The numbers from some of England’s other men have been less compelling and this was a day on which Pakistan really let the hosts off the hook.
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They were still struggling at 110 for five when number seven Ali came in and was promptly hit on the helmet first ball as he tried to evade a Wahab Riaz bouncer. The red-hot Chris Woakes also made a valuable 45.
With Enaland on 296 for nine and Moeen still 11 runs short of his hundred, a lot rested on James Anderson’s ability to stick with his team-mate.
“It’s the second time I’ve been hit here first ball – Mitchell Johnson did it to me past year – but I stayed calm”, he told Sky Sports. “I actually think he’s bowled extremely well in both roles – attacking and defending”.
“But at the same time, I want to stay the right side of the line”.
Misbah said: “Obviously we were also a little bit concerned about that – the way it just happened after lunch, because it was not doing anything until the fourth day”.
He received a standing ovation all around the ground after completing his third ton for his country off 140 balls with two sixes and 12 fours.
Ali was last man out when his hook off Sohail was caught in the deep Shah.
It was a tough call for Cook at the toss, who was presented with overcast skies and a livid green pitch that must surely have tempted him to unleash his battery of seam bowlers, who are flushed with confidence after their fifth-day success in Birmingham.
England were 23 for one and that became 69 for two when Cook, who added just two runs to his score following his earlier let-off, played Sohail Khan onto his own stumps.
Pakistan, trailing 2-1 in the series, then ran into early trouble in their reply when Sami Aslam was trapped leg before wicket by Stuart Broad.
All the talk coming into the Oval Test was that England had momentum – something recognised by the bookies, who made the home side big favourites.
Cook was dropped on 35 by Iftikhar Ahmed at first slip off Wahab Riaz and although that slip cost no more when he dragged on shortly after (the first victim of Sohail’s 5-68) Vince’s exit, which left England reeling at 74-4, should have been the key for Pakistan driving through defences.
Joe Root (26) and James Vince (1) then departed after edging Wahab Riaz (3-93) to wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed.
Pakistan, whose close catching has proved fallible this series, then saw Azhar twice drop Ali.
Azhar should have held the first chance in the slips, off an understandably frustrated Amir.
Steven Finn took two wickets in Pakistan’s second innings at Edgbaston, a welcome return to form for the tall fast bowler who had been under pressure to keep his place.
Players and officials wore black armbands in memory of the more than 70 people killed during an explosion at a hospital in Quetta, south-west Pakistan, on Monday.
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There was further sadness, for the tourists especially, when it was confirmed after lunch that Pakistan’s Hanir Mohammad, one of cricket’s greatest batsmen, had died aged 81 on Thursday after a prolonged illness.
