Thanks to some gritty performances in the batting and bowling departments, England registered a mighty impressive victory over Pakistan in the third test at Birmingham. At one point in time on the second day, it seemed that the hosts were down and out after conceding a large first innings lead to Pakistan.
From there on, beginning with skipper Alastair Cook and Alex Hales, England marked on a terrific turnaround, which ultimately resulted in a famous win. Their bowling performance on the final day was simply splendid as the Pakistan batsmen were strangled down due to the accuracy of the English seamers and spinners.
All-rounder Moeen Ali had a field day as he was among the wickets. Ali also scored priceless half-centuries in both the innings which had a great impact on the eventual outcome. “I tried to play the situation and just reacted to the ball. Didn’t really think too much about it. They bowled really well. I didn’t mean to go out and play that well but it happened that way,” said Ali.
Lauding the all-rounder for his efforts, skipper Alastair Cook said, “Moeen bowled fantastically well after being under pressure. The way we bowled on day two on a flat wicket was good. We batted really well then to bat out the deficit. We earned the right to accelerate in the end.”
“The win could be right up there. Seemed behind for most of the game but we hung in there,” the England captain said. “The heavy roller took a bit out of the pitch. Great character from the bowlers to get something out of it. It was getting a little bit tight in the end. The ball just reversed enough; the square just made the ball to do a tiny, tiny bit,” Cook added.
