1 month ago
13
First Test, Multan (day 1 of five)
Pakistan 328-4 Masood 151, Shafique 102; Atkinson 2-70
England: yet to bat
England got a precocious reward astatine the extremity of a gruelling opening time to their circuit of Pakistan, who were taken to 328-4 by centuries from Shan Masood and Abdullah Shafique.
England claimed an unprecedented 3-0 triumph present 2 years ago, but with a antithetic squad and successful antithetic conditions, this was ever apt to beryllium a hard proposition.
So it proved aft Pakistan won the flip successful oppressive vigor and pounced connected the accidental to bat archetypal connected the flattest of pitches.
Gus Atkinson had Saim Ayub caught down the limb broadside successful the 4th over, lone for opener Shafique and skipper Masood to heap connected 253 for the 2nd wicket.
Masood overturned being fixed retired lbw to England debutant Brydon Carse connected 16 and Shafique could person been tally retired by stand-in skipper Ollie Pope connected 34.
Both men fell successful the abstraction of 17 deliveries, Shafique to Atkinson for 102 and Masood to Jack Leach for 151.
At 263-3, England had anticipation of taking much from the day, anticipation dimmed erstwhile Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel added 61, past realised erstwhile Chris Woakes pinned Babar limb before.
Brendon McCullum said earlier this lucifer began that England were realistic astir the situation that awaited them. Perhaps the manager had days similar this successful mind.
McCullum besides defended the precocious accomplishment of bowling advisor James Anderson, truthful instrumental successful England’s occurrence 2 years agone erstwhile helium was inactive a player. Bar coming retired of retirement, it is hard to ideate what Anderson could person done to assistance England combat these conditions.
The flip was crucial. For each the speech of a greenish pitch, the aboveground was shaved conscionable earlier play to permission a placid, run-filled batting paradise.
Short of Pope calling otherwise erstwhile the coin went up, determination was small other England could person tried. This was arsenic pugnacious arsenic it gets for a gait onslaught that has hardly played overseas, a young spinner successful Shoaib Bashir and another, Leach, playing his archetypal Test since January.
Despite temperatures of 35 degrees, constricted mentation clip and the lack of injured skipper Ben Stokes, England stuck to the task. Their effort cannot beryllium faulted and they deserved the prized scalp of Babar.
The tourists tin instrumentality bosom from the likelihood of the transportation remaining bully by the clip they travel to bat. When that mightiness beryllium is the large question.
English (US)