Super Sohail snares five in Test return

Sohail Khan has made a devastating return to Test cricket, tearing through England’s top-order and picking up a five-wicket haul to give Pakistan the ascendancy in the third Test at Edgbaston.

Picked in place of Wahab Riaz for his first Test in nearly five years, Sohail knocked over four of the hosts' top six batsmen, including the vital wicket of Joe Root, helping to bowl England out for 297 on day one.

Fighting fifties to Gary Ballance (70) and Moeen Ali (63) provided the backbone of the England innings but neither could go on to the century the home side were hoping for on an Edgbaston pitch that offered some assistance to the fast bowlers.

Sohail, who came into this match with a solitary Test wicket at the unflattering average of 245, broke through in the 10th over when Alex Hales (17) edged an excellent out-swinger to wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed.

Root, fresh off his 245 at Old Trafford, lasted just six balls as he nicked a back-foot punch off Sohail to Mohammad Hafeez at first-slip a short time later.

The bustling seamer went on to claim the scalps of James Vince (for 39), Jonny Bairstow (12) and finally James Anderson (5) on the stroke of stumps, finishing with 5-96 from 23 overs in an outstanding Test return.

Sohail fell to his knees after claiming his fifth wicket and, having watched the entire Pakistan team celebrated their victory in the first Test at Lord’s with a round of push-ups, the 32-year-old went one better by completing a set of 'clap push-ups' at the conclusion of play.

Image Id: ~/media/883ABE9F1DA945459B1BA5E3B35D9A6E Image Caption: Sohail Khan celebrates in unique fashion // Getty

Earlier, Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq, armed with the knowledge that no team has won batting first at Edgbaston since Australia famously lost when Ricky Ponting opted to bowl at this ground in the 2005 Ashes, won the toss and sent England in.

With some grey clouds hovering over Birmingham, openers Cook and Hales got off to a strong start. Cook was particularly pleasing on the eye with an array of cuts and drives to have England motoring along in the first session.

But Sohail struck twice before lunch and when Rahat Ali claimed the scalp of Cook for a brisk 45 before the interval, the hosts' two most prolific and in form batsmen, Cook and Root, were back in the sheds with their side still 25 runs short of 100.

It presented a golden opportunity for James Vince and Ballance, a pair that Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur suggested were "playing for their Test places" in the lead-up to this match, to prove their mettle.

The embattled duo, neither of whom passed 50 in the first two Tests of the series, put on 69 either side of lunch and both looked assured against an often-wayward Pakistan bowling-attack.

Image Id: ~/media/B7B72134E77C4473AFF337B9915FADC6 Image Caption: Sohail Khan made early inroads at Edgbaston // Getty

It was Sohail who yet again produced a decisive blow, finding the edge of a defending Vince and Younis Khan claimed the catch at second-slip. While the England No.4 stood his ground, replays showed the ball had clearly carried to Younis, meaning Vince had to go.

Sohail, whose dead-straight approach to the crease seemingly takes him within inches of shoulder charging the umpire, then snared his fourth wicket for the innings as Jonny Bairstow feathered a cut behind to Sarfraz.

The cautious Ballance brought up a much-needed – for both his and England’s sake – half-century after tea, his first 50 since returning to the Test side.

Ballance was particularly careful against Yasir Shah, facing 47 balls of his leg-spin without scoring a boundary before the left-hander finally found the rope with a skilful cover drive against the spin.

He looked to have broken the shackles when he struck his second boundary off Yasir but the tweaker struck the following ball, as Ballance tickled one down the legside and Sarfraz showed tremendous anticipation to complete the catch.

Moeen, batting at No.7 with the injured Ben Stokes making way for fast bowler Steven Finn, withstood a Pakistan bowling attack operating with greater discipline towards the end of the second session.

The 29-year-old was saved by the Decision Review System following the tea break but the process left even the most knowledgeable cricket fans scratching their heads.

Image Id: ~/media/CF3C8D8731B74A2B8AFE47878B26739E Image Caption: Moeen played a crucial innings down the order // Getty

Umpire Bruce Oxenford triggered Moeen on 44 when he attempted a sweep off Yasir, before the ball hit his pad and ballooned to short-leg.

Oxenford gave it out caught, prompting the bearded allrounder to use a review. With third umpire Kumar Dharmasena seeing no evidence of him hitting the ball, he overturned the on-field decision.

That was despite the ball-tracker showing the ball pitched in line and would have clipped the leg-stump (on 'umpire’s call') with rules dictating the on-field 'out' decision only applies to the mode of dismissal for the original decision.

Moeen continued on but after the departure of Chris Woakes, caught-behind off Rahat, and then Stuart Broad, who edged the second new ball to third slip off Amir, he too had to go when he nicked Amir through to Sarfraz, giving the 'keeper his fifth catch of the innings.

A couple of exquisite shots from Finn (15) helped England edge closer to 300 but Anderson’s wicket, lbw to Sohail for 5, saw the home side fall three short of that mark, but a total resembling "a par score", according to Ballance.