And he believes spin-friendly conditions at The Kia Oval would be the ideal place to play two spinners for the first time since Simon Kerrigan debuted alongside Graeme Swann in an Ashes dead rubber three years ago.
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Aslam and first-innings century-maker Azhar Ali (38) had defied England for 90 minutes with a 73-run second-wicket stand after Mohammad Hafeez played a reckless pull shot off Stuart Broad (2-24) before lunch.
“He’s been a little bit out of form, but I think, slowly over the last couple of games, we’ve seen him get more and more into rhythm”. “We are all aware of how he’s been out in the last few Test matches [caught driving in the slips] and they bowled wide not just to James but to all of our batters”.
But even if England receive the ceremonial mace, Cook believes there is plenty of room for improvement. So for us to bounce back the way we did when we had our backs to the wall said a lot about our character and it could also deflate them.
“I saw the guys really determined to do what we’d spoken about, and that’s pleasing as a captain”.
“It’s up there [with my best-ever wins]”, Cook said.
‘If I’m being brutally honest it would be a bit soon for this team to go to No 1 now because we are still developing, there is still inconsistency, and we have plenty of improving to do.
Cook is confident England are capable of further self-improvement.
“I thought previous year he bowled extremely well against Australia”. I thought we were very good (at Edgbaston).
“I don’t think we were all that far behind – 100 runs or so”.
He was never quite so concerned as many others about England’s mid-match plight – reasoning this was a contest in which the first and fourth innings were always likely to be toughest and, of course, were evenly spread between the two teams.
“I am happy that he did well against this type of bowling”, Misbah said.
“If we could have knocked Bairstow over or Moeen early, it certainly would have put a totally different perspective on the game”, he added.
“As a team we were fantastic, it just shows how good the team we have is”.
Anderson may now be one of England’s senior players but he lost his cool with both umpires after being warned for running on the pitch at Edgbaston.
“It’s unbelievable what pressure can do”. The 20-year-old responded to his surprise call-up – this was his first first-class game of the year – by scoring 152 runs in the match and looking a player with the technique and temperament to enjoy a long career at this level.
Misbah-ul-Haq has admitted his batsmen did not have “any clue” how to handle the reverse swing generated by the England bowlers on the final day at Edgbaston.
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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. We could not handle it.
