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Louise Thomas
Editor
Pakistan made England feel the heat on day one of the Test series in Multan, where a stand of 253 between Shan Masood and Abdullah Shafique left the tourists with a fight on their hands.
On their previous visit to the country two years ago it was England who seized control on the opening day, smashing 506 in Rawalpindi, but the boot was on the other foot this time as the hosts racked up 328 for four.
An early breakthrough from Gus Atkinson proved a false dawn as recent Yorkshire captain Masood reeled off an impeccable 151 alongside the resolute Shafique, who supported with 102.
Three wickets in the evening, including Chris Woakes’ late strike against the dangerous Babar Azam, were enough to raise spirits in the away camp but this was a reminder that a repeat of their 3-0 whitewash in 2022 will be no easy feat.
In temperatures which topped 37 degrees on the field England took 56 gruelling overs to part the centurions and, despite their best attempts to brush the matter aside, may have regretted the absence of bowling coach James Anderson.
The most prolific seamer in Test history, nudged into retirement and straight on to the backroom staff over the summer, missed the preparations due to his participation in the Alfred Dunhill Links golf tournament and was not scheduled to touch down until day two of the match.
Having excelled here last time out, Anderson’s expertise would have been a valuable resource for a seam unit comprising Woakes on his first appearance in Asia for eight years, Test debutant Brydon Carse and Atkinson in his first overseas outing.
England’s weary heads lifted midway through the evening session when both set batters perished inside three overs, Shafique chipping Atkinson to point and Masood punching a low return catch to Jack Leach, but fatigue was surely a factor with both players visibly battling bouts of cramp.
Despite losing an important toss things started encouragingly for England when Saim Ayub stepped across his stumps and nicked Atkinson down the leg-side to Jamie Smith having scored just four. It was a soft dismissal but familiar territory for an opening pair who have yet to to reach double figures in seven innings together.
Beyond that initial success there was precious little joy for England. Woakes’ hopes of shaking off his disappointing record on the road had a slow start in an uneven new-ball spell, while Atkinson lacked the extra zip to disturb the batters’ rhythm.
Newcomer Carse was quicker, soon nudging 90mph, but his hopes of a maiden wicket were dashed when an lbw against Masood was overturned by DRS. England shifted their plans after an hour, pairing Shoaib Bashir’s spin with a round of bouncers from Carse.
Neither ploy worked, Bashir unsettled as his first six overs cost 42 – including four boundaries in eight balls and six from Shafique off his last delivery.
England could have burgled a wicket when Shafique took a risky single on 34 but Ollie Pope missed the stumps from close range as the chance went begging.
Resuming after lunch on 122, and with both batters past fifty, it was time for Masood to accelerate. He helped himself to a couple of sixes, pulling Carse with a swivel of the hips and clattering Leach over long-on afterwards to spoil a run of solid overs from the returning slow left-armer.
He ticked off his hundred in just 102 balls, his fifth Test ton but first since the Covid summer of 2020 at Old Trafford.
England lost a review when Bashir thought he had Masood caught at slip on 115 and when there was a rare edge, from Shafique against Woakes, it skipped wide of the cordon for four runs.
Shafique had waited patiently to join his skipper on three figures, taking tea on 94, but when he spotted the chance he threw everything at it. Galloping down the pitch at Leach, he hoisted a handsome shot all the way over the advertising boards for another six.
When Pope failed to grab a half-chance off Masood on 133 England’s wait looked like it might go on all day but their luck finally changed.
With a ring of close fielders stationed in front of square, Atkinson tossed one into the channel and persuaded Shafique to pick out Pope with a simpler offering at point.
The relief was palpable and, with the spell finally broken, they soon had Masood too. Leach was the deserved beneficiary on this occasion, grasping a low return catch as just reward for his discipline.
Babar and Saud Shakeel (35 not out) added another 61 before the second new ball did its job, Woakes pinning Babar lbw to end a taxing day on the up.
