Azhar played well enough in fact to be able to celebrate his first century outside Asia in Pakistan’s self-styled manner this summer, with a dressing-room salute and press-ups.
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Younus Khan was unbeaten on 21 at the close.
“The last ball is always nervy – it was a loose shot”, Azhar told Sky Sports.
“I had a bad half hour where I let things get to me”, said Anderson.
“The reputation is we don’t perform in English conditions and you want to prove that wrong”. The avoidance of another mass workout on the outfield of Edgbaston will be difficult from here but no one in the England set up will be trying harder than Anderson.
And Anderson’s interaction with officialdom might run a bit deeper with match referee Richie Richardson perfectly entitled to investigate the moment when he snatched back his cap and jumper from Oxenford with what looked like a few choice words.
“I have apologised to both umpires and my behaviour was unacceptable. I didn’t know I was under pressure”, he added.
England would have been hopeful of rolling Pakistan over cheaply when Hafeez slapped the fourth ball of the day from Anderson to Gary Ballance at point without a run on the board.
All eyes were on Aslam, also playing just his third Test, after the 20-year-old had been brought in to replace struggling opener Shan Masood. Despite those two blows, Cook continued to find boundaries but his resistance didn’t last for long as he was trapped in front of the wicket by Rahat Ali.
Yet the well-organised opener played with a composure belying his years.
First Alex Hales edged through to Sarfraz for 18 and then Joe Root, darling of Old Trafford with 254 and 71 not out in the second Test victoy, edged to Mohammad Hafeez at first slip on just three.
Azhar nearly fell to a similar shot off Ali when on 68, but the bowler was unable to hold a tough return chance above his head off a hard-hit drive.
Moeen missed England’s second chance, Azhar again surviving but this time when a tough caught-and-bowled went down.
Ballance and Vince, each short of runs in the first two Tests, nearly doubled the total in a fourth-wicket stand of 69 either side of lunch after the hosts hit early trouble against Sohail in his comeback match at this level.
Replying to England’s 297 all out, Azhar shared a second-wicket partnership of 181 with Aslam on the way to an excellent knock of 139.
This innings comfortably surpassed Aslam s previous Test-best of 20 against Bangladesh in Khulna a year ago.
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Then Moeen, in his home town and on what was once his home ground, passed his half-century with a pull off Rahat Ali for his fifth four from 99 balls to help ensure England did not fall too short after surprisingly being put in by Misbah-ul-Haq.
