Azhar Ali was out for 139 off the last ball of the day when caught by England captain Alastair Cook at first slip off Chris Woakes.
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Sami Aslam, the inexperienced opener, and Azhar Ali shared an unbroken stand of 154 after Pakistan lost Mohammad Hafeez without a run on the board on day two of the third Test against England at Edgbaston on Thursday (August 4).
Pakistan managed to knock down one of those pillars when Root, playing one of his favourite back-foot forcing shots, edged Sohail and was safely held by sometimes fallible slip fielder Mohammad Hafeez.
Yorkshireman Ballance returned to the team for this series and doggedly complied a half century, his first since the Cardiff Ashes Test last summer, from 113 balls with eight fours.
The pair put on 181 for the second wicket until Azhar called Sami for a tight single, the opener run out by a distance by James Vince’s direct throw.
They reached lunch well placed at 72 for 1 but that should have been as far as the partnership went as Anderson enticed Azhar into a drive and found the edge.
And Anderson’s interaction with officialdom might run a bit deeper with match referee Richie Richardson perfectly entitled to investigate the moment when he snatched back his cap and jumper from Oxenford with what looked like a few choice words.
The all-rounder misses the final two Tests of the four-match series, level at 1-1, with a calf strain picked up in the second game at Old Trafford.
“This being my first century outside Asia makes me proud”.
Azhar lamented the manner of Aslam’s exit 18 runs shy of what would have been a fairytale century.
“It was unfortunate that he got run out”.
Sohail said studying Anderson, who provided him with his fifth wicket Wednesday when he had England’s last man lbw, had taught him the value of reducing his speed in order to generate more swing. “I apologised to the umpires and hopefully that will be the end of it”.
Earlier in June, Anderson was reprimanded by the ICC for his behaviour towards umpire Sundaram Ravi during the third Test against Sri Lanka at Lord’s.
On 38, Ali was given a lifeline when Joe Root dropped him off Anderson at second slip, and on 69, he offered up a more hard return catch to Moeen Ali.
Anderson let his frustration get the better of him after being warned for running on the pitch by Joel Wilson and Bruce Oxenford before admitting at the close of play he had been “out of order”.
“You won’t get every catch taken and there will be times when the opposition play well”.
Azhar marked his century with the press-up routine and dressing room salute that have become Pakistan trademarks this series.
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“The reputation is we don’t perform in English conditions and you want to prove that wrong”. I wasn’t too fussed.
