Pakistan suffered a dramatic middle-order collapse shortly before tea as they lost four wickets for just one run in 23 balls.
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Alastair Cook said England’s 141-run victory over Pakistan in the third Test at Edgbaston was one of his “most enjoyable wins” as captain.
Finn, without a wicket in the series before Sunday, struck the key blows, first removing captain Misbah-ul-Haq for 10 and then ending the resistance of Sami Aslam.
More was to follow as another bowling change paid dividends Cook had an excellent day in the field with Woakes nipping a delivery into Asad Shafiq’s pads to trap him lbw for a pair and give another first-over wicket.
All-rounder Moeen Ali was named man of the match, but any one of at least three others might have won that accolade in a match containing seven England half-centuries – while each of their frontline bowlers took at least two wickets as Pakistan were bowled out for 201 on the fifth evening.
Earlier, left-hander Moeen finished unbeaten on 86 to add to his first-innings 63 as England added 31 in four overs to declare on 445-6.
There was a brief surge in the scoring shortly after lunch as Root went to his fifty from 108 balls, and his eagerness to try and increase the tempo may have played a part in his dismissal when he top-edged a sweep against Yasir with the legspinner operating round the wicket.
But that should take nothing away from England’s main men who put together an impressive body of work as they gradually grabbed the initiative.
The final-day heroics completed a significant turnaround in the Test after England conceded a first-innings deficit of 103 at the halfway stage.
At tea, Pakistan were 148 for seven, with Yasir Shah seven not out and Mohammad Amir 15 not out.
It was Moeen who played the two best shots of the day, a cover drive and then an on-drive in the same over off Yasir Shah that could not have been bettered for silky elegance by even David Gower at his best.
The four-match series is now tied at 1-1 as England bounced back from a 75-run defeat at Lord’s to canter to an emphatic 330-run win at Old Trafford.
The hosts toiled for two more sessions as Ross Taylor went past his former mentor’s Test runs tally in another dominant day for New Zealand on their tour of Zimbabwe.
He said: “Then it was a nice feeling going in today thinking we’re the only side who can win this game – when they’d been ahead of us for two-and-a-half days”. It was not massive swing, but enough to create uncertainty which forced Younis Khan to poke outside off, Jonny Bairstow taking a good catch in front of first slip.
However, Azhar Ali (38) and Sami Aslam (70) rebuilt the innings with a diligent approach.
Mohammad Amir then turned England’s 126 for one into 126 for two when Hales (54) edged a seaming delivery from the left-arm quick and Younis Khan held a hard low chance going to his right at second slip.
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Sohail Khan was caught and bowled by Moeen Ali on 36 runs as the impressive partnership for the last wicket came to an end.
