Sohail was recalled in place of Wahab Riaz as Pakistan broke up the all left-arm pace attack they had deployed for the first two Tests.
Sohail was recalled in place of Wahab Riaz as Pakistan broke up the all left-arm pace attack they had deployed for the first two Tests.
Birmingham
: Sohail Khan marked his return to Test cricket after a five-year absence with a maiden five-wicket haul as Pakistan dismissed England for 297 on Wednesday's first day of the third Test at Edgbaston.
After Sohail sparked a top-order collapse, England, who lost the toss, were indebted to left-handers Gary Ballance (70) and Moeen Ali (63) for taking them to what could yet prove a challenging total.
Sohail, a 32-year-old right-arm quick, removed a quartet of top-order batsman on his way to figures of five for 96 in 23 overs.
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.
A stress fracture of the back after last year's World Cup provided a further check on his progress.
-"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.
All six times a side have posted 335 or fewer in their first innings of an Edgbaston Test, having been sent into bat, they have gone on to lose.
'Par score':
But Pakistan's top order have struggled this series and Ballance told BBC Radio's Test Match Special: -"If we bowl well, this could be a par score. With a bit of cloud cover, we bowl well and get a second-innings lead, we will have a chance.-"
Sohail was recalled in place of Wahab Riaz as 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-levelling win at Old Trafford.
