England steamrollered Pakistan on the final day to win the third Test after tea, and just into the final hour, with time and energy to spare. An exhilarating bowling performance brushed aside the visitors for 201 after they had been set 343 to win. By lunch they were making a good fist of it but later were thrust aside, in particular by the England seamers who found some reverse swing with the old ball in the afternoon and used it superbly. At one stage things became processional as four middle-order wickets fell for a single run in 23 balls, the adrenaline coursing through the veins of the bowlers as the Hollies stand grew in cacophony.
After some sloppy efforts earlier in the match England gave an outstanding performance in the field. The bowling was relentless, the catching flawless and the captaincy of Alastair Cook, drawing on the input of his senior bowlers, excellent: a good captain listens as well as makes executive decisions. The wickets were shared equally among the five main bowlers, two apiece, which has an element of justice to it. It was a team bowling performance and England now lead the four-Test series 2-1.
The only resistance came latterly from a romping, 50-run last-wicket stand between Sohail Khan and Rahat Ali and earlier from the young opener Sami Aslam. Run out for 82 in the first innings when he seemed destined for a memorable century, he batted for three and a half hours in the second to make an accomplished, composed 70.
This was an innings of sound judgment outside off stump, such an important part of the left-hander’s armoury, straight defence and, when Moeen Ali was applying pressure with men around the bat, the confidence to clear the infield. Only when Steven Finn came round the wicket to him and clipped the top of his off stump as he offered no stroke did his judgment let him down. Given the tribulations against Jimmy Anderson of his opening predecessor, Shan Masood, it is strange that his qualities were not recognised until this game; he looks as if he will mature into a considerable batsman.
The batting of Jonny Bairstow and Moeen had already taken the game largely away from Pakistan on the fourth evening, after England had recovered their 103-run deficit on first innings, and now Cook allowed them four overs in the morning to put things out of reach, with 34 runs added. It meant that, should matters come down to it, they would have four overs with a second new ball in which to try to finish things off: well judged by batsman and captain. It helps, of course, when all the bowlers are on song. Anderson was superb and, in one spell in the afternoon where the ball started to reverse, absolutely mesmerising. His opening partner, Stuart Broad, has maintained the happy knack of collecting wickets even when not at full bore but he strode in now with that urgency that has characterised his great spells and collected a brace of wickets.
For Chris Woakes there was the satisfaction of more wickets on his home ground including, for the sixth time this summer, one taken in the first over of a new spell; such things enhance the reputation of captain as much as bowler. Most pleasing were the two wickets for Finn, who has been bowling well without even a smidgen of luck. In his first few overs he tried too hard to pitch the ball up, not his natural game, and overpitched for his pains; when there is no movement he needs to hit the deck hard, back of a length. Later, though, he thundered in, dragged his length back just the right amount to take advantage of some slight movement and was rewarded.
Pakistan made it difficult for England before lunch, despite the massive concentration block that led Mohammad Hafeez to clip a short ball from Broad straight to Woakes on the long-leg boundary. Aslam and Azhar Ali added 73, taking the innings into the afternoon session without further loss. Cook had turned to Moeen’s off spin, though, and he responded with some good controlled bowling that also served to help get the ball into a condition for reverse swing. Having posted himself at second slip Cook was able to take a sharp catch as Azhar drove outside off stump.
By now, though, the ball had a satin sheen on one side and Anderson came into his own. Bowlers need only half a bat’s width of lateral movement to become a force and Anderson had the ball on a string, cradling it in his left hand on his approach before transferring it to his right in order to obscure his intentions from the batsman. A long conversation with Cook preceded one delivery which then landed perfectly, shaped away from Younis Khan, took the edge and Bairstow did the rest – superb bowling. Pakistan never recovered as England simply swamped them.
In rapid succession Misbah-ul-Haq edged Finn to Bairstow for the bowler’s first wicket of the series, Asad Shafiq was lbw to Woakes, his inevitable review to no avail, Sarfraz Ahmed was smartly caught by Joe Root low down at second slip and Aslam succumbed to give Finn his second wicket. A score of 124 for three had become 125 for 7 in a blink and Pakistan were all but done.
Bairstow and Moeen played the perfect hand first thing before Bairstow was lbw to Sohail for 83, trying to whip the ball through the on side. Moeen was unbeaten on 86, from 96 balls, with 10 fours and two sixes, off Yasir Shah, when Cook called a halt to the innings and that, together with his bowling, brought him the man-of-the-match award. Bairstow and Moeen had added 152 for the sixth wicket.
