James Anderson picked up 4-17 in a brilliant display of fast bowling as England bowled out Pakistan for 234 on the first day of the third Test on Sunday.
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq, who won his sixth successive toss in a test match and opted to bat, top scored with 71 with seven fours and two sixes before falling to Anderson with the second new ball.
Anderson combined with Stuart Broad who took 2-13 off 13 overs to dismantle Pakistan’s top order before Misbah shared an 80—run sixth wicket stand with Sarfraz Ahmed, who made 39.
England, which trails the three-match series 1-0 after losing the second test by 178 runs, negotiated the two remaining overs safely and will resume at 4-0.
Anderson and Broad virtually plugged one end up for Pakistan’s batsmen in a combined 28.1 overs on a wicket which already has shown ominous signs of plenty of spin.
England had only one worry on an otherwise dominant first day when Ben Stokes was carried off the field wearing a temporary sling as he fell badly on his right shoulder while attempting to catch Ahmed.
Pakistan’s hopes of scoring heavily on a slow surface were dented badly by Anderson and Broad’s incisive bowling outside the off stump.
Azhar Ali, playing his first test of the series after missing the first two due to injury and the death of his mother—in—law, was out for a duck after getting an edge to Anderson’s delivery in only the third over of the morning.
Fellow opener Mohammad Hafeez made 27 and tried to raise the scoring rate by hitting Moeen Ali for two boundaries before he top edged the off-spinner and was caught at midwicket as Pakistan advanced to 87-2 at lunch.
Broad and Anderson bowled eight maiden overs between them after lunch and were duly rewarded with the wickets of Shoaib Malik, who made 38, and Younis Khan for 31.
Broad, who conceded just one run in his first eight overs, found the outside edge of Malik’s bat and Khan was trapped leg before wicket by Anderson off a low full toss.
Left-arm spinner Samit Patel, drafted in place of Mark Wood, had Asad Shafiq caught behind off a delivery that spun sharply from the right-handed batsman as Pakistan faltered at 116-5.
Ahmed was twice lucky to escape late in his knock when first Anderson couldn’t hold onto a sharp cut as the lone slip and then Stokes awkwardly fell while going for a catch.
Moeen Ali broke through the stand when Ahmed needlessly lofted to midwicket before Misbah looked for some quick runs.
England dropped wicketkeeper Jos Butler, and James Taylor got his first test in three years, while Wood was rested due to an ankle problem and Patel was included as a third spinner.
Azhar Ali replaced opening batsman Shan Masood while Pakistan brought in fast bowler Rahat Ali for Imran Khan, who injured his hand in practice last Friday.
