Tests 4pts win, 2pts Draw, Tie or Abandoned
1st Test
Day 1
Pakistan: 282-6: Misbah 110*, Shafiq 73, Woakes 4-45
England: Yet to bat
A magnificent century from captain Misbah-ul-Haq put Pakistan in a strong position in the first Test before a late England counter-attack on an attritional first day.
Misbah, 42, has never before played a Test at Lord's, but his unbeaten 110 appeared to have steered his side to a strong position.
But two late wickets from Chris Woakes to add to the pair he took before lunch gave England hope after they had lost the toss and toiled in the field.
This was Pakistan's first match at Lord's since the spot-fixing scandal of 2010, and it was fitting that Misbah, who has done so much to rehabilitate the team since that crisis, was the hero of their return.
He celebrated his landmark by dropping to the turf and pushing out 10 press-ups, his team-mates applauding from the pavilion balcony as the rest of the ground rose to him.
While his fine partnership of 148 with Asad Shafiq was ended by the persevering Woakes three overs before the close, nightwatchman Rahat Ali then falling for a duck to the final ball of the day, the tourists will resume on Friday morning well placed on 282-6.
Day 2
Pakistan 339 all out: Misbah 114, Shafiq 73, Woakes 6-70
England 253-7: Cook 81, Root 48, Yasir 5-64
England collapsed against the leg-spin of Pakistan's Yasir Shah on the second day of an enthralling first Test.
Yasir took 5-64 as the hosts lost six wickets for 114 - Alastair Cook top-scoring with 81 as they reached 253-7.
Middle-order pair James Vince and Gary Ballance were unconvincing, and both were out leg-before to Yasir.
All-rounder Chris Woakes, who ended the day unbeaten on 31, finished with a career-best 6-70 as Pakistan were bowled out for 339 at Lord's.
Day 3
Pakistan: 339 all out & 214-8 (Shafiq 49, Woakes 5-31)
England: 272 all out (Cook 81, Root 48, Yasir 6-72)
England face a difficult fourth-innings run chase in the first Test against Pakistan after a hard-fought third day.
With a 67-run first-innings deficit to try to turn around at Lord's, the hosts reduced Pakistan to 60-4.
However, some stout resistance from the tourists' lower order frustrated England despite Chris Woakes taking his second five-wicket haul in the match.
Pakistan closed with a lead of 281, knowing England have only once scored more runs to win a Test at this venue.
England will feel they let their advantage slip, especially after Stuart Broad dropped a difficult chance to dismiss Yasir Shah at mid-off and then wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow spilled what was more of a regulation catch to end a punchy innings from Sarfraz Ahmed.
They may also rue the moment Younus Khan, who put on 69 with Shafiq for the fifth wicket, had a leg-before dismissal reversed following a review with the score at 75-4.
Reasons to be cheerful
Woakes - playing as an absent James Anderson continued his recovery from injury by playing for Lancashire on Saturday - was head and shoulders above the rest of his team-mates with the ball.
The Warwickshire all-rounder started the day hoping to push England closer to Pakistan's first innings total of 339 all out.
However, he was let down by his batting partners as England's last three wickets fell for 19 runs - leaving Woakes unbeaten on a well-constructed 35.
He then shone with the ball, recording what are currently the second-best match figures (11-101) by an England bowler this decade.
His expert line and length, which is delivered at a livelier pace than when he made his debut in 2013, saw him snare opener Shan Masood via a catch at first slip and helped him to pin Azhar Ali in front.
He returned later in the day to bowl the obdurate Asad Shafiq for 49 and have both Sarfraz and Wahab Riaz caught behind with an outswinger and attempted bouncer respectively.
Day 4
Pakistan: 339 & 215
England: 272 & 207 (Pakistan win by 75 runs)
England were denied a record Lord's victory by Pakistan as the tourists completed a 75-run victory in a thrilling first Test.
Chasing 283 to win the first Test, Alastair Cook's side were undone by some inspired bowling once more.
Jonny Bairstow (48), Gary Ballance (43) and James Vince (42) had given England faint hope.
However, Yasir Shah again ripped through England's line-up to finish with 10 wickets in the match.
2nd Test
Day 1
England 314-4: Cook 105, Root 141*
Pakistan: Yet to bat
Alastair Cook and Joe Root hit centuries as England laid down a strong platform on day one of the second Test against Pakistan at Old Trafford.
Cook's 105 was his 29th Test hundred, putting him level with Sir Donald Bradman, and helped his side to 314-4.
Root, who put on 185 with Cook for the second wicket, was unbeaten on 141 at stumps, his 10th Test century.
Mohammad Amir took 2-63, including bowling Cook, but Pakistan toiled for much of the day on a flat pitch.
England's batting was much improved from their 75-run defeat in the opening Test at Lord's, when they were dismissed for 272 and 207.
Much of the pre-match talk had surrounded their struggles against Yasir Shah, who took 10 wickets at Lord's, but Cook and Root scored 78 off the leg-spinner.
On a pitch expected to provide assistance to the spinners, Yasir conceded 111 runs off his 31 overs.
Alex Hales' departure in the seventh over - bowled by a seaming Amir delivery for 10 - meant England's captain and new number three had to negotiate the recovery.
Their century stand was near chanceless, barring an edge from Cook off Yasir that flew just wide of slip, though the left-hander would eventually be bowled off an inside edge by another swinging Amir delivery on the stroke of tea.
James Vince was dropped by Younus Khan at slip before being caught behind for 18 off Rahat Ali, while Gary Ballance combined for 78 with Root before falling for 23.
Day 2
Eng 589/8d Pak 57/4
Pakistan trail by 532 runs
Joe Root made his highest Test score of 254 and Chris Woakes took three wickets as England completely dominated Pakistan on day two at Old Trafford.
England declared their first innings of the second Test on 589-8 with Pakistan then crumbling to 57-4 by stumps.
Woakes, who made 58, stunned Pakistan's top order by removing Mohammad Hafeez, Azhar Ali and Rahat Ali.
Ben Stokes got rid of the dangerous Younus Khan, leaving Pakistan - 1-0 up in the series - trailing by 532.
Day 3
England 589 for 8 dec and 98 for 1 lead Pakistan 198 by 489 runs
A first-innings lead of 391 against the Pakistan side that had beaten them at Lord's should have been an occasion for ecstasy among England supporters following the Old Trafford Test. It was a time for bunting in the streets, BBQs on the lawn and dancing in defiance of the squally Manchester showers that long before the end had drained the tension from a prolonged third day.
But as Alastair Cook chose not to enforce the follow-on, England's utterly dominant position was strengthened to a background of muttering and grumbling that their appetite for a quick kill had not been satisfied. If there was any risk at all in making Pakistan bat again, many could not see it.
Few Test captains put the opposition in again these days without misgivings, but having dismissed Pakistan in 63.4 overs, Cook's reluctance was highly debatable even allowing for modern trends and the non-stop schedules that make captains reluctant to ask their bowlers to go the extra mile. Understandable, perhaps in the case of Ben Stokes, who had just returned from a knee operation. Others can be tasked with debating the pros and cons more deeply.
England advanced that lead to 498 in 21 overs for the loss of Alex Hales, one player who might have benefited from Cook's decision as he addresses a tendency to plant his front foot before the ball is released but who fell to Mohammad Amir for 24, an inside edge this time and a frustrated walk off without waiting for the umpire's decision. Just as disturbingly, Hales has adopted a pencil moustache which gives him the look of a shifty character in a Miss Marple murder mystery.
As for England's malfunctioning middle order, James Vince and Gary Ballance, neither will get the chance to play a meaningful innings. In fact, with England already in an impregnable position according to Test-match statistics, they might not get to the crease at all.
Whatever the considerations, Pakistan's captain, Misbah-ul-Haq, would nevertheless have allowed himself a moment of satisfaction at the decision. At lunch, with Pakistan having subsided from four down overnight to be 119 for 8, the potential for a three-day defeat felt real, but that calamity was averted, first by a half-century of baleful countenance and stubborn stroke by Misbah, and then by another display of stubbornness by his England opposite number.
Misbah added 60 in 15 overs with Wahab Riaz for the ninth wicket to hold up England after lunch before a top-edged sweep against Moeen was held by Cook at short fine leg. Wahab continued to eye Moeen's spin, slog-sweeping him for six and then reverse-sweeping him just short of the ropes, before Moeen had him caught at deep midwicket by Hales. Moeen was challenged to prove himself in this Test, but as luck would have it he has so far batted nine balls for 2 not out and bowled 7.4 overs. At least he can claim he has done nothing wrong.
Pakistan's first innings went from bad to worse as they lost four wickets in the morning session. All four England quicks took a wicket in a session that was interrupted for an hour by rain.
Their starting position was a dispiriting one: four wickets already lost for 57, still 532 runs in arrears. On a cloudier day, there was bounce and zip in the pitch and Pakistan proved unequal to the task.
It took six balls for England to sense that it might be an excellent bowling morning, Shan Masood edging James Anderson on the bounce to Vince at third slip. Masood managed a more controlled boundary off Anderson, clipping off his pads, but a jab at a rising delivery later in the over gave Joe Root an inviting catch at second slip.
Misbah, as one would expect from the old fox, met everything thrown at him with phlegm. He could not disguise his surprise when a back-of-a-length delivery from Broad exploded from the pitch, flew over his horizontal bat, and landed directly in the hands of Cook at first slip. More discomfiture followed from a well-directed bouncer from Chris Woakes in the last over of the morning, which flicked his glove as he jerked his head away in self-preservation and he lost a piece from his helmet in the process. He just got on with it, giving the impression that he had seen it all before.
The rain break interrupted England's progress, but when they resumed at 12.30pm it was not long before Asad Shafiq fell to a slower offcutter by Stuart Broad, a front-foot drive flying to Hales at backward point.
The most idiosyncratic innings, though, was played by Sarfraz Ahmed, whose slash at two of his first three balls, from Broad, indicated his state of mind. His counterattack lasted 18 balls, 26 riskily assembled, before he edged Stokes to second slip.
All it required was for Woakes to take a wicket for England's pace bowlers to complete the set. It duly arrived with Root's third slip catch of the morning - and fourth of the innings - enabling England to go to lunch a ball early.
Woakes had his fourth wicket of the innings, a self-effacing allrounder making a name for himself. Not that he will make much of it: he seems the sort who signs leaving cards in tiny handwriting where he will not get in the way of others. But he has had a fine Test and his haul was a rewarding moment on a day that deteriorated with the weather.
Day 4
England 589/8d & 173/1d beat Pakistan 198 & 234 by 330 runs
England thrashed Pakistan by 330 runs in the second Test at Old Trafford to level the four-match series at 1-1.
Pakistan were bowled out for 234 after unbeaten half-centuries from Alastair Cook and Joe Root helped England declare on 173-1, a target of 565.
James Anderson, Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes each took three wickets as Pakistan lost their last five batsmen for 71 runs to lose on the fourth day.
Victory was England's second-biggest against Pakistan in terms of runs.
All-rounder Ben Stokes will have scans on Tuesday after injuring a calf while bowling in the afternoon session.
Pakistan's highest stand was the 58 Mohammad Hafeez and Younus Khan put on for the third wicket, but both fell to Moeen in the space of six overs.
Mohammad Amir was last man out, removed by Woakes for 29.
The third Test at Edgbaston begins on 3 August.
Anderson fires England
England, who decided not to make Pakistan bat again on Sunday, added 75 runs to their overnight 98-1 without losing a wicket.
Root made 71 off 48 balls to go with his first-innings 254, while Cook hit his fastest Test half-century - in 55 balls - as he scored a near run-a-ball 76.
Anderson, on his home ground, made early inroads as he had Shan Masood caught in the slips for the second time in the match before trapping Azhar Ali lbw, but Hafeez and Younus resisted for 15.1 overs.
With Stokes, injured during his follow-through, off the field, Moeen struck twice - having Hafeez caught at short leg for 42 and Younus (28) at long on. Woakes then bowled Misbah-ul-Haq (35), who had put on 43 with Asad Shafiq.
After Sarfraz Ahmed became Woakes' second victim, Anderson and Moeen completed their three-wicket hauls by trapping Shafiq and Yasir Shah respectively.
Part-time spinner Root then took a wicket with just his second ball - having Wahab Riaz caught at short fine-leg.
Amir struck five fours in his 43-ball resistance, but Woakes finished things off for England by having him caught at mid-off when trying to drive.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan said on Test Match Special: "It's as good a four days of cricket that you could wish for from an England point of view.
"It's an absolute hammering. It's been very similar to the Sri Lanka series, where England dominated with this kind of performance."
3rd Test
Day 1
ENG 297
Sohail Khan marked his first Test for five years with 5-96 as Pakistan bowled England out for 297 on the opening day of the third Test at Edgbaston.
Recalled after Pakistan's 330-run defeat at Old Trafford, Sohail justified the decision to bowl first in seamer-friendly conditions.
Gary Ballance made 70 and Moeen Ali 63 to help England recover from 158-5, Alastair Cook having fallen for 45.
Mohammad Amir took 2-53, Rahat Ali 2-83 and Sarfraz Ahmed five catches.
Pakistan - and captain Misbah-ul-Haq - could be pleased with their day's work, particularly given their thrashing inside four days in the second Test.
With the four-match series level at 1-1, much will rest on how England's seamers perform on Thursday in what are expected to remain overcast conditions.
All hail Sohail
Right-arm seamer Sohail, who boasted combined figures of 1-245 from his two previous Tests, in 2009 and 2011, was the unlikely architect of England's top-order collapse.
On a pitch that had spent the previous 24 hours under cover, he found sufficient lateral movement to claim four wickets in 15 overs courtesy of outside edges.
The out-of-form Alex Hales, defending on the back foot, was caught behind for 17 and Joe Root, who scored 325 runs in the second Test, edged to first slip for three when attempting to force through the off side.
Captain Alastair Cook, having batted fluently for 45 off 52 balls, was lbw pushing forward to Rahat Ali, but Ballance helped James Vince add 69 for the fourth wicket.
Sohail switched ends to have Vince, hesitant in leaving outside off stump, well taken low by Younus Khan at second slip for 39.
When Jonny Bairstow was caught behind off Sohail trying to cut one that was too close to his body, England were a precarious 158-5.
Ballance & Moeen lead recovery
That they almost reached 300 owed much to Ballance, who combined watchful defence from the crease with clips off his pads and the occasional pushed drive to make his first Test half-century since last summer.
He and the unusually restrained Moeen put on 66 in 27 overs, the partnership broken only when Ballance tickled leg-spinner Yasir Shah down the leg side and keeper Sarfraz Ahmed took a splendid catch.
Moeen was persuaded to play with more aggression after Chris Woakes edged Rahat behind and Stuart Broad flashed the first delivery with the new ball high to third slip.
Moeen eventually fell to a flat-footed waft at Amir, while Sohail curtailed Steven Finn's late flurry by pinning last man James Anderson lbw.
A delighted Sohail reprised Pakistan's celebrations after winning the first Test by performing press-ups as he left the pitch.
The stats you may have missed
Sohail Khan had taken 1-245 in his two previous Tests, in 2009 and 2011
Gary Ballance has now made a half-century in four of his six first-class innings at Edgbaston
Sarfraz Ahmed is only the second Pakistan wicketkeeper to take five catches in a Test innings in England, after Wasim Bari at Headingley in 1971
The team batting first have not won a Test at Edgbaston since 2005, when England beat Australia by two runs
Day 2
ENG 297
PAK 257/3
England were made to toil by a century from Azhar Ali as Pakistan dominated day two of the third Test at Edgbaston.
Azhar, dropped twice, made 139 before being caught at first slip off Chris Woakes to the final ball of the day.
He shared a second-wicket stand of 181 with recalled opener Sami Aslam, who was run out by James Vince for 82.
Pakistan's success looked unlikely when Mohammad Hafeez fell to James Anderson in the first over but they closed on 257-3, only 40 behind.
This was a chastening day for England, one which put their score of 297 into some context, but the late wicket of Azhar provided a cause for optimism for day three.
While the hosts now must take wickets early on Friday, Pakistan have the opportunity to build a big first-innings lead, one which could give them control of the match and the four-match series, which is level at 1-1.
All for Azhar
England may have hoped to run through the Pakistan top order after Hafeez tamely lobbed an Anderson long hop to point, only for Azhar and Aslam to show that the hosts' first-day batting effort was substandard.
Azhar had managed only 30 runs in four previous innings in this series but, after starting patiently, played cut and drives - 66 of his runs came in the arc between backward point and extra cover.
He made the most of two bits of fortune when on 38 and 69. Joe Root dropped an edge off Anderson at second slip in the first over after lunch, while Moeen Ali failed to hang on to a return catch that was firmly drilled back.
A blemish was the call that resulted in the run out of Aslam, but after that he shared 76 with the jumpy Younus Khan.
Still, he fell one delivery short of making it to the close, surprisingly fencing a Woakes away-swinger into the hands of England captain Alastair Cook.
Aslam arrives
Left-hander Aslam, a replacement for Shan Masood, was one of two players brought in by Pakistan for this match and like pace bowler Sohail Khan on day one, vindicated his selection.
The 20-year-old, playing his third Test and first first-class match of the year, blunted the England attack by leaving impeccably, offering a stroke only when absolutely necessary.
When he did score, he guided the ball to third man, worked off his pads, or busily looked for singles on the off side.
Indeed, he and Azhar ran so well it was ironic that end came via a run out, Azhar calling for a single that was never on and Vince's direct hit from cover beat Aslam to the striker's end.
England below-par with the ball
For as well as Pakistan batted, England were below their best with the ball and in the field.
On a true surface offering less lateral movement than day one, the ball swung throughout but England - with the possible exception of Anderson - were often too short.
With the attack lacking bite, drops and overthrows crept into the fielding. There was little imagination, poor body language and high levels of frustration - Anderson, twice warned for running on the pitch - was frequently seen to be berating the umpires.
The pace bowlers at least kept scoring in check, which cannot be said for Moeen. At one point the off-spinner was conceding more than six an over and was taken for a straight maximum by each of Aslam and Azhar.
With a second new ball that is only 10 overs old, England must make inroads early on day three or face being batted out of the Test.
Stats of the day
The wicket of Mohammad Hafeez saw Pakistan become the seventh Test side James Anderson has taken 50 wickets against.
India's Anil Kumble did so against seven countries and Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan got at least 50 against nine.
Sami Aslam and Azhar Ali's stand of 181 is only the second time that Pakistan have added 150 for the second wicket in a Test match in England.
The period between lunch and tea was the first session of the series to pass without a wicket falling.
Azhar Ali passed 50 for the first time in eight Test innings. His previous seven innings brought just 78 runs.
He is the first Pakistan number three to make a Test century outside of Asia since 2006.
Day 3
England 297 & 119-0
Pakistan 400
England lead by 17 runs
England openers Alastair Cook and Alex Hales shared an unbroken stand of 119 to leave the third Test against Pakistan delicately poised after three days at Edgbaston.
Captain Cook made 64 not out and Hales an undefeated 50 to give the home side a lead of 17.
England earlier fought back well with the ball, taking five wickets for 42 runs to bowl Pakistan out for 400.
Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes each took three, while Misbah-ul-Haq made 56.
It was the wicket of Misbah, bowled by James Anderson, that began the England recovery, one desperately needed after Pakistan dominated day two to begin Friday on 257-3.
There was a wobble when Anderson was controversially ordered from the attack, an umpiring decision that helped Sarfraz Ahmed (46 not out) shepherd the tail to add 32 for the final two wickets.
But England's openers took advantage of an increasingly benign surface and a lack of swing or turn to give the hosts the upper hand.
Day 4
England 297 & 414-5: Bairstow 82*, Cook 66, Root 62, Moeen 60*
Pakistan 400
England lead by 311 runs
Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali shared an unbroken century stand to help England open up a 311-run lead on day four of the third Test against Pakistan.
Bairstow finished the day on 82 and Moeen on 60, with their sixth-wicket partnership worth 132.
Alastair Cook (66) and Alex Hales (54) earlier fell with the score on 126 but England recovered to reach 414-5.
South Africa are the only side to successfully chase more than 211 to win a Test at Edgbaston.
Joe Root was dropped on 25 by Mohammad Hafeez off Rahat Ali, but was eventually out to Yasir Shah, who finished the day with 2-152, after a 95-run stand with James Vince.
Vince (42) batted for 123 balls to equal his best Test score before falling to Mohammad Amir, who took 2-73.
Gary Ballance (28) contributed to stands of 36 with Vince and 25 with Bairstow.
What will happen on Sunday?
England captain Alastair Cook is expected to remain cautious with a declaration, especially on a surface that has shown few signs of deterioration.
It is likely that they will give themselves between 75 and 80 overs in which to bowl Pakistan out and secure a 2-1 series lead with one match to play.
"Alastair Cook will bat for half an hour or 40 minutes and throw the bat tomorrow," former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott told BBC Test Match Special.
"But they could have done that tonight. They didn't score quickly enough. When you get a flat pitch like this, which is hardly deteriorating, you need time."
Former England spinner Phil Tufnell said: "If I was England captain, I would have a blast tomorrow morning, try and get 40 or 50 runs sharpish. England will push hard tomorrow but it's looking like a draw."
Bairstow underlines England fightback
In conditions offering little swing, Cook and Hales fell inside the first five overs of the day.
The England captain was caught off the bowling of Sohail Khan by a diving Yasir, before Hales abandoned caution to be caught in the slips off Amir.
England's scoring rate in the first two sessions had been under 3.5 an over, with Vince and Root's third-wicket stand taking the best part of 36 overs.
The hosts' lead was 159 at tea and, after Ballance was caught at leg slip off Yasir, Bairstow went on the attack, plundering 51 of his runs on the off side in his 124-ball innings.
England added 152 in the last session for the loss of just one wicket.
Moeen, despite taking 16 balls to get off the mark, reached his seventh Test fifty in only 64 balls, milking Yasir for five fours.
Bairstow had earlier reached his fifty with a paddle sweep, his eighth Test half-century coming off 83 balls.
The stats you need to know
South Africa are the only team to successfully chase 211-plus in a Test at Edgbaston, making 283-5 to beat England in 2008.
Jonny Bairstow has scored 855 Test runs in 2016, the most by a England wicketkeeper in a calendar year, beating Matt Prior's record of 777 in 2012.
Moeen Ali has made a fifty in each of his three Test innings at Edgbaston.
James Vince has got out four times in Test cricket between 35 and 42.
Yasir Shah has taken 90 wickets in his first 15 Tests, passing George Lohmann's 89 dating back to the 1800s.
Day 5
England 297 & 445-6 dec: Moeen 86*, Bairstow 83, Cook 66, Root 62
Pakistan 400 & 201: Aslam 70; Broad 2-24, Anderson 2-31
England won by 141 runs
England produced a fine bowling performance to bowl Pakistan out for 201 and seal a 141-run win in the third Test at Edgbaston.
Five bowlers claimed two wickets apiece as England wrapped up victory with 13.1 overs remaining to take a 2-1 lead in the four-match series.
Pakistan, set 343 to win after England declared on 445-6, were undermined by a collapse of four wickets for one run.
Although opener Sami Aslam hit 70, five players failed to reach double figures.
The final Test at The Oval starts on 11 August.
The scale of England's victory was all the more impressive given they conceded a first-innings deficit of 103, only the sixth time in history they have won a Test after trailing by 100 or more.
Indeed, it is a measure of their powers of recovery that, having lost the first Test inside four days, they head to The Oval knowing they can go top of the Test rankings if they win 3-1 and results in the Sri Lanka-Australia and West Indies-India series go their way.
The collapse that cost Pakistan
Pakistan's defeat, which ended their hopes of becoming the number one side in the world this summer, stemmed from a stunning afternoon collapse on a surface that remained reliable deep into the fifth day.
Roared on by a raucous crowd in excess of 10,000 on a gloriously sunny day, England effectively settled the contest by reducing the tourists from 124-3 to 125-7 in the space of 23 balls:
124-4: Misbah ct Bairstow b Finn 10 - regulation catch behind as Finn finds movement away off a good length to find the outside edge.
125-5: Shafiq lbw Woakes 0 - Shafiq, playing around a straight one, fails to overturn an lbw verdict on review.
125-6: Sarfraz ct Root b Woakes 0 - a flat-footed Sarfraz edges low to second slip, where Joe Root takes a smart catch.
125-7: Aslam b Finn 70 - a rare error from the left-hander, who shoulders arms to have his off stump pegged by a jubilant Finn.
James Anderson returned after tea to have Yasir Shah taken at fourth slip and Mohammad Amir drove Stuart Broad low to point.
The damage that England had inflicted before tea was such that a last-wicket stand of 50 between Sohail Khan and Rahat Ali was no more than an inconvenience.
Sohail drilled a return catch to Moeen to fall for 36 off 37 balls and spark joyous scenes among the England players.
Finally, Finn ends his drought
Finn was a central figure in England's victory, removing arguably the two most prized Pakistan batsmen to reward an improved performance in what has been a trying summer.
The wicket of Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq was his first in 71.3 overs, a sequence dating back to the third Sri Lanka Test at Lord's in June.
Having gone wicketless at Lord's, been dropped at Old Trafford and bowled almost 28 overs without success and seen a catch put down in the first innings at Edgbaston, Finn's roar of celebration reflected his obvious relief.
In finding late swing back in from round the wicket to bowl the obdurate Islam, Finn - who finished with 2-38 - could even have secured his place in the team for the series finale.
4th Test
Day 1
England 328: Moeen 108, Bairstow 55; Sohail 5-68
Pakistan 3-1
Pakistan trail by 325 runs
Moeen Ali's fine century helped England recover to post 328 on an entertaining opening day in the final Test against Pakistan at The Oval.
Dropped on nine and 13, Moeen made 108, Jonny Bairstow 55 and Chris Woakes 45 as England rallied from 110-5.
Sohail Khan claimed 5-68 and Wahab Riaz 3-93 for Pakistan, who must win to draw the four-match series 2-2.
They lost Sami Aslam in reaching 3-1 in the three overs possible before the close, trailing by 325.
Stuart Broad's late strike, allied to a last-wicket stand of 32 between Moeen and James Anderson, gave England the edge after a day that saw 331 runs at more than four an over.
Moeen rides to England's rescue
If Bairstow initiated England's recovery from 70-4 and Woakes supplied late impetus in a partnership of 73 for the sixth wicket, Moeen combined the best elements of both innings en route to a third Test century.
His place in the side has been questioned this summer, but the all-rounder underlined his worth with a century high on class and no little character.
He capitalised on his early reprieves to hit 13 fours, scoring freely through and over the leg side as he used his feet to great effect against the spinners.
Debutant Iftikhar Ahmed was hoisted over mid-wicket for six and, with number 11 Anderson for company, Moeen repeated the feat off Yasir Shah to register a 140-ball hundred and bring team-mates and spectators to their feet.
Even the timing of Moeen's dismissal - caught off a top-edged pull off Sohail in the final half-hour of play - worked in the favour of England's bowlers.
Pakistan pay the price in the field
A glance at the scorecard suggests Pakistan, having lost the toss, could be pleased with bowling England out in a day on a "600 pitch", in the words of former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott.
However, they will rue the mistakes in the field which cost them 142 runs:
Alastair Cook dropped on 34 - Iftikhar spills a straightforward chance at first slip off Wahab. Cost: one run.
Bairstow caught off no-ball on 13 - Wahab overtsteps to reprieve the England player after driving to backward point. Cost: 42 runs.
Moeen dropped on nine - Azhar Ali drops an edge low to his right at third slip off Mohammad Amir. Cost: 99 runs.
Moeen dropped on 15 - clipped firmly off his legs and Azhar, at short leg, cannot hold on to one that barely qualifies as a chance.
The figures of Wahab - recalled to the side after being dropped for the third-Test defeat at Edgbaston - were therefore even more impressive, while Sohail bowled with skill and perseverance to claim a five-wicket haul for the second successive Test.
Day 2
England 328: Moeen 108, Bairstow 55; Sohail 5-68
Pakistan 340-6: Shafiq 108, Younus 101*
Pakistan lead by 12
Asad Shafiq and Younus Khan centuries helped Pakistan open up a lead over England in the final Test at The Oval.
Dropped on seven, Shafiq made 109, while Younus emerged from his poor run of form to end the second day unbeaten on 101, his 32nd Test century.
Pakistan, for whom Azhar Ali made 49, closed on 340-6, leading by 12.
Chris Woakes took two wickets in an over late on but England, 2-1 up in the series, were undermined by three dropped catches.
Alex Hales, James Anderson and Steven Finn were responsible for spilling the chances which enabled Pakistan to lay the platform for a sizeable first-innings total on a reliable surface.
To cap a tough day for England, Hales was fined 15% of his match fee for showing dissent at the umpire's decision on Thursday and making "inappropriate comments" when he visited the third umpire's room.
From ducks to delight
Shafiq, who made a pair at Edgbaston batting at number six, responded to being promoted up the order with an innings which could prove pivotal to the outcome of this Test.
Coming in at 91-2 after nightwatchman Yasir Shah gloved a sweep off Moeen Ali to wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow, Shafiq capitalised on occasional slices of fortune to make his ninth Test century.
On 57, he edged a drive just over first slip, and had made 75 when an inside edge flew past a diving Bairstow's left hand.
However, Shafiq was proficient in the arc between point and wicketkeeper, showed disdain for Moeen's off-spin by finding the stand at mid-wicket, and demonstrated sufficient composure to spend 16 balls on 99.
He eventually fell to a splendid leaping catch by Stuart Broad at mid-wicket when pulling Finn, having added 150 for the fourth wicket with Younus.
Younus finally finds his form
If Shafiq came into this game on the back of a miserable third Test, Younus had not passed 33 in six innings in the series.
Although not at his most fluent on Friday, the 38-year-old drove well through cover when England's seamers overpitched and combined power and deftness to score with freedom off Moeen and Root.
Noticeably less jumpy at the crease than he has been this summer, Younus brought up a 139-ball hundred containing 15 fours in five overs before the close.
By that time he had seen Woakes remove Misbah-ul-Haq and Iftikhar Ahmed in the space of four balls, the captain edging to gully and the debutant well held by a scrambling Moeen off a top-edged pull.
Although Woakes' late burst renewed England's hopes of limiting their first-innings deficit and repeating their victory at Edgbaston, the continued presence of Younus remains their most pressing concern.
Day 3
England 328 & 88-4: Yasir 3-15
Pakistan 542: Younus 218, Shafiq 109
England trail by 126 runs
Younus Khan hit a magnificent 218 before Pakistan reduced England to 88-4 to assume firm control of the final Test of the summer at The Oval.
Yasir Shah claimed three wickets in five overs as England, faced with a first-innings deficit of 214, collapsed on the third evening to trail by 126.
Younus' sixth Test double hundred underpinned Pakistan's total of 542.
Sarfraz Ahmed made 44 and number 10 Mohammad Amir an unbeaten 39, adding 97 for the ninth wicket with Younus.
Victory would earn Pakistan a 2-2 series draw and maintain their hopes of moving to the top of the International Cricket Council Test rankings.
England in a spin
Yasir's return to form was timely. Having claimed 10-141 at Lord's but taken only four wickets at an average of 126 in the next two Tests, the leg-spinner wrecked the England top order to such an extent that an innings victory is not unrealistic.
After Wahab Riaz squared Alastair Cook to have him well taken at first slip, Yasir removed Alex Hales, James Vince and Joe Root in a spell of 3-4 in 22 deliveries.
Hales was lbw pushing forward to one that drifted in to clip his front pad, and Vince drove his third ball straight to short cover to end a series in which he has managed only 158 runs at 23.
"That's the end of his Test match career," former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott told BBC Test Match Special.
When Joe Root, who batted with minimal alarm in making 39, was trapped in front playing back to Yasir, England were reeling on 74-4.
His failed review reflected England's desperation rather than any genuine hope of it being overturned.
Younus goes large
If there were any doubts - given they must bat last - over the value of Pakistan's 12-run lead when they resumed on 240-6, they had been banished long before Younus was lbw to a James Anderson off-cutter shortly before tea.
The standing ovation he received was just reward for a 308-ball innings containing 31 fours, and four leg-side sixes off Moeen Ali, the last of which took him beyond 200.
Unbeaten on 101 overnight, Younus was unhurried in defence and impressive on the drive, rarely troubled by a tiring attack that struggled to extract movement from a true surface under blue skies.
Perhaps the most striking feature of Younus' innings was the manner in which he expertly marshalled the tail after Sarfraz, drawn forward, was superbly taken one-handed by Jonny Bairstow off Chris Woakes for 44.
Wahab contributed only four to an alliance of 31 for the eighth wicket, yet the partnership that did the greatest damage to England's mental state was the ninth, which spanned 20 overs.
Younus began by shielding Amir from the strike, but the number 10, who spent 23 balls on nought, hit Moeen for six to get off the mark and struck several flowing cover drives.
Younus in numbers
Younus' double hundred moved him level with Javed Miandad's Pakistan record of six
Three of Younus' six double centuries have come after the age of 35, equalling Sri Lankan Kumar Sangakkara's record
Younus and Sangakkara are the only players to have made 200 against six different opponents
Younus has 12 scores of 150 or more in Tests, the most for a Pakistani
Younus has reached 150 five times since turning 35, a record he shares with Australian Sir Donald Bradman, England's Graham Gooch and West Indian Brian Lara
Younus' 218 is the sixth highest score for Pakistan against England in Tests
'England are so frustrating' - what they said
Pakistan batsman Younus Khan on Sky Sports: "Pakistan cricket is all about that. Sometimes we were down, but the way we come back is good for us. That's why people follow us."
Former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott: "Pakistan played fantastically. They have done to England what England did to them at Old Trafford: they've batted them out of the game."
Ex-England captain Michael Vaughan: "Pakistan were fantastic at Lord's, had an off game at Old Trafford, came back strongly at Edgbaston but just had that iffy last day and a half, and they've been tremendous here.
"England are so frustrating. It's difficult to be a pundit with them - within five days they come out and play utter garbage."
England bowler Steven Finn: "The evening session hurt us. We've been in these situations before so we will come out on Sunday and fight for this Test."
'Final Test syndrome' - the stats you may have missed
The last time England won the final Test of a series was in 2014 against India; in six series since they have lost the final Test five times and drawn it once
The last time England conceded 500 was at Lord's last year against Australia, who scored 566
The dismissal of Wahab was only Bairstow's second stumping in 31 Tests; he has taken 77 catches
Only West Indian Colin Croft (33), India's Kapil Dev (32) and Australian Shane Warne (27) have take more than Woakes' 26 wickets in a series against Pakistan
Root, at 25 years and 227 days, became the fourth youngest player to reach 4,000 Test runs, after India's Sachin Tendulkar, team-mate Alastair Cook and new Zealand's Kane Williamson
Root became the first England player to score 500 runs in a series against Pakistan
Day 4
England 328 & 253
Pakistan 542 & 40-0
Pakistan won by 10 wickets
Pakistan completed a 10-wicket win over England on day four at The Oval to earn a 2-2 draw in the four-match series.
Resuming 126 runs behind at 88-4, England began well with consecutive half-century stands.
But two wickets fell in successive balls after lunch, including the enterprising Jonny Bairstow for 81 from 127 balls, and they were 253 all out.
Spinner Yasir Shah took 5-71 and, set a paltry 40 to win, Azhar Ali sealed the match with a six soon after tea.
Many would have welcomed a fifth Test to decide an intriguing series but the teams will next meet again in limited overs cricket.
A five-match one-day international series begins on 24 August, followed by a Twenty20 international on 7 September.
Pakistan triumph on Independence Day
The build-up to the final game had focused on England's quest to regain the number one Test ranking, but it was Pakistan who took a decisive step towards the top spot.
They will reach the summit if India do not beat West Indies in next week's final Test in Trinidad and Australia fail to win the final Test in Sri Lanka.
Having lost the previous two matches easily it was an impressive recovery, with 38-year-old Younus Khan reaching 200 for the sixth time and Shah claiming his sixth five-wicket haul in only his 16th Test.
Seamer Sohail Khan proved a useful addition, taking 13 wickets in the past two matches.
With their supporters basking in the south London afternoon sunshine, there was double celebration as victory was achieved on the nation's Independence Day.
No perils in the pitch
It was no typical end of Test minefield with the ball turning dramatically out of the rough or reverse swinging, and England set about their task in confident, composed fashion.
Bairstow, looking to score at every opportunity and resolute when defence was required, completed his fourth fifty of the series and was well supported by Gary Ballance until the left-hander fished at one wide of off-stump from Sohail Khan for 17.
The momentum was continued by first-innings centurion Moeen Ali, who lofted Shah high over wide long-on for six and looked in complete command before an uncharacteristically flat-footed prod at the leg-spinner was caught by wicketkeeper Sarfraz for 32 in the penultimate over before lunch.
A stunning piece of fielding from bowler Wahab Riaz gave Pakistan the breakthrough in the eighth over after lunch, hitting the stumps directly while lying down when Chris Woakes (4) was sent back in mid-pitch.
Having moved to 992 runs for the calendar year, Bairstow drilled the next delivery low to cover and the end of the innings came 35 minutes before tea, debutant Iftikhar Ahmed taking the final wicket of James Anderson (17).
Questions remain over England's batting
Security checks permitting, England's next Test assignment is a two-match series in Bangladesh starting in October, before a three-Test series in India.
Opener Alex Hales scored three half-centuries earlier in the summer against Sri Lanka but averaged only 18 in this series with a best of 54.
Having refunded a spectator £4.10 because of England's slow over-rate in the previous Test, he lost 15% of his match fee here for an angry response following his controversial dismissal to a low catch in the first-innings.
Neither James Vince's introduction to Test cricket or Ballance's return was a success, with Alastair Cook and Joe Root scoring 935 between them at an average of 66.78, compared to Hales, Vince and Ballance's 498 at 22.63.
There was also a fitness concern over one of the bowlers, Steven Finn going off shortly before the end with a hamstring injury that will require a scan, as England suffered their first home defeat when batting first since 2012.
Stats you may have missed
England have lost the last Test in six of their past seven series
Since 2015 England have won only Test out of six in London, losing four
In eight matches outside of the capital since 2015 they have won seven of eight
In home Tests this year Chris Woakes scored 282 runs and took 34 wickets
England's defeat means Australia 2004-05 and 2007-08 and South Africa 2012-14 remain the only teams to hold trophies against all nine Test opponents at the same time
ODI's (win 2pts, tie/no result 1pt)
ODI's (ENG 8-2 PAK, ENG 16-10 PAK Super Series - ENG win it)
1st ODI
Pakistan 260-6 (50 overs): Azhar 82, Sarfraz 55
England 194-3 (34.3 overs): Roy 65, Root 61
England won by 44 runs (DLS method)
England coasted to a 44-run win over Pakistan in a rain-affected first one-day international in Southampton.
Superb death bowling after a rain break kept Pakistan to 260-6, despite 82 from Azhar Ali and Sarfraz Ahmed's 55.
Jason Roy made 65 and Joe Root 61 in a second-wicket stand of 89 before the weather intervened to reduce England's target to 252 from 48 overs.
Three balls after the restart, on 34.3 overs, more rain ended the match with England well ahead on the DLS method.
After a fluctuating, evenly contested Test series was drawn 2-2, this comfortable victory gives England a 10-8 lead in the 'Super Series', where points awarded for results across all three formats.
Not only does it give the hosts a ninth victory in 10 one-dayers against Pakistan, it also ends a run of five ODI defeats in Southampton.
The next in the five-match series is at Lord's on Saturday.
2nd ODI
Pakistan 251 (49.5 overs): Sarfraz 105, Imad 63 not out
England 255-6 (47.3 overs): Root 89, Morgan 68
England won by four wickets
England produced another polished display to beat Pakistan at Lord's and take a 2-0 lead in the one-day series.
Having won easily at the Ageas Bowl on Wednesday, England reduced the tourists to 2-3 courtesy of impressive new-ball spells from Mark Wood and Chris Woakes.
Sarfraz Ahmed scored a superb 105 and Imad Wasim struck 63 not out to salvage a competitive total of 251.
But Joe Root's 89 and 68 from captain Eoin Morgan helped England to a four-wicket win with 15 balls to spare.
England's victory is their first in an ODI at Lord's since 2012, having lost their previous three at the ground.
They have now won 10 of the past 11 ODIs against Pakistan, and take a 12-8 advantage in the 'super series' to Trent Bridge for the third game of the five-match series.
England's devastating start
Despite the green wicket at Lord's, Pakistan captain Azhar Ali opted to bat first after winning the toss.
It would quickly prove to be a terrible decision as Woakes and Wood tore into the tourists' top order.
2-1 (1.4 overs): Sami Aslam is given out following an England review after gloving a short ball from Woakes to wicketkeeper Jos Buttler on the pull.
2-2 (2.2 overs): Sharjeel Khan is bowled by a brilliant ball from Wood that nips across the left-hander and takes out off stump.
2-3 (3.1 overs): Skipper Azhar plays a tentative shot to a Woakes ball that is just short of a length and edges to Buttler.
Sarfraz makes a game of it
Sarfraz joined the game with his side in dire straits but produced a classy innings to become the first Pakistan player to score a one-day century at Lord's.
With a strike-rate of 80.76 his was a constrained innings by modern one-day standards but a crucial contribution for his side to avoid embarrassment.
Pakistan are almost playing cricket in the '90s or early 2000s
Shortly after reaching his century he survived being given out lbw when a review showed Plunkett's off-cutter was missing leg stump.
But soon after, in trying to accelerate the scoring towards the end of the innings, he swept an Adil Rashid ball straight to Alex Hales at deep mid-wicket.
This left Imad, who hit cleanly to pass 50 but regularly lost partners, including Wahab Riaz to a superb one-handed diving catch from Plunkett.
Imad was last man standing when Wood and Woakes returned to add a third wicket each to their haul and help dismiss Pakistan with a ball to spare.
The innings did little to dismiss criticism that Pakistan have failed to adapt to what is now a big-hitting, fast-scoring limited overs game.
Indeed, their total was just six more than West Indies managed in their Twenty20 against India in Florida on Saturday.
Root stars as England cruise
England briefly threatened to replicate Pakistan's start when Jason Roy played on to Mohammad Amir off the second ball of the chase.
Alex Hales' poor recent form continued as he was bowled attempting a slog-sweep off spinner Imad to leave the home side vulnerable at 35-2.
But in Root and Morgan, England have two players whose temperament is matched by their ability and inventiveness to find run-scoring gaps in the field.
They took the game away from Pakistan, adding 112 together, during which Root became the 11th England player to score four consecutive ODI fifties and Morgan reached his first half-century in 13 innings.
After Morgan was bowled by Imad, Ben Stokes scored a typically rapid 42 from 30 balls to strengthen England's position so that even his dismissal and the subsequent loss of Buttler and Root could not prevent an England victory.
'Clinical' England impress Morgan
England captain Eoin Morgan: "It was a clinical performance from the boys. It probably only did a bit for the first few overs but we made it count with early wickets. Mark Wood is bowling really well at the moment.
"It is great to get some runs and contribute to a win. It is important that we don't take the position we find ourselves for granted. We have important games on Tuesday and Thursday and we need to build on the progress we've made."
Man of the match Joe Root: "Credit to the bowlers today - they were outstanding, especially first up. To set the tone like that was brilliant.
"You are always striving for perfection. Both times this series we have chased and known what we need to do and we have gone out and done it. Good teams find ways of winning."
Pakistan captain Azhar Ali: "We bat deep and have good bowling options. The guys coming in are suited to the new style of one-day game. We can take a lot of positives from this game."
3rd ODI
ENG 444/3
PAK 275
England win by 169 runs
England posted the highest ever one-day international total as they beat Pakistan by 169 runs at Trent Bridge to secure a series victory.
Alex Hales struck a record 171 and Jos Buttler made England's fastest ever 50 from 22 balls as England hit 444-3.
This surpassed the 443-9 posted by Sri Lanka against the Netherlands in 2006.
Pakistan were forced to bat aggressively but their batsmen struggled to build partnerships as they were bowled out for 279.
England have now won 11 of their past 12 ODIs against Pakistan and have a 14-8 'Super Series' lead, with two ODI games and a Twenty20 match remaining (all limited-overs matches are worth two points each).
Hales' record-breaking innings
Robin Smith's 167 against Australia in 1993 was the previous highest score by an Englishman.
Opener Hales had made just 7 and 14 in his previous one-day innings against Pakistan but he played positively after England won the toss and batted first on a good pitch.
Despite Jason Roy's early dismissal to a short Hasan Ali delivery, Hales' aggressive nature saw him register a 55-ball half-century, before earning a reprieve on 73 when he was caught off a no-ball.
His fourth one-day century was brought up from 83 deliveries but still Hales accelerated as he launched Hasan over midwicket to break Smith's 23-year record.
Hales targeted the on-side and left-arm seamer Wahab Riaz came in for particular punishment as the Notts man struck 44 runs from 26 deliveries.
He was trapped lbw by the next ball but left the field having hit 22 boundaries and four sixes.
Buttler and Morgan break record score
Joe Root played a supporting role to Hales, making 85 from 86 deliveries, but England could have stumbled once he fell in the 37th over.
However Buttler kept up the pressure on Pakistan with a succession of powerful shots all around the ground.
He struck a towering six over long-on and scooped Hasan to fine leg as he registered his half-century.
England captain Morgan added to the carnage by striking a Wahab delivery into the crowd for six as England passed their previous highest one-day total of 408.
Buttler had a late reprieve as he was bowled off a Wahab no-ball, before Morgan made his 31st one-day half-century by clubbing another six into the stand.
Buttler then struck the final ball of the innings over extra cover for four to finish on 90 not out and register a remarkable, unbeaten 161-run partnership with Morgan.
Struggles for Pakistan
Pakistan did not help themselves with a poor showing in the field, with several misfields giving England early boundaries.
The visitors were forced to bat aggressively from the start but the pressure of England's extraordinary total meant they could not build partnerships that would last through the innings.
Sharjeel made a quick half-century, flicking Chris Woakes off his hips for three consecutive boundaries before eventually being caught on the rope.
Ben Stokes took his first wicket since injuring his calf as he had Babar caught at cover, before Liam Plunkett dismissed Malik with a 90mph delivery.
The innings petered out before Mohammad Amir's entertaining cameo, as he made the first ever half-century by a number 11 in ODIs.
Amir made an attacking 58, thrashing Mark Wood for consecutive sixes before being caught and bowled by Woakes.
Records
444-3 - Highest ever ODI total
444-3 - Third highest List A total
171 - Highest individual ODI score by English batsman - Alex Hales
16 - Most sixes in an ODI innings by England
22 balls - Fastest ODI 50 for England by Jos Buttler
5 - Joint record for consecutive 50s for England in ODIs - Joe Root
248 - Highest ODI partnership at Trent Bridge
248 - Highest ODI partnership for England vs Pakistan
110 - 2nd most runs conceded in ODIs - Wahab Riaz
58 - Highest score by a number 11 in ODIs - Mohammad Amir
4th ODI
England 252 for 6 beat Pakistan 247 for 8 by four wickets
The England one-day bandwagon rolls on, a rare ODI series whitewash still in view, after they overcame a challenging position at Headingley. Chasing a modest 248 they were troubled by the returning Mohammad Irfan, slipping to 72 for 4, but two players who did not even feature in the world record at Trent Bridge, Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow, broke the back of the target with a stand of 103.
For Stokes, who has had a frustratingly truncated season, it was his first fifty in any international format since February. He played some fantastically crisp shots, not least a brace of drives early in his innings off Hasan Ali, and there was the chance for a maiden ODI hundred before he picked out deep midwicket.
Bairstow, meanwhile, had been a late call-up to play on his home ground after Jos Buttler tweaked a quad muscle during the warm-ups. He survived a tight run-out chance on 17 but had not lost any of his fluency from the Test series despite limited time in the middle since. He could not quite see the chase home in front of his home crowd, run out by a direct hit, his speed not saving him this time, but an adopted Yorkshireman - David Willey - finished the job alongside Moeen Ali with 12 balls remaining.
In the end, the result was comfortable for England once the middle-order pair found their stride and Irfan, who had caused the early problems, left the field with what was indicated to be cramp. When he tried to bowl again in the 42nd over he sent down one ball, which was so wide it missed the pitch, then walked off again. In the pavilion, Mickey Arthur had a face like thunder. With overs to fill, Azhar Ali was forced to bowl himself when Irfan may have forced a late wobble.
However, although perceptions can be warped so soon after seeing a record like 444 for 3, Pakistan's total appeared significantly short. It had been anchored by Azhar's 80 off 104 balls, but he was one of three wickets for Adil Rashid as England rarely lost control, although Imad Wasim again impressed with an unbeaten 41-ball 57. At least, though, there was a frisson of excitement early in England's chase for a crowd boasting strong Pakistan support.
Six years ago on this ground, Irfan was given a serve by the then captain Shahid Afridi after a poor performance contributed to a narrow Pakistan defeat. Afridi strongly suggest he would not play Irfan again. As with many things in Pakistan cricket it did not quite work out like that. Irfan's return to Headingley was briefly - but only briefly - more enjoyable.
In his second over he ended Jason Roy's breezy start with a delivery that climbed and took the edge, sharply held at second slip by Mohammad Rizwan, and in his fourth gained a nick from Alex Hales from round the wicket - a change of line forced on him when he was twice warned for his follow through from over the wicket.
The few moments that followed were the most intense of Pakistan bowling v England batting in this series as he roughed up Eoin Morgan from round the wicket. There was an appeal for a gloved hook - which was called wide - then a shout for caught behind which was reviewed but had clipped the back pocket.
Morgan was relieved to see out the over, the last of Irfan's opening spell. Azhar may ponder if his giant quick could have stretched to one more, while running hot, given his later absence. Still, Morgan did not last much longer as he fell offering slip-catching practice against Umar Gul.
At that point England were 72 for 4 having also lost Joe Root, who had been closing in on an England record six consecutive ODI fifties when he hooked to long leg where Irfan steadied himself. It was the trickiest position England had been in since the opening ODI against Sri Lanka, at Trent Bridge, when Liam Plunkett's last-ball six earned a tie. And this time there was no Buttler or, for that matter, Chris Woakes.
But they had Stokes, Bairstow and Moeen, which was more than enough. Stokes was given a life on 34, when Mohammad Nawaz couldn't hold what would have been a fine catch at deep square-leg from a fiercely struck sweep and Bairstow edged Imad narrowly wide of the keeper on 37. But Pakistan would have needed everything to go their way.
Azhar had kept his bowlers out of the initial firing line after winning the toss, but again Pakistan's batting was from another era. After 10 overs they were an unthreatening 40 for 1 with Azhar and Sami Aslam struggling to break free. Aslam's struggle was ended when he top-edged to Stokes at deep square leg and, after a promising stand of 49, Babar Azam cut Moeen's fourth ball to backward point.
England's spin duo took hold of the innings and they finished with 5 for 86 from their combined 20 overs. Plunkett's second catch was a standout as he flung himself to his left to pluck Sarfraz Ahmed's lofted drive off Rashid, who then made one straighten on Rizwan to trap him lbw.
Rashid signed off his bowling duties, in which his second five-over spell brought 3 for 17, by having Azhar caught at long-off. When Moeen, who did not concede a boundary during his 10 overs, got one to turn and bounce to beat Nawaz there was precious little left for the final flourish.
However, Imad, who had missed the carnage at Trent Bridge with a knee injury, enjoyed the return to pace. He took four boundaries off Plunkett over the space of two overs with as good a timing as any of the Pakistan batsmen had managed, before denting Willey's figures with 16 off the 48th over to reach a 32-ball fifty.
Chris Jordan was the pick of England's attack at the death, going for 14 in a four-over spell to close out the innings, as he regularly speared his yorkers under the bat. A performance, like Bairstow later on, that reinforced the depth and interchangeability within this England squad.
5th ODI
England 302-9 (50 overs): Roy 87, Stokes 75
Pakistan 304-6 (48.2 overs): Sarfraz 90, Malik 77
Pakistan won by four wickets
England missed the chance for a series whitewash as Pakistan earned a consolation four-wicket win in the fifth one-day international in Cardiff.
Chasing 303, Pakistan slipped to 77-3 before Sarfraz Ahmed (90) and Shoaib Malik (77) shared 163.
Despite a late wobble, the tourists got home with 10 balls to spare.
England's 302-9 came via 87 from Jason Roy and Ben Stokes' 75, but they took only 42 runs off the last eight overs in a slide of five wickets for 64.
They were stifled by some impressive pace bowling from Hasan Ali, who took 4-60, and Mohammad Amir (3-50).
Eoin Morgan's men also gifted wickets as a result of their desire to attack whatever the situation - a new approach to one-day cricket that has brought a dramatic improvement and spectacular results since the 2015 World Cup, including the record-breaking total of 444-3 in the third ODI.
England end the series as 4-1 winners, missing out on a first 5-0 home whitewash, and complete their summer with a T20 at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
Sarfraz and Shoaib salvage Pakistan pride
Pakistan, outplayed throughout the series, were firmly on the back foot when the extra pace of Mark Wood bowled Babar Azam and had Azhar Ali caught behind in the same over.
But Sarfraz and Malik combined to compile the highest Pakistan fourth-wicket partnership in an ODI against England.
When on nine, Malik offered a difficult chance to a diving Joe Root at short cover but, apart from that, the England attack had few answers.
Sarfraz, favouring the leg side, dished out some particularly brutal treatment to debutant left-arm spinner Liam Dawson.
Malik played the supporting role, but followed Sarfraz in needlessly holing out off Dawson and, when a Jonny Bairstow direct hit ran out Mohammad Nawaz, Pakistan had lost three wickets for 26 runs.
With 37 still required, Mohammad Rizwan and Wales-born Imad Wasim absorbed the pressure and ensured there was no further drama, delighting a large contingent of raucous Pakistan supporters in the crowd.
Rest and rotation leaves England short
England once again shuffled their side, leaving out spinners Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali partly because of the grey conditions in Cardiff and also to look at Hampshire's Dawson before the winter tours to Bangladesh and India.
If the amount of turn in the surface showed selecting only one spinner to be a mistake - Pakistan left-armer Imad was particularly effective for figures of 1-33 - then the visiting batsmen ensured Dawson endured a mixed debut.
Sarfraz swept and used his feet to hit through the leg side, while Malik hit two huge sixes.
Although Dawson would eventually remove both men, he and the recalled Chris Jordan went for a combined 122 from 15.2 overs.
Loss of momentum costs England
Still, it was posting a score that was no more than par that ultimately led to England's defeat.
While Roy sparkled off his pads and down the ground, and Stokes peppered the boundary after a slow start - the first 32 deliveries of his 76-ball stay yielded only 12 runs - the imposing total that looked likely at 170-4 from 30 overs did not materialise.
Bairstow pulled Umar Gul to deep square leg, Stokes lapped Hasan to short fine leg, Chris Woakes played on off the same bowler, Dawson miscued Amir to mid-wicket and David Willey was caught in the deep on the leg side.
With Hasan and Amir cleverly bowling the ball into the pitch, England were left to bat out the overs, falling short of a score good enough to complete the clean sweep.
Only T20 - ENG 16-12 PAK Super Series result
Pakistan 139 for 1 beat England 135 for 7 by nine wickets
New captain, new Pakistan? It's always dangerous to look too far ahead as far as their cricket is concerned, but after one night in Manchester Sarfraz Ahmed has a 100% record as T20 skipper.
It can be difficult at the end of a long tour to lift for a one-off T20 - the Super Series, of course, had already been decided lest anyone forget - but, amid the most frenzied atmosphere of the tour, which was marred by late pitch invasions, Pakistan secured a thumping nine-wicket victory with a massive 31 deliveries to spare.
They produced their most vibrant bowling and fielding display of the limited-overs leg of the trip to restrict England, who fielded the side which played the World T20 final in April, to 135 for 7: just 58 came off the final ten overs and only three boundaries were struck after the Powerplay.
The chase was a canter. Neither Sharjeel Khan nor Khalid Latif needed to bother with much running, by the end of the fourth over they had equalled England's paltry tally of 10 fours. Both reached their fifties with sixes, Sharjeel off 30 balls and Latif, who only flew in for this match, brought up his maiden half-century off 34 deliveries.
With the ball Imad Wasim and Wahab Riaz, the latter smartly held back for the latter half of the innings as he bowled all his overs from the 11th onwards, produced the telling contributions. Imad, who bowled the first over then returned after the Powerplay (and a clonk on the head at point) did not concede a boundary and removed both England openers. Wahab generated fearsome speed, upwards of 95mph on occasion, mixed with smart changes of pace, to leave the middle order in a tangle.
After a couple of early overs of assessing conditions, England initially made good progress as Jason Roy and Alex Hales took them to 53 without loss in the Powerplay. Then Roy was lbw trying to reverse sweep Imad and from there England almost went into reverse. Hales fell slog-sweeping at Imad, as he did at Lord's, and next ball Joe Root uppercut Hasan Ali to third man.
Jos Buttler, who missed the final two ODIs with a hamstring niggle, looked in the mood for a rebuilding job, but 9 off four balls became 16 off 14 after two tight overs by Wahab and Hasan. He then carved the first delivery of Wahab's second over to deep point.
Neither Ben Stokes or Eoin Morgan could get going and the harder England tried to hit the ball the worse off they became. England's batting depth came to their aid in the World T20, most notably against Afghanistan, but there was no late charge on this occasion.
When David Willey clubbed Sohail Tanvir through the leg side it was the first boundary for 7.3 overs - and it would be the only one of the final 10 overs, an extraordinary statistic whether you are looking at from an England or Pakistan perspective.
Given England's struggles to find the boundary after the first six overs, it felt a waste to see Liam Plunkett, who has shown this season he can clear the rope from the outset, only come in with three deliveries remaining and end up not facing a ball.
Pakistan dealt exclusively in boundaries until the third ball of the third over when Latif, who had taken 20 off Chris Jordan's first over, tapped a single off Plunkett. The bowler was so shocked, that two balls late he flung a bouncer for five wides down the leg side.
After the fours came the sixes. Sharjeel deposited Stokes, playing his first T20I since the World T20 final, over long leg then twice took Adil Rashid over the leg-side boundary. Rashid, at least, had a modicum of revenge when another attempted smite down the ground was skied to cover. He should have had a second wicket, too, but Buttler missed a stumping chance off Babar Azam. It summed up England's night, as their season ended with a whimper.
No comments:
Post a Comment