“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.
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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.
Azhar and nightwatchman Shah were unbeaten on nought at the close.
He was eventually last out, Sohail’s final victim caught in the deep, leaving time for Broad to have Sami Aslam lbw in three overs before stumps. “You don’t believe that do you?”.
Dropped on nine and 15, Moeen made 108, Jonny Bairstow 55 and Chris Woakes 45 as England rallied from 110 for 5.
England finished 328 all out before Pakistan closed 3-1 at the end of an intriguing day’s play, and Moeen says his early discomfort did not unsettle him.
“I have worked on my technique quite a bit against the shorter and quicker ball”.
“The team management didn’t lodge an official complaint because we don’t have video evidence but inside we know English bowlers did something to achieve reverse swing and got away with it”. I enjoy it and feel like I’m on top.
It is the clutch of 20-somethings, the players that Cook and Trevor Bayliss pinpointed as showing greater maturity during the Edgbaston fightback, plus Ben Stokes who remains sidelined, that gives Anderson the belief that reaching the summit will happen, and when it does the stay will not be fleeting.
“Once he came on I thought this was the over”, Moeen said. I have been hit a few times but I’m used to it. “It was a good connection”.
The Worcestershire stalwart earned another reprieve when the same man spurned a hard chance that spun up off Yasir at short leg and he took advantage of that to bring up a third consecutive 50 to help a recovering England to post 200-5 at tea.
“We are a more talented side, I think we are more mentally tough, I think we showed what character we’ve got this week coming from 100 runs behind at Edgbaston and managed to win”.
He never expended energy worrying about whether his place might be in jeopardy. “The guys all the way down the order batted really well with me”.
“It’s an absolute load of rubbish as far as I’m concerned”, said Cook.
Wahab might have had another in his first over after lunch when Bairstow, on 13, picked out Yasir at point only for the wicket to be chalked off because of a front-foot no-ball – one delivery after being called for over-stepping. England are now 92 for 1 and will resume batting shortly.
Moeen added: “We’re very happy. We’ve got to work through that one”.
Bairstow edged another catch to Sarfraz off Amir after the interval but Woakes continued his excellent form in the series, hitting eight fours in 57 balls to continue the England momentum.
“Yes, of course”, he said.
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At 74 for four, Cook’s decision to bat first looked questionable.
