It was a ideal day for cricket and England’s performance, on a somnolent pitch that favoured Pakistan in their pursuit of a draw, was not far short of flawless.
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England have capitalised on Pakistan’s inability to build a big lead, and they finished Day 4 at 5 for 414 with Moeen Ali (60) and Jonny Bairstow (82) still at the crease.
This was also England’s first win against Pakistan where they faced a first-innings deficit of 103 or more runs.
“We batted really well in the third innings of the game”. They resisted for over 10 overs, trying to delay the inevitable.
In the all-rounder rankings, Moeen Ali has achieved a career-high third position following scores of 63 and 86 not out as well as match figures of two for 128.
England’s No1 remains Moeen Ali in Bayliss’s eyes and he maintained that his performance in the second innings at Edgbaston was his best yet. In the longer term he surely has to play as a batsman in Asia this autumn, ahead of James Vince or Gary Ballance, even if he does not bowl a ball.
With the No 1 ranking back in England’s sights, Anderson wants to curb his temper to remain an integral part of a team he believes can outstrip the 2011 side that last ruled the world ratings.
Ali broke the stand soon after lunch when he lured Azhar Ali to play an expansive drive and edged to Cook at second slip.
Conventional or reverse swing where a ball deviates late in flight is one of the most hard types of bowling to face, particularly if the bowler is capable, as Anderson is, of deliveries in excess of 80mph.
“England reversed the ball, bowled in the right areas, and within an hour they took the game away from us”, Misbah told BBC Radio’s Test Match Special.
What England had not really hit upon during the game was a bowling partnership.
“Moeen’s bowling on the final day at Edgbaston was excellent”. “It reverse-swung a little bit”. This pressure resulted in Azhar being caught in the slips in the 31st over.
Anderson followed Broad in reversing it from the pavilion end, and it was lovely craftsmanship.
Bairstow’s chances of a fourth Test hundred ended swiftly, though, when Sohail Khan had him lbw on DRS – after he aimed to leg and missed, ending the sixth-wicket stand at 152.
Finn followed on from Anderson. Four wickets down, 48 overs gone, 36 left.
Finn sparked a dramatic collapse that saw Pakistan lose four wickets for just one run in 23 balls on Sunday when he had Misbah-ul-Haq, the tourists’ captain and one of their senior batsmen, caught behind.
Anderson had to be taken out of the attack towards the end of Pakistan’s first innings, for the second time this year, for running on the pitch. Three overs of slogging enabling them to declare early on the final day and leave Pakistan 343 to win, or 84 overs to bat out for a draw.
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Pakistan’s steadfast young opener – and last best hope – Sami Aslam misjudges Finn’s angle from round the wicket, offering no stroke and losing off stump.
