Moeen Ali starred with both bat and ball as England beat Pakistan by 141 runs to win the third Test at Edgbaston on Sunday.
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It was an even bowling effort from England, a fact reflected in the fourth-innings wicket tally; all five of the hosts’ frontline bowlers took two wickets each.
England eventually declared four overs into the day at 6-445, setting the tourists a target of 343 for victory.
England batsman James Vince is to have a scan on a dislocated finger on his left hand, but has been retained in an unchanged 13-man squad for the final Investec Test against Pakistan at The Oval.
England fought back admirably after a 103-run first innings deficit – Pakistan 400, England 297 – to achieve one of its most memorable victories in test cricket.
It lead Misbah to suggest, with tongue in cheek, that Pakistan might have to think about sending their young bowlers to England to learn how to master the art of reverse swinging the ball; an irony considering it was Pakistan bowlers who perfected the art and England, for many years, were tortured by it.
Pakistan struggled in reply, losing opener Mohammad Hafeez for two as he was caught by Chris Woakes off the bowling of Stuart Broad but Sami Aslam looked good before going to Finn for 70, while number three Azhar Ali fell for 38 after being caught by Alastair Cook off Moeen Ali.
England resumed the final morning at 414 for 5, but Alastair Cook decided against declaring, despite already leading by 311 runs.
Cook cited day three as the “turning point”, when England took Pakistan’s last seven first-innings wickets for 143 runs.
But Moeen, with his best spell of the summer after lunch, got the breakthrough when Azhar edged a drive sharply to a safe Cook at second slip.
Sundays first over from Yasir Shah saw England score 20 runs, 19 of those off Alis bat.
A second wicket in successive overs for Woakes, Sarfraz Ahmed edging to second slip also for a duck, was swiftly followed by a second for Finn.
The collapse started thereafter, with Misbah-ul-Haq (10) caught behind off Steven Finn to give the persevering fast bowler his first wicket of the series.
It was Asad Shafiq who was bagging a pair, lbw on the defence – and using up a review too, before departing.
England’s victory push was then held up slightly as Sohail Khan and Rahat Ali added 50 for the final wicket, leaving Cook a little nervous, before Moeen wrapped things up.
“England reversed the ball, bowled in the right areas and with intensity, and within an hour they took the game away from us”, said Misbah.
“We’ve got one more game left, The Oval is a good batting track and helps the spinners, so we need to get our confidence back and go there positively”.
When Aslam offered no shot to Finn after 167 balls of concentration, the game was up.
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Ali added an invaluable 152 runs with Jonny Bairstow (83), who missed out on a century when he was trapped leg before wicket by Sohail Khan (2-111).
