Moeen Ali: 5 highlights from an enterprising career

72(46)* and 1-0-3-1 vs Australia in Cardiff, 2015

After a resounding redemption through the home series win against New Zealand and the Ashes regained in terrific fashion, T20s were still an area England had to improve in. A star-studded Australian side, still hurting from the loss in the tests, made for the perfect-on-paper match up when their low confidence was thrown into the mix.

Rapid opening spells by Mitch Starc and Pat Cummins, including a double-wicket over by the latter, left England tottering at 2/18, after four overs of the valuable phase of the powerplay. Many a time, this is where teams lose the matches. Ali joined hands with skipper Eoin Morgan and put up a mammoth third-wicket stand of 135 in just 74 balls.

Ali played sensibly, playing out the heat of Cummins and later Nathan Coulter-Nile and then attacked the relatively less skilled bowling of rookie Cameron Boyce, Marcus Stoinis, and Mitch Marsh. He played through the innings and took England to 5/182.

Not content, he returned to hurt Australia in the second dig. Cruising at 2/124 in 13 overs, Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell threatened to do the job too easily for the Aussies. Ali drew a miscue from Maxwell in his first ball of the match and gave away just three runs. The required rate drew close to 10 an over and England clawed their way back to a win.