MOEEN ALI and Gary Ballance made fighting fifties as Pakistan grabbed the initiative in the Third Test at Edgbaston by bowling England out for under 300.
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Azhar Ali was dismissed off the final ball of the second day of England’s third Test against Pakistan, but his superb innings of 139 ensured the visiting side still finished in control on Thursday (August 4).
Pakistan was in trouble at none for one, but the second-wicket partnership between Azhar and Sami Aslam, the recalled opener, first put the team back on track and then pushed England on the back foot.
Ballance and James Vince, each short of runs in the first two Tests, nearly doubled England’s total after they hit early trouble against Pakistan seamer Sohail Khan in his comeback Test.
The pair defied England’s four-man seam attack for almost four hours after James Anderson dismissed Mohammad Hafeez off the fourth delivery of the day with Pakistan yet to score.
Sohail, appropriately, ended the day’s play when had No 11 James Anderson lbw for five.
“It was a hard-working day”, said Azhar.
The four-match series is now leveled at one apiece.
It felt like being the only way England were going to get a wicket, with the pair adding 181 together by leaving the ball with such patience and determination.
Anderson clashed with umpire Bruce Oxenford after he was warned about running on the pitch post-delivery.
On Root’s drop, which allowed Azhar to plough on for his 10th Test century and his first outside Asia, Anderson said: “It probably added to [the frustration] but you have to deal with things in cricket”.
It was a disappointing end to proceedings for Pakistan, but they still find themselves in a strong position on 257/3 – only 40 runs behind England’s first-innings total with seven wickets still in hand. We kept them at three-an-over for most of the day.
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Azhar had another life when Moeen (0-63) failed to take a sharp chance off his own bowling before lofting the spinner for a straight six and the impressive Aslam followed suit as the runs continued to come easily for the tourists.
That was nearly Azhar’s undoing, though, as he advanced down the track and smashed a return catch to Moeen Ali, the ball bursting through the off-spinner’s hands as he attempted to snare a hard chance above his head.
Those scores remained unaltered when Azhar, in a rare indiscretion, went for a flashing drive outside off stump against Anderson, only for Joe Root to drop the awkward second-slip chance to his left.
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But on 39, an uncertain defensive prod outside off stump against Sohail saw Vince edge low to second slip Younis Khan.
