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Louise Thomas
Editor
England were feeling the heat on day one in Multan as a dominant century from Shan Masood saw Pakistan pile on 233 for one at tea.
On the previous visit to the country two years ago it was the tourists who seized control on the opening day of the series, smashing 506 for four, but the boot was firmly on the other foot this time.
After an early breakthrough for Gus Atkinson it was easy pickings for Pakistan on a docile pitch, with the visitors labouring in sapping heat.
Masood, who captained Yorkshire last summer, was flawless as he made 130 not out and Abdullah Shafique brushed off a run of poor form to reach 94no.
The pair put on an unbroken 225 for the second wicket, leaving their weary opponents striving for answers.
Shoaib Bashir struggled to keep the scoring down, coughing up 59 off 11 overs, and Chris Woakes’ latest attempt to find inspiration on the road fall flat.
Debutant Brydon Carse, meanwhile, was denied a maiden wicket when his lbw against Masood was overturned by DRS and Jack Leach was tidy but underused.
Despite losing an important toss things started encouragingly for England when Saim Ayub stepped across his stumps and nicked Atkinson down the leg-side for just four. It was a soft dismissal but in keeping with an opening pair who have failed to reach double figures in seven innings together.
Beyond that initial success there was precious little for England to enjoy. Woakes’ first spell occupied an hour, trying his luck from both ends without joy, and Atkinson struggled to find enough extra zip to hurry the batters.
Carse was quicker, nudging 90mph early in his spell and winning an lbw decision against Masood in his second over. But his hopes of a first Test scalp were dashed on review, which showed the ball pitching just outside leg.
On 56 for one at drinks, England shifted their plans – pairing the spin of Bashir with a blast of short balls from Carse.
Bashir struggled to settle as he went at seven an over in his first spell, at one stage shelled for four boundaries in eight deliveries and signing off by being lashed for six by Shafique.
The nearest England came to a second breakthrough came 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 after to spoil a run of solid overs from the 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.
