Much has been made of the four-pronged pace attack that England have switched to since the mid-summer retirement of Ben Stokes, even comparisons with the fabled lineup that won the 2005 Ashes. But there have been questions, too.
How, for example, might they fare when conditions are not as juicy as those in which they have routinely gutted Pakistan's batting lineup in this series? Would the lack of a frontline spinner be a problem on days when the Dukes ball is not drunkenly lurching this way and that off its wobbling seam?
Those questions were finally asked of Joe Root's men on the third day at Edgbaston and the upshot was an unexpected fourth. It could yet prove a tricky one too, with Pakistan having finally rolled up their sleeves and stuck an impressive 449 all out on the board that leaves their hosts chasing 130 for the win. Australia were set the same target at Headingley in 1981 and we know how that one went.
Just as unexpected was the source of the late runs that have given Pakistan a sniff. Debutant Razaullah walked out at 312 for seven in the final session, still eight runs in arrears, and it looked like England would be facing a peppercorn target at best. Instead, the 21-year-old began swatting sixes like Ian Botham back in the day as a violent 81 from 63 balls lit up a previously drab Test.
Even the usually partisan Hollies Stand was in clover, with Razaullah clearing the rope nine times – equalling Stokes' record for a Test innings in England – and even batting without a helmet by the end. Alongside Mohammad Abbas, 42 from 67 balls and also giving it some humpty, a ninth-wicket stand of 121 runs not so much unfolded as exploded. England's march to a 3-0 series win is no longer certain.
Razaullah was eventually stumped off Dan Lawrence's ungainly off-spin to bring about the close and clearly Root would have preferred a far quicker kill. But in the long term this day will serve his side well. Thanks to a patient 95 from Shan Masood, an elegant 76 from Babar Azam, and a surface that has improved as the match has worn on, they were forced to chisel out their wickets.
Root had to deploy umbrella fields and bouncer plans, rather than simply lock Ollie Robinson in at one end and watch him go to work. Robinson was still the thriftiest but could not add to his two wickets overnight. Instead it was Gus Atkinson who led the way in terms of wickets – even if he was among those manhandled late on.
Three strikes may not leap off the page but as the man to remove Masood, and then puncture two holes in the lower-middle order, Atkinson has something to show for his efforts at the end of a low-key series. The ball to crush Masood's dream of an eighth Test century was a fine piece of bowling and a pretty stunning catch, too. Lawrence dived full stretch at fourth slip to send the first gasp around the ground.
The bouncer plans paid off at times for Root, with Josh Tongue persuading Babar to glove behind, and Jofra Archer wiping out Saud Shakeel on 29 with a brute. Both quicks leaked runs either side of this, however, and England's issues against the tail have clearly re-emerged. Lawrence sending only 4.4 overs also said a bit about his role – ie not quite the all-round option as was previously billed.
One plus for Root was Jordan Cox, who, after stepping in behind the stumps in the absence of Jamie Smith, ensured no drop-off. Cox took an excellent reflex catch down leg to remove Azan Awais for 59 in the morning, while the flying effort to pouch Babar justified his wild punch of the air. Smith should not feel twitchy just yet but Cox should mean no other back-up is required in South Africa this winter.
On a shambolic tour overall, Pakistan could finally walk a little bit taller at stumps and the crowd had finally got bang for its buck. The majority of ticket-holders had arrived in that strange mental space of wanting England to finish off the job – but not too quickly as to waste the day off work.
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What they got was a morning in which the tourists turned 52 for two into 184 for three – the first evidence that things were not going to be straightforward. The ball was only 13 overs young and yet the sun was out for long periods, swing was negligible, and the pitch was far snoozier than earlier in the match.
Things may well have been very different had the substitute fielder Theo Wylie held a low catch at point off Masood on 40. Root was quick to console Warwickshire's rookie as the blood drained from his face, while Tongue, the bowler denied, kept his emotions in check, perhaps under a belief it would not prove too costly.
When the pair walked off at the close, seeing stars from Razaullah's dizzying salvo and with Masood having put on 125 with Awais, and then 89 alongside Babar, they may well have felt slightly less forgiving.
