Sohail Khan made a momentous impact on his return to Test cricket after a gap of nearly five years as Pakistan dismissed England for 297 on the first day of the third Test at Edgbaston.
Sohail, recalled in place of Wahab Riaz, took 5 for 96 while half-centuries for Gary Ballance and Moeen Ali provided much-needed constancy for England who ended with 297.
“When I played my first two Test matches, the pitches were flat and it didn't swing for me,” Sohail told Sky Sports. “But no excuses -- I worked hard and it paid off."
“My plan was to hit the right area -- you can bowl against any batsman if you hit the right area,” he added.
However, Ballance showed the value of substance over style with his first half-century since his return and Moeen, playing on the ground where his county career began, and back at No. 7 due to Ben Stokes' injury, produced his second important innings of the season after a century against Sri Lanka, ESPNcricinfo reported.
Sohail took the new ball after Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq won the toss on a gloomy morning, with some moisture in the pitch after overnight rain, however, Pakistan broke up the all left-arm pace attack they had deployed for the first two Tests of this four-match contest following England’s 330-run series-leveling win at Old Trafford.
His return was all the more impressive as his previous two Tests against Sri Lanka at Karachi in 2009 and against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo in 2011 had yielded a combined haul of one for 245.
Reportedly, Sohail, appropriately, ended the day's play when had No 11 James Anderson lbw for five. The paceman kissed the ground in joy, with Anderson's review all to no avail.
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