Azhar falls for 139 off final ball of day
Azhar dropped on 38 & 69
Aslam 82, Younus 21*
Azhar & Aslam add 181 for 2nd wicket
Third Test, Edgbaston; series 1-1
Trail by 276
Lovely sunshine, hum full of anticipation, Anderson slipping in with a shadow cast to his left. Hint of swing away from right-hander Azhar, who shows the subtlety of a sledgehammer and the bottom hand of a shovel to fetch the ball through mid-wicket for four.
The TMS feed is working! The best news we've had all day. No more need to panic, no further reason to actually do any work today. Let's celebrate together.
Image source, Reuters
Phil Tufnell
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special
Azhar Ali has had a little word with Aslam, just to keep the flashing hard in the locker with the new ball.
Short leg in place for Broad, who is galloping in to the fresh-faced, sleeveless-sweatered Aslam, the 20-year-old who already looks calmer and more organised than Shan Masood. In the Pakistan dressing room, Yasir Shah lies on his side and is given the sort of rubbing us mere mortals have to pay a lot of money for. Aslam guides a short ball to third man for four, then wildly slashes through the vacant gully area for another boundary.
Stick with me, I know you're suffering with that lack of an online TMS feed. If you need something to do, see if you can capture your frustration/worry/general feeling of hopelessness in a picture and send it to me. Anderson, despite getting that early wicket, is thoroughly grumpy, turning his ire to Aslam when the batsman has done nothing more than an innocent turn to long leg for a single.
#bbccricket
Broad shares the new ball, left-hander Aslam immediately off the mark with a short single on the off side. Azhar Ali, the shuffling technique, is also away, with Broad then round the wicket to Aslam. Four slips, but too leggy from Broad, allowing a clip fine for four.
Andrew Samson
BBC Test Match Special statistician
That is 50 Test wickets against Pakistan for Anderson at 16.72. That’s the seventh country he’s got 50 wickets against. Anil Kumble did so against seven countries and Muttiah Muralitharan got at least 50 against nine.
#bbccricket
Richard Hayden: Could you ask for a more perfect start?
Martyn Keates: Will Cook enforce the follow on?
Anderson 1-1-0-1
An almighty Edgbaston roar greeted the wicket - already the atmosphere is up a notch from yesterday, even with the ground not full. Looking again, Hafeez was forcing, rather than cutting the ball. He got it straight off the toe of the bat, with the ball almost looping to Ballance. Azhar Ali is the new man, seeing off the rest of a wicket maiden. More loud applause at the end of the set.
Phil Tufnell
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special
Great plans by England. Hafeez had no feet - he had a bit of toe. But it was a great catch by Ballance and it was a great plan by England.
Hafeez c Ballance b Anderson 0 (Pak 0-1)
It's absolutely unbelievable. James Anderson strikes with the fourth ball of the day, an awful delivery that Mohammad Hafeez has somehow cut straight to point. Short and wide, a complete long hop, Hafeez flat-bats it square, where Gary Ballance takes a simple catch low to his right. The best sort of start for England, Pakistan already up against it.
Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special
England will be batting by the end of the day. I will put my neck on the line and say Pakistan will be 210 all out.
For some reason, we have a delay. A problem with the sightscreen I think. I'm also aware that the online TMS link isn't working at the moment, which is something tantamount to a national crisis. Trust me, I feel your pain. We're working on it.
Phil Tufnell
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special
It's an absolutely crucial day for the whole series.
The players are out in the sunshine, Mohammad Hafeez taking guard with new opening partner Sami Aslam at the other end. Stuart Broad has marked out his run and moved to his fielding position. James Anderson has the ball.
#bbccricket
Nick Heys: Re: Misbah peering through the curtains. I know someone who sleeps with their curtains open. Which is very wrong.
Thoughts of Jerusalem at the Edge, bell rings to summon the players, flags waved by small children rounded up from the local area.
#bbccricket
Michael Blakey: If England bowl well I can't see Pakistan making more than 200. England to have a 200 lead by close of play.
BBC Weather's Jay Wynne: "We've got some showers to the north and to the south, but there will be lengthy spells of sunshine in the Birmingham area.
"There may be one or two interruptions in the afternoon. Temperatures will creep up to 20 or 21C, although it will be quite breezy."