Alex Hales, on six, was caught by Shah at mid-wicket off Mohammad Amir while Cook, on 35, bottom-edged a short ball from Sohail Khan on to his stumps.
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But the sixth wicket, as when Moeen and Bairstow’s rollicking century stand set up England’s victory at Edgbaston last week, was Pakistan’s stumbling block.
Pakistan have their tails up as England lost 4 important wickets in the first session on Day-1 of the 4th Test.
England named an unchanged 13-man squad for the fourth and final Test against Pakistan at The Oval next week after taking a 2-1 series lead at Edgbaston.
Riaz then removed Gary Ballance in the second over after lunch to reduce England to 110-5, but Bairstow and Moeen profited from Pakistan’s fielding lapses.
Sohail ended with 5 for 68, his second five-wicket innings haul in as many Tests.
Subsequently, one Pakistani television station suggested England could have illegally tampered with the ball.
In ideal batting conditions on a bright sunny day, the touring side lost only the wicket of nightwatchman Yasir Shah as they bid for a victory that would level the series at 2-2.
Moeen therefore had to eke out another 16 runs for his century with numbers 10 and 11 – and when Yasir tempted him, he took up the challenge brilliantly.
The Worcestershire all-rounder’s innings came from unpromising beginnings as he recovered from being struck on the helmet by the first ball he faced, from Wahab Riaz.
“I was sick and exhausted of not scoring many runs for England; it was a little bit embarrassing”.
The Pakistani channel hinting at wrongdoing had focused on the way in which England vice-captain Joe Root was shining the ball.
Cook chose to bat first despite overcast conditions and a green-tinged pitch both threatening to assist Pakistan’s seamers.
“We make two changes – Mohammad Hafeez and Rahat Ali are not playing, Iftikhar Ahmed and Wahab Riaz are in”.
Moeen was also dropped on nine off Amir by Azhar Ali at third slip, the bowler’s frustration apparent by his wild kick at the turf following that let-off.
Watch Moeen Ali smack a six to reach his century on the first day of the fourth test at The Oval.
He shared in partnerships of 93 in 25 overs with Jonny Bairstow (55) and 79 in 14 overs with Chris Woakes (45) to take England past the 300 mark.
Players and officials all 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.
Misbah-ul-Haq, the Pakistan captain, said his team were “a little bit concerned” about the ball reversing after lunch but has called on his team to show the same ability to look after the ball to help it swing.
Their bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed admits an opportunity has been missed – after Moeen was dropped twice early in his innings, and Bairstow was caught off a no-ball.
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It was Sohail Khan, whose fitness has been much maligned, who removed the risky Woakes and the (these days) non-dangerous Stuart Broad, and momentum returned again to the bowling unit.
