The tourists reached stumps on three for one and Moeen’s hundred, brought up with a magnificent six off leg-spinner Yasir Shah, has given the home attack something to bowl at against a Pakistan batting line-up that always seems likely to fold under pressure.
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The chance of winning from such a first innings position is just three per cent, a huge psychological boost for a team with big ambitions.
Pakistan will take on England in the fourth Investec Test on Thursday at the Oval with likely a few replacements.
With 4/7 odds at Coral sports, England will be looking to end the series in style, before beginning their one day schedule over the coming weeks.
For England’s longer term future, it was not auspicious that Alex Hales, James Vince and Gary Ballance were dismissed for a total of 15 runs.
Moeen Ali, who was dropped on nine by Azhar Ali, went on to make 108 at The Oval.
Pakistan’s four-man attack have exhausted badly in the latter stages of recent Tests, although they could be bolstered at The Oval by the inclusion of Iftikhar Ahmed, a top-order batsman who bowls off-spin in place of the struggling Mohammad Hafeez. Hales has just one half-century in the series, Vince a top score of 42 in seven Tests this summer and Ballance has scarcely set things alight since his recall four Tests ago.
“When you come to these conditions (in England), they have to bowl more than 20 overs every day, the conditions are not easy for them”. However, it has been suggested that the Test pitch may have pace and bounce like Old Trafford. They excelled in all departments, and it will surely enhance the morale of the European team as they gear up for the final clash. His rare attitude, for a 20-year-old cricketer, of leaving anything with width outside off stump is ideal for this form of the game and the former Pakistan Under 19 captain looks set to be around for the foreseeable future.
England won the second match by a massive 330 runs, with Joe Root scoring 254.
There was more circumspection in their approach this time round, but if the ball was there to hit, it was hit and (as is so often the case once batsmen get ahead), they enjoyed a bit of luck with both the outside and inside edge.
Pakistan’s head coach Mickey Arthur, centre, and bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed, right, talk with Rahat Ali during their training session. If we could have knocked Bairstow over or Moeen early, it certainly would have put a totally different perspective on the game.
“I think there has been an over-dependence on Yasir in this series and that to me has put us in a hard position in this series”, Butt said in an interview.
It was a skill left-arm paceman Zaheer demonstrated to good effect during India’s 1-0 success in the three-match Pataudi Trophy Test campaign in England in 2007 and Anderson, who was on the opposite side, took note. His 862 runs have come at 47.88.
Both batsmen went on to pass 50 to guide England to 200 for five at tea.
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Sohail Khan made his Test return at Edgbaston last week after six years where he took his first five-wicket-haul.
