s one-day global against Sri Lanka here in Birmingham in June. Their batting cards have looked fairly poor despite the scores they have been able to run up with the same players always scoring the runs.
It owed much too, though – especially before lunch – to the breathing space they were allowed by a collectively off-colour home attack.
But after Moeen had overturned a bat-pad catch on 44 off Yasir, it was not until Mohammad Amir struck immediately with the second new ball – Stuart Broad well-held head-high at third slip by Azhar Ali – that the next partnership was broken.
But Anderson said: “It was nice to get that wicket at the end, just to put a smile on a couple of the lads’ faces”.
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“Pakistan were trying to make sure they didn’t lose cheap wickets – and they did it brilliantly”. It was a rank long hop which the Pakistan batsman managed to send down the throat of Gary Ballance at backward point.
