• Moeen says he has already had informal chats with Swann • Spinner proud of ‘TV ball’ after dismissing Sangakkara

Moeen Ali is keen to take up Graeme Swann on the offer of advice after admitting that his off-spin remains in the development stage, despite dismissing Kumar Sangakkara for the second time in Test cricket and adding the wicket of Lahiru Thirimanne with a delivery that Jim Laker would not have disowned.

He had endured a frustrating second Test appearance after showing modest promise on his debut at Lord’s, falling cheaply to a loose shot during England’s middle-order slump and then being trusted by Alastair Cook to bowl only one of the first 55 overs of Sri Lanka’s second innings after being treated with contempt by Sangakkara in the three he was given in the first.

But when Cook finally gave him another twirl from the Football Stand End with Sri Lanka on 160 for two, and the formidable pair of Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene appearing to be well set, the Worcestershire all-rounder made a significant impact.

Sangakkara fell lbw to the last ball of his second over and, after surviving a king pair, Thirimanne was undone by the second ball of his third, a classic off-break that pitched on the left-hander’s middle and leg and hit middle and off.

“One of the best balls I’ve bowled on TV,” the 27-year-old noted laconically afterwards – a subtle suggestion that many of those who have been quick to write him off as an international bowler are doing so without a great deal of evidence. However, Moeen was happy to concede that he has much to learn.

“It was nice to contribute to the side, to get us back into the game,” he said. “Sri Lanka were playing really well at the time. I am ready to bowl whenever the captain says. I didn’t feel that I was bowling too badly. I was going to come on earlier but we got a wicket so we stuck with the seamers.”

He even felt good enough to try a doosra late in his eight-over spell. “I bowled one, yeah – I was feeling pretty confident, so I thought why not? I can bowl some good balls but also some bad ones. It’s a little bit inconsistent. Hopefully with a little bit of time it will improve.”

Swann had revealed during his BBC radio commentary duties that he has been approached by Peter Such, the former Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Essex and England off-spinner – who is now the spin- bowling specialist – to have a session before or during the India series later in the summer with the new generation who have been identified as possible successors.

Those named by Swann included Lancashire’s Simon Kerrigan, Durham’s Scott Borthwick and Kent’s Adam Riley – but not Monty Panesar, who is presumably deemed to be in a different category.

Moeen said that he has already had a couple of informal chats with Swann and would welcome more input. “He tries to give me a bit of confidence, just tells me to try and enjoy it. He was a great bowler, so I’ll always be happy to listen.”

A member of Sri Lanka’s coaching staff revealed that they have identified 225 as a fourth-innings target that would allow their spinner Rangana Herath to put England under pressure, meaning another 119 runs. “I don’t disagree with him,” Moeen said. “But we’ve got batters who’ve been playing really well, so we’d be confident chasing whatever. Nothing like 400 or anything but 225, we’d still be confident of chasing that.”

Swann had also provided more detail, during a question and answer session with listeners, on the background to his abrupt departure from England’s Ashes tour after the third-Test defeat in Perth. “I wish I’d never played at Perth,” he said. “It [the elbow] was absolutely shot.

“Everyone seems to think I just jumped on a plane. I’d have loved to have stayed but I was told I had to leave – if you’re not fit to play, you’ve got to leave the touring party – by Andy Flower. I didn’t have any choice. I’d have loved to stay in Australia another three weeks.”