James Anderson proves his class as England take control

Rather than sweep aside criticism of his performance in last week’s series opener in Manchester, the most prolific paceman in Test history admitted that he had slipped below his usual high standards and asked for the chance to put things right at the Ageas Bowl.

Having been granted the opportunity, Anderson took care of his side of the deal, helping reduce the tourists to an under-powered score of 126-5 on a rain-shortened first day.

The 38-year-old’s share of that was 2-35 from 15 overs, taking his career mark to 592 and kicking the idea of his own retirement a little further into the long grass by seeing off Shan Masood and Azhar Ali. “Really, I was pretty shocked with all the stuff that was going on about him. He’s obviously a world-class bowler and anyone who doubts him isn’t very sensible,” said Curran.

“He showed his class. I’m sure he’ll go on to get his five-for and then hopefully creep up to 600. I’m just enjoying having him around and learning from him. He was out there helping me through my spells and picking his brains is great for me. It helps having Jimmy out there.”

Curran, Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes all followed Anderson’s lead with breakthroughs in a productive evening session that lasted less than an hour before lightning, rain and bad light combined to bring an early close but turned a good start into a commanding one.

Curran was the man to remove top-scorer Abid Ali for 60, finding the edge with a hint of extra bounce outside off stump, a handy contribution for a player who owed his selection in large part to his ability with the bat.

Ben Stokes’s absence on family matters persuaded Joe Root to go with the all-rounder ahead of Jofra Archer, Ollie Robinson or the recovering Mark Wood and Curran was eager to make the most of his chance having spent three of the last four games out of the side.

While that would usually lead to a spell back in the ranks with Surrey, this year it has meant a frustrating stint as a front-row spectator inside the bio-secure bubble.

“I think it was a pretty late call, I found out this morning but Rooty did come to see me last night and said there was a high chance I might be playing,” he said.

“It’s nice to be back in the side. It’s a tricky situation when you don’t play I guess. You don’t get to go and perform for your county; you don’t get selected and you’re back to your hotel room. Things like that are very difficult.

“But we’ve got such a great squad at the minute, we’re gelling together really nice and the boys are lifting the guys that are not playing and keeping them involved.”

Pakistan’s tally hinged on 60 from Abid Ali, but he required two drops to make it that far and much now rests with Babar Azam (25 not out) after a day when only 45.4 overs were possible due to bad light and rain.

Anderson needed all of eight deliveries to open his and England’s account, swerving the new ball in to left-hander Shan Masood and thudding the knee-roll for an lbw decision that left nobody, from the umpire to the batsman himself, in any doubt.

Broad should have been celebrating similarly in the very next over but, when Abid sprayed a chance to third slip, Dom Sibley jerked to his left and juggled the chance. Woakes, man-of-the-match for his efforts with bat and ball last time out, suffered even worse luck after entering the fray.

He thought he had Azhar Ali for seven when the ball nestled against the stumps via bat and pad, but the bails stubbornly refused to move, no matter how hard Woakes stared. Undeterred he found Abid’s edge on 21 only for Rory Burns to mimic Sibley’s carelessness in the cordon.

The second-wicket pair turned their good fortune into a half-century stand and gladly took an early lunch at 62-1 when the first rain of the day arrived.

Only another 10.1 overs and 23 runs were snuck in before a bigger deluge blighted the afternoon session but that was enough for Anderson to take care of Azhar, Burns alert enough to gather a low chance.

Abid brought up his own half-century with a snick through the slips and took the total to three figures by flicking Curran to fine leg but fell to the left-armer’s response. Slanting the ball from middle to off and finding some extra bounce, Curran snared the edge and gave Burns his second catch at Stokes’s old station.

With danger man Babar holding one end, the hosts attacked the other as Broad and Woakes got in on the action.

Asad Shafiq followed Broad’s movement away from the bat and feeding Sibley a redemptive catch before Fawad Alam’s 11-year journey back to the Test stage ended ignominiously, out lbw on review after just four balls.