Moeen Ali said on Saturday evening that he intended to take on Yasir Shah, but not even the Pakistan bowler could have anticipated that Ali would be quite so brazen, quite so soon.
Among some indifferent shots by the England batsmen chasing 283 to beat Pakistan at Lord’s today, the attempt by Ali to loft Shah into the Compton and Edrich Stand only four balls into his innings was the most ill-advised.
Ali had (presumably) seen the demise of Gary Ballance in the previous Shah over to a ball turning hugely from outside the left-hander’s off stump. Ballance was bowled behind his pads so far did it spin. Ali was not to the pitch of the ball, but decided to go for his shot rather