Watch: Moeen Ali, playing his first home Test in more than two years, served a perfect reminder of his enduring quality as an attacking off-spin bowler, pegging back Ravindra Jadeja’s off-stump with the dream delivery.

Moeen has undergone a tumultuous time in an England shirt, losing his ODI place during the 2019 Cricket World Cup and his Test place and red-ball central contract soon after. He has only played a bit-part role in T20I cricket too, with his handling criticised by some.

He was a last-minute addition to the England squad for the second Test against India in the absence of Ben Stokes, and with England having not fielded a spinner for their first three Tests this summer, he has since played a crucial role. He made an important 28 in England’s first innings, and bowled tightly without reward before nicking off Ajinkya Rahane.

But it was his dismissal of Jadeja that really stood out, with Moeen generating drift and dip before the ball turned sharply past the all-rounder’s back-foot prod and into the top of off stump. From an Indian point of view, the pitch taking spin will offer hope that they can defend a total on the final day, but that will be offset by the fact that they are without Ravichandran Ashwin, left out of the India XI.

Watch the Moeen beauty to Jadeja below:

This is a very beautiful delivery from Moeen Ali.#ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/VAfwQ5JPYx

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) August 15, 2021

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