1st Test
Day-1 Afternoon Session Highlights:
Shan Masood and Abdullah Shafique’s aggressive batting has put the England team on the back foot
At The Tea of Day-1:
Pakistan scored 233/1 vs England
Led by Shan Masood’s maiden century as captain and solid support from Abdullah Shafique, Pakistan cruised to 233 for 1 in a dominant post-lunch session on the opening day against England in Multan.
The pair extended their second-wicket partnership to 225, as England’s bowlers struggled to make any impact on a flat pitch.
Employing an aggressive approach, Pakistan capitalized on the conditions in a manner reminiscent of how England’s batters had done on their previous tour.
The English bowlers found little assistance from the surface after the first hour of play and were left searching for answers.
In the second session, England tried to break through with a short-ball strategy and nearly succeeded when Shafique miscued a pull shot early on.
However, the Pakistani pair quickly recovered.
Jack Leach continued to flight the ball from one end, while Carse maintained the short-ball attack from the other.
Both Masood and Shafique capitalized on poorly directed deliveries, playing confident pull shots to keep the runs flowing.
Even Gus Atkinson’s faster short deliveries posed little threat, as the boundaries kept coming.
Masood, the more aggressive of the two, pulled Atkinson for a six and charged down the pitch to dispatch Leach for another over the ropes.
He brought up his first Test century in four years with a gentle nudge for a single.
As the scoreboard ticked over at a brisk pace, England reviewed a leg-before decision when Masood missed a sweep off Shoaib Bashir, but the appeal was turned down.
Toward the end of the session, the duo shifted gears, relying on quick singles and twos to maintain their momentum.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat.
Saim Ayub was caught down the leg side in the fourth over, giving England their only success of the morning.
After that, Masood’s aggressive batting quickly put England on the back foot.
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