Pakistan were forced to bat three overs before the end of the day and they lost opener Sami Aslam for just three when he was trapped LBW by a brilliant delivery from Broad.
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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 reach three figures and bring teammates and spectators to their feet.
Live score and live updates from Day 1 of the third Test between England and Pakistan.
Pakistan were far more competitive at Edgbaston than they had been during a 330-run reverse in the second Test at Old Trafford. The hosts England could become No. 1 with victory in the final Test as well as West Indies to hold off India in one of their two remaining matches.
Pakistan’s captain Misbah-ul-Haq reacts afterAli hits a four (Getty)What’s the lay of the land?
And with allrounder Mohammad Hafeez, whose place at the top of Pakistan’s order is under threat after poor showings with the bat so far this series, banned from bowling due to an illegal action, the tourists’ lack of options with the ball beyond Yasir and their three seamers has been glaring.
The touring side took advantage of overcast conditions in the morning, inspired by a fired-up Wahab.
“It was 50-50. But they’ve stuck with me, and I think that’s the good thing about this side”.
Bairstow’s reprieve came early in the afternoon session, but Wahab was behind the line when he had Gary Ballance edging low to Azhar Ali at third slip – and he then greeted Moeen by hitting him on the helmet with a bouncer first ball.
This time, Bairstow and Moeen combined to launch a remarkable recovery and added 103 runs for the sixth wicket. Bairstow drove a wide ball from Wahab into the hands of point – but Wahab had overstepped.
Finn spilled a straightforward caught and bowled chance off Azhar Ali but the batsman survived and advanced to 36 not out at the interval with Asad Shafiq, also dropped by James Anderson in the slips off Woakes, on 24..
Bairstow was 55 not out and Ali, dropped twice, 52 not out. Despite losing Woakes, the all-rounder having made 45, Ali didn’t panic. Despite the loss of Alex Hales for six on review, runs were flowing and England’s best two batsmen were finding the boundary with the bad balls and punching good ones into the gaps to rotate the strike.
“(But) we seem to be finding ways of taking 20 wickets, bowling to plans and catching some of the balls”. Ali reached yet another hundred.
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Fast bowler Sohail Khan (5-68) claimed his second successive five-wicket haul, but Moeen’s 108 with 13 fours and two sixes rescued England after Wahab Riaz’s 3-93 had reduced the home team to 110-5 at the Oval. Of course, big heavy objects moving at speed can do a lot of damage, take a lot of stopping and need to be met with similarly heavy objects also moving swiftly if they are not to bludgeon their way to wherever they will. Juggernauts and supertankers have momentum and, increasingly these days, so do cricket teams.
