Ballance leads England's resistance after Sohail's four-fer

Gary Ballance stroked his way to a confidence-boosting unbeaten 49 but England's quest to post a competitive first innings total received two further dents as recalled seamer Sohail Khan added the wickets of James Vince and Jonny Bairstow to his tally of two first-innings scalps to keep Pakistan in the ascendancy on the first day of the third Test at Edgbaston, on Wednesday (August 3).


After a shaky opening session, one in which England lost their two in-form batsmen - Joe Root and Alastair Cook - in addition to the dismissal of Alex Hales, the hosts adopted a more positive outlook to negate Pakistan's seamers. Under-fire batsmen, James Vince and Ballance started positively. Having survived a close shout for LBW, Ballance feasted on a strange Pakistan strategy that preferred to bowl short at him than explore his full-length vulnerabilities. In six overs post-lunch, the duo had added 38 runs, putting the onus back on Pakistan.
 
The overzealous approach, however, cost Vince an opportunity to register his maiden Test fifty. The Hampshire batsman was prised out by a Sohail delivery that bounced a touch more than the usual, to take the outside edge. Jonny Bairstow then took his form for granted, slashing a delivery that he could have left alone to fall for 12. Even as Mohammad Amir and Yasir Shah struggled to create an impact in the game in the final moments of the session, Moeen Ali and Ballance ensured there were no further lapses in concentration for England as they look to build towards a substantial total. 

Earlier in the day, Misbah-ul-Haq's decision to bowl first on an Edgbaston pitch raised more than a few eyebrows. The surface was not as hard as it had been this time last year during the Ashes series and the groundsman's pre-game moisture reading of the pitch rang no alarm bells. After Amir went through his first couple of overs without as much as troubling Hales - a batsman who has routinely struggled against the left-armer's angle - quick comparisons to Ricky Ponting's infamous decision to bowl at the very venue in 2005, were dished out.

Sohail, one of two new inclusions in the side - the other being Sami Aslam - began with four slips and a gully but hovered around the shortish good length that failed to produce results. A slightly fuller length coupled with his late outswing paid immediate dividends. After a 36-run opening stand, Hales was sucked into playing a ball that left him late and feathered an edge to the keeper.
 
Root, England's hero from the Old Trafford win, then uncharacteristically chased a wide one from Sohail and nicked to first slip. The quick strikes, however, didn't force Cook to rein in his attacking instincts. He scored a series of boundaries of Rahat Ali to move into the forties before the left-armer trapped him in front of the stumps for a sprightly 45.
 
England have some way to go before they can undo the mitigating effects of the first session. Pakistan, on the other hand, will hope they can clean up the middle order as they had predicted they would in the build up to the game.
 
Brief Scores: England 184 for 5 (Gary Ballance 49*, Alastair Cook 45; Sohail Khan 4-61) vs Pakistan.