Moeen Ali says he knew from the outset that he would have regretted turning down England’s Ashes SOS, after finishing his Test career on a high.
Moeen was coaxed out of red-ball retirement by Ben Stokes at the start of the summer after Jack Leach was ruled out of the series with a stress fracture of the back and said at the time that he would not have come back for any other captain.
The spinner had not played Test cricket in almost two years and began the series in underwhelming fashion, struggling with a blistered spinning finger at Edgbaston and then being left out as England plumped for an all-seam attack at Lord’s.
However, Moeen took the key wickets of Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith in Australia’s second innings at Headingley as the home side fought back into the series and then volunteered to move up the order to No3 during the latter half of the series, allowing the rest of England’s batting lineup to remain in their preferred slots following Ollie Pope’s injury.
The 36-year-old saved the best until last, though, taking three wickets in a thrilling conclusion on the final evening of the Fifth Test at the Oval as England claimed a series-levelling victory.
Asked whether he was pleased with his decision to come back, Moeen said: “100 per cent. I would have regretted it later in life. It was quite daunting, because I’ve never done well against Australia. I still don’t believe I’ve done that well, but it was great to finish like this. It was daunting, but I had nothing to lose, it was a free hit.”
At one stage on day five at the Oval, Australia, on 264 for three, appeared to be cruising towards a record chase of 384, but Moeen removed Travis Head in a vital breakthrough that prompted a run of four wickets in as many overs in tandem with fellow Brummie Chris Woakes.
Moeen has often been self-deprecating about his lack of consistency bowling in Test cricket, but his record in fourth innings is outstanding, an average of 23.17 almost identical to the great Shane Warne.
“I have always loved the last innings, day five, it’s spinning, that’s when I’ve always bowled my best,” Moeen said. “The encouragement I got from [Brendon McCullum] and Stokesy to go and bowl my best ball, through the gate and things like that.
“I think that brings the best out of me. My bowling has always been up and down, but one thing I do know is that I’ve always loved bowling in the fourth innings.”
Though he will continue to play white-ball cricket ahead of England’s World Cup defence in the autumn, Moeen has already returned to Test retirement, joking that he would delete Stokes’s message were he to text again asking him to consider a return for the winter’s tour of India.
He is one of two England players hanging up their boots at and led Stokes’s side off the field alongside Stuart Broad, who called time on his remarkable career after taking his 604th and final Test wicket to clinch victory at the Oval.
“I was a little bit embarrassed to be walking off with a great,” Moeen said. “It proves the man he is. I didn’t want to do it and he said I had to. I was really reluctant, but it was great.
“You have mates and build relationships and Broady is one of those guys. From the start, he was always amazing with me. I’ve always got on well with him and really pleased he’s finished the way he has.”
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