Concerns over the health of U.S. banks have cast a shadow over the recent recovery, and the stress-test results, showing most U.S. banks would be well-capitalized in the event of an economic downturn, helped allay some of those worries.
The dispute continued to cast a shadow over the match, despite England's tenacious display ensuring the series - with one Test to play - cannot be lost by them.
The last time England and Pakistan met in a test series, it fell under the long, dark shadow of the match-fixing antics of Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir.