The England all-rounder may have finally found his place in the England batting lineup
Mature Moeen making his mark for England
In an England team where the majority of players feel comfortable in their own skin, Moeen Ali had felt like a man apart for much of the past year.
Moved up to a makeshift opening role against Pakistan in the UAE late last year, the Worcestershire all-rounder looked ill at ease and out of place.
He had played well against Australia at No.8 the preceding summer, scoring two half-centuries and contributing valuable lower-order runs that complemented his spin bowling threat as England regained the Ashes.
Yet as captain Alastair Cook’s seventh opening partner in the Gulf he never convinced, a top score of 35 against Pakistan proof that the experiment had not worked.
Moved back down to eight for the subsequent tour of South Africa, Moeen endured a torrid time before a first-innings 61 in the final Test at Centurion hinted at the latent batting ability everyone knows he possesses.
I’ll admit Moeen’s deeds in that match, a dead rubber England lost, were largely wiped from my memory.
However, his contribution during the second day of the second Test against Sri Lanka at Durham will not be easily forgotten.
Moeen’s unbeaten 155 was his top score as a Test batsman and his second century at this level.
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It’s no coincidence it came after he was promoted to No.7 following the injury to Ben Stokes that also saw Jonny Bairstow shifted up one place to six.
Moeen, of course, had started his England career in the middle order and the flick of a mental switch from tailender to frontline batsman brought the best out of him here.
“It’s about time I got some runs, I felt like I owed the team,” he said.
“It was nice to go out there and spend some time at the crease; to open up and play freely. It feels a bit more that you can put your batting head on and can contribute with a big score. It’s just not the same at No.8.”
The 28-year-old’s maiden Test hundred came at No.7 too, and also against Sri Lanka at Headingley two years ago. Back then Liam Plunkett’s nightwatchman duties saw Moeen come in at seven rather than his actual position one place higher.
Yet it appears this is a player who thrives on the responsibility of being given the role of frontline batsman and there’s no doubt he has the ability to be a middle-order mainstay for England if he is given the chance.
In one innings here Moeen scored more runs than he did during the entire series against South Africa from No.8.
And his contribution in Durham, where he moved from 50 to 150 in just 84 balls, was crucial in helping England post a first-innings total of 9 (declared) -498 that has set up the prospect of another crushing innings win against the disillusioned Sri Lankans.
Victory will no doubt be secured at some point on day three, when the tourists will resume their first innings on 8-91, still a whopping 208 runs shy of avoiding the follow on.
Moeen, though, made it possible as he guided England from their overnight 6-310 to a total that made Sri Lanka’s task of saving this contest nigh on impossible.
Only five England number sevens have ever scored 150 or more in Tests and one of those was Bairstow in Cape Town back in January.
If there is a way for England to keep Moeen in that position beyond Stokes’ recovery from a knee injury then they should explore it, especially with one eye on the next Ashes series in Australia that starts next year.
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Stokes, fitness permitting, is a given at No.6 but Bairstow could, even if he retains the gloves, move up the order to five so accomplished he has become as a Test batsman now.
That assumes Nick Compton, living on borrowed time following a horrid run of form, is dropped and current No.5 James Vince is promoted to three at some point this northern summer.
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Moeen could then stay at seven, offering England the option of five seam bowlers if they wished given Stokes’ presence as an all-rounder.
The permutations are numerous for England but if they can get the most out of a batsman in Moeen who now has two Test centuries to add to his 15 at first-class county level then the emerging team being built by Australian coach Trevor Bayliss might be even more of an imposing proposition to opponents – including Australia when the Ashes next roll round in 18 months’ time.