Pakistan vs England: Shan Masood and Abdullah Shafique hit tremendous a whole lot as hosts dominate day one in every of first Take a look at | Cricket Information

England’s bowlers have been made to toil in vastly testing circumstances as Pakistan racked up an imposing 328-4 on day one of many first Take a look at match in Multan.

Pakistan have gained simply three of their previous 17 Checks, with their final 5 losses main into this sequence – together with a 2-0 defeat at house to Bangladesh – coming beneath Shan Masood’s captaincy, however he answered his critics with an impressive 151 after successful the toss.

It was no shock that Masood elected to make first use of a placid, excellent pitch for batting, with the intense Multan warmth solely making England’s process harder.

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Tuesday eighth October 5:50am

Gus Atkinson (2-70) struck within the fourth over of the day, Saim Ayub (4) out gloving down the legside, however Masood and fellow centurion Abdullah Shafique (102) proceeded to placed on an enormous 253 for the second wicket.

The partnership was lastly ended as Atkinson continued the tremendous begin to his Take a look at profession with a second, seeing off Shafique, whereas the returning Jack Leach (1-61) accounted for Masood – caught and bowled – three overs later.

Any hopes of it sparking a sudden flurry for England have been extinguished by new batters Babar Azam (30) and Saud Shakeel (35no) placing on 61 collectively, however Chris Woakes (1-58) did at the least decide up a fourth late within the day, trapping Babar lbw with the second new ball.

England have been buoyed early on in proceedings by Atkinson’s thirty fifth Take a look at wicket in simply his seventh Take a look at – and first look abroad – as Ayub lazily adopted a ball down the legside and gloved one behind, however the remainder of the day’s play proved onerous graft within the searing solar.

Masood and Shafique each batted superbly, the captain taking over the function of aggressor as he performed positively by means of to a 43-ball half-century – Shoaib Bashir’s first spell, particularly, coming in for some faucet because the off-spinner was taken for 42 runs in his first six overs.

Pope’s overview woes proceed as Pakistan rack up runs

Earlier, England thought that they had their man for simply 16 when Masood was given out lbw on discipline to debutant Brydon Carse, however the burly quick bowler could be denied his maiden Take a look at wicket as DRS confirmed the ball to be simply pitching exterior leg stump.

It was one in every of a scarce variety of alternatives that offered themselves to the vacationers, with Ollie Pope spurning one in every of them, an awesome run-out probability as Shafique set off for a bonkers single when on 34 – Pope’s shy on the stumps lacking with the batter stranded.

Pope too prolonged his woeful overview document as stand-in skipper to zero out of 11. Quickly after Masood ended his four-year look forward to a fifth Take a look at ton, Pope hopefully known as for DRS believing the Pakistan batter had gloved an tried sweep to Ben Duckett at slip, however solely pad confirmed up on UltraEdge as England burned one in every of their three opinions.

Regardless of such setbacks, and with Shafique becoming a member of his companion by means of to 3 figures – mentioning his fifth Take a look at century in model with a six off Leach – the visiting facet continued to plug away at their process diligently they usually’d finally be rewarded for his or her tireless effort with a double-strike within the area of 4 overs early within the night session.

Atkinson first picked up Shafique, caught at level enjoying away from his physique, earlier than Leach snapped up Masood through a pointy return seize off his personal bowling.

Having batted so lengthy in such sapping circumstances, the pair’s unfastened dismissals nodded to the fatigue that was starting to set in, each having suffered from cramp not lengthy earlier than their departures.

Removed from set off a mid-innings wobble although, the wickets merely allowed for the more energizing Babar and Shakeel to come back to the crease and as soon as extra illustrate simply how good a pitch for batting this Multan floor is.

That’s till the second new ball ended their fledgling partnership, Woakes prizing out a fourth with the wicket of Babar to spice up the vacationers as they metal themselves for one more grind within the discipline on day two.

Hussain: As robust because it will get for England

Sky Sports activities’ Nasser Hussain:

“If you walk off in England and the opposition have got 328-4 first digs, a lot of the time you’re out the game. Here, you’re still in the game.

“You are strolling off pondering you probably did effectively and that is the distinction of enjoying at house and enjoying away from house.

“We’re looking at body language, speed, fitness, England showed all of that and they should be proud.

“You’ll be able to solely do what they did right now. You can’t criticise Pope and the bowlers, they gave it the whole lot, that is as robust because it will get as a bowling unit.”

First Take a look at: Multan – October 7-11

Second Take a look at: Multan – October 15-19

Third Take a look at: Rawalpindi – October 24-28

Each match from the 2024 Ladies’s T20 World Cup can also be reside on Sky Sports activities from October 3-20 with Australia aiming for a 3rd straight title and seventh total, and England searching for to triumph for the primary time because the inaugural version in 2009.

Watch day two of the primary Take a look at between Pakistan and England in Multan, reside on Sky Sports activities Cricket and Predominant Occasion from 5.50am on Tuesday, forward of play ranging from 6am.