Since last year’s Ashes, which England won 3-2 against most expectations in Bayliss’ first series in charge, England have played 13 Tests, winning six, drawing three and losing four.
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England will climb to the top of the world rankings if they win at The Oval and India fail to beat West Indies in both of their final two Tests of their current series in the Caribbean.
“As a team we were fantastic, it just shows how good the team we have is”.
But he did make a joint Test-best 42 in England’s second innings, to take his match aggregate to 81.
Finn had now taken two for none in 11 balls.
Neil Snowball, chief executive of Warwickshire County Cricket Club, said: “England have a great record at Edgbaston and clearly love playing here, thanks to our new facilities and the special atmosphere generated by the fans”.
England, and Anderson, strike with the fifth ball after tea as Yasir Shah fends one off the shoulder of the bat to third slip.
Pakistan were left needing an unlikely 343 to win but a draw was a distinct possibility when they reached lunch on 69 for one. This was the 15th time they won a Test (excluding Centurion 2000-01 and The Oval 2006) after conceding a lead of 100 or more runs in the first innings and their previous biggest win, in terms of runs, was by 124 runs against New Zealand at Lord’s a year ago.
Australia’s two recent defeats in Sri Lanka, coupled with England’s wins at Old Trafford and Edgbaston, means Cook’s men will definitely overtake Steve Smith’s side if they come out on top in their final match of this series that starts at The Oval on Thursday.
In finding late swing back in from round the wicket to bowl the obdurate Aslam, Finn – who finished with 2-38 – could even have secured his place in the team for the series finale.
What pleased Cook most, however, was seeing his side win from an unpromising position.
England named an unchanged squad for the final Test – the team who played here plus Jake Ball and Adil Rashid – but batsman James Vince is a doubt after dislocating his left ring-finger attempting to take a catch in the closing overs.
“They kept coming hard at us (but) a couple of bad sessions cost us”, said Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq.
But off-spinner Ali eventually separated the last-wicket duo when he caught and bowled Sohail for 36.
A promising, collected second-wicket partnership ends as Moeen Ali drifts one outside off stump and Azhar Ali sends a thick edge to slip.
Helped by nine fours and a six, Aslam hit 82 runs in first innings.
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All five of England’s frontline bowlers – Anderson, Broad, Finn, Woakes and Ali – took two wickets apiece Sunday.
