With Younis Khan offering able support, Azhar advanced to his 10th worldwide century, as the visitors continued to frustrate the English attack.
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Soon after, English skipper Alastair Cook was dismissed by Rahat Ali with a ball that cut back and hit him plumb on the pads for a clear leg-before-wicket decision.
“My competitive edge has helped me through my career and I know at times I can get close to that line”. You always want to do that when you come back into a side.
Anderson, England’s all-time leading Test bowler with 458 wickets, is a master performer in such conditions.
Anderson was warned twice for running on the pitch and his frustrations were evident as he spoke to on-field officials Oxenford and Wilson. I probably got a little bit out of order at one point with the umpires; I’ve apologised to both of them for my behaviour.
He added: “We bowled pretty well”. But Bayliss and the England management had spotted the change without Stokes in the team and it is why they pressed for him to play in the first Test against Pakistan at Lord’s as a specialist batter.
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.
England leveled the four-match series at 1-1 with a crushing 330-run win in the second Test at Old Trafford – a margin of victory that was testimony to the tourists’ batting woes.
Aslam s only prior innings this tour was his 17 against Worcestershire during last week s two-day warm-up match.
Yet the well-organised opener played with a maturity belying his years in both attack and defence.
Anderson should have got the wicket of Azhar before he had completed his half century, but Joe Root spilled a two-handed catch in the second slip in the first over after break.
Azhar’s cover-driven three off fast bowler Steven Finn saw him to a 129-ball fifty, including six fours.
“Moeen looks totally short of confidence with the ball”, said Swann on Test Match Special.
Azhar nearly fell to Ali on 68, but the bowler was unable to hold a tough return chance above his head off a hard-hit drive.
Aslam reached his, in more than three-and-a-half hours, with a sweep off Moeen Ali for his first boundary of the session – and celebrated with two more fours in the next over from the off-spinner, which cost 12 runs.
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.
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Sami and Azhar were able to further frustrate England with a number of sharp singles, dropping the ball either side of the wicket and scampering through.
