Thursday’s first day at The Oval was yet another day for Pakistan where a sloppy fielding display proved costly for the visitors.
England’s Moeen Ali, who should have been out for nine, went on to make 108 which helped the hosts to a total of 328 before he was last man out.
Similarly, Jonny Bairstow, who eventually made 55, was caught off a Wahab Riaz no-ball — one of seven in the innings from the recalled left-arm quick — on 13.
Talking about these failures in the field, Pakistan’s bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed said that dropping catches are not the trademark of a good team. “Of course we missed opportunities and good teams do not make mistakes like dropping catches,” he told reporters after stumps. “But there are four days to go and hopefully we can bat well in our first innings.”
Meanwhile, Ali, who was man of the match in the third Test at Edgbaston last week after his two fifties helped set up a 141-run win, thanked the selectors for the trust they placed on him.
“I have to thank the selectors and captain Alastair Cook, because I probably wouldn’t have picked myself at that stage,” he said. “It was fifty-fifty, but they stuck with me. I was sick and tired of not scoring many runs for England; it was a little bit embarrassing.”
However, the 29-year-old’s innings on Thursday was the third of his Test centuries and the second of his season after his 155 not out against Sri Lanka at Chester-le-Street in May.
“I think this was the best of my three Test hundreds. It will mean even more if we can go on and win the match and the series,” he said.
“I feel I have made an impact with the bat and I hope I can do the same with the ball,” he added.
After the end of England’s innings yesterday, there was still time before stumps for the hosts to remove opener Sami Aslam, leg-before to Stuart Broad and leave Pakistan in trouble at three for one at the day’s end.
