Moeen fed off Bairstow’s urgency and they rattled along in one-day mode, running furiously and scoring off balls that were barely off line.
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Shah’s fifth ball of the day was then sent skimming through midwicket for four by Ali who ended the over with a two.
Joe Root praised a “brilliant” batting display by Jonny Bairstow as England took charge of the third Test against Pakistan at Edgbaston on Saturday.
“Then the way Jonny and Moeen played tonight was fantastic”. The twin pillars of Alastair Cook and Joe Root can be forgiven the odd lapse after their monumental efforts at Old Trafford and, if anything, it was nearly over-confidence that led to their downfalls yesterday. But the opening stand, which had already wiped out a first-innings deficit of 103, was to be short-lived.
That was until the captain pushed firmly at Sohail and was mortified to see the flying figure of Yasir taking an excellent catch at point.
Vince was eight runs short of his first Test half-century when he hung his bat out to a wide ball from Amir and Younus took another neat slip catch.
Ahmed, who said that it would be easy to bat on once a batsman, gets his eye in, believes his batters can bat for the entire day.
Root (62) and James Vince (42) kept Pakistan at bay with a stand of 95 before Bairstow and Ali cashed in against a tiring four-man attack.
That left Vince, in company with Ballance, with a golden opportunity to finally play the decisive innings on what was still a flat pitch that would have vindicated England’s faith in him and booked his place on the tour to India.
Aslam’s defensive ability, and his awareness of exactly where his off-stump is in leaving the moving Dukes ball in particular, has been impressive for someone playing in just his fourth worldwide fixture. The tourists will need to break the record for the highest successful run chase on the ground and beat South Africa’s 283-5 in 2008 when Graeme Smith played the innings of his life.
England, 262 for four at tea, lost Ballance (28) on 285 when Shah, bowling round the wicket, had the left-hander well caught by leg slip Asad Shafiq off a genuine glance.
But after contributions right down the order Bairstow saw that job to an end and then, along with Brummie boy Moeen Ali, helped turn the screw with a rapid unbeaten century partnership that left Pakistan firmly on the back foot.
England will hope that this pristine surface finally starts to deteriorate today.
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But Pakistan soon removed both batsmen. By lunch, the runs had started to come more freely.
