Ali reached yet another hundred.
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As England themselves demonstrated in the first innings, when a spate of let-offs allowed Jonny Bairstow and Moeen to engineer their own recovery from 110 for 5, opportunities on this pitch can be hard to recreate when they are allowed to go begging.
Debutant Iftikhar Ahmed was hoisted over mid-wicket for six and, with number 11 Anderson for company, Moeen repeated the feat off Yasir Shah to register a 140-ball hundred and bring team-mates and spectators to their feet.
Broad trapped Sami in his sole over, with Pakistan set to resume on Friday 325 runs behind with Azhar – promoted to open after Mohammad Hafeez was left out – and nightwatchman Yasir at the crease.
Ali could have found himself back in the pavilion much sooner, however, after being struck on the head with his very first ball from Wahab Riaz.
The captain’s was one of four wickets to fall for one run, as Chris Woakes and Steven Finn consolidated Anderson’s breakthrough.
“It was actually the second time I’ve been hit first ball here – Mitchell Johnson hit me a year ago”, Ali told Sky Sports after Day One of the Fourth Investec Test at the Kia Oval. “I’ve stayed calm, and I wasn’t fazed by it all”. “I feel like I’m in good form now and I’m happy”. Captain Alistair Cook and Joe Root took over the responsibility to rebuild the innings from 23 for 1 and nearly succeeded in doing so when Sohail Khan struck again, cleaning up the English captain, who had scored 35 runs off 50 balls and was looking good. That decision seemed to backfire initially, with Pakistan’s seamers, led by Wahab Riaz, nipping out the first half of the batting line-up in just over a session’s play. Chris Woakes fell five runs short of his own third Test half-ton when he tickled the faintest of edges behind.
The figures of Wahab – recalled to the side after being dropped for the third-Test defeat at Edgbaston – were therefore even more impressive, while Sohail bowled with skill and perseverance to claim a five-wicket haul for the second successive Test.
Amir was bowling well too from the pavilion end, but his reward would not come – and when Azhar put down a straightforward slip chance, with Moeen on nine, the left-armer kicked the ground in understandable frustration. Azhar should have held the first chance in the slips, off Amir.
Captain Alastair Cook has confirmed that England will retain an unchanged line-up for the final Test of the summer against Pakistan at The Oval.
A minute’s silence was held before start of play, as a mark of respect to the victims of Monday’s Quetta terrorist attack, and both teams wore black armbands.
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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.
