Shan Masood and Abdullah Shafique scored half-centuries in the first session © PCB
An attacking passage of play, led by half-centuries from Shan Masood and Abdullah Shafique, helped Pakistan to 122 for 1 at Lunch on the opening day in Multan. There was a bit of help for the pacers early on, but barring the dismissal of Saim Ayub, they couldn't cause any damage in the morning session.
Electing to bat, Pakistan lost Ayub in the fourth over of the innings, strangled down the leg by Gus Atkinson. Pakistan's batters struggled early on, at times getting beaten, at times getting hit on the pads, at times finding the outside edge of the bat. However, once the movement subsided a bit, Shafique punched the ball around gaps neatly, even picking three successive 3s off Chris Woakes after the first half an hour of play.
Masood took time to settle in, and continued keeping the fielders interested with numerous edges that ran away in empty spaces. He was even pinged on the pads by Brydon Carse and declared legbefore, a decision he managed to get overturned through a review. However, after the drinks break, when spin was introduced, he took the attack to Shoaib Bashir, stepping out against the offspinner. A flurry of boundaries followed as he raced away to his half-century in only 43 balls, his fastest in Test cricket.
Shafique, who was the more conservative of the two, also joined in soon after. In the penultimate over before Lunch, he first shimmied down the track against Bashir. And then stayed behind and cut - both balls racing away for boundaries. He then finished the over by going down the track and lofting the office over long on for a six to bring up his half-century.
Brief Scores: Pakistan 122/1 (Shan Masood 61*, Abdullah Shafique 53*; Gus Atkinson 1-32) vs England.
An attacking passage of play, led by half-centuries from Shan Masood and Abdullah Shafique, helped Pakistan to 122 for 1 at Lunch on the opening day in Multan. There was a bit of help for the pacers early on, but barring the dismissal of Saim Ayub, they couldn't cause any damage in the morning session.
Electing to bat, Pakistan lost Ayub in the fourth over of the innings, strangled down the leg by Gus Atkinson. Pakistan's batters struggled early on, at times getting beaten, at times getting hit on the pads, at times finding the outside edge of the bat. However, once the movement subsided a bit, Shafique punched the ball around gaps neatly, even picking three successive 3s off Chris Woakes after the first half an hour of play.
Masood took time to settle in, and continued keeping the fielders interested with numerous edges that ran away in empty spaces. He was even pinged on the pads by Brydon Carse and declared legbefore, a decision he managed to get overturned through a review. However, after the drinks break, when spin was introduced, he took the attack to Shoaib Bashir, stepping out against the offspinner. A flurry of boundaries followed as he raced away to his half-century in only 43 balls, his fastest in Test cricket.
Shafique, who was the more conservative of the two, also joined in soon after. In the penultimate over before Lunch, he first shimmied down the track against Bashir. And then stayed behind and cut - both balls racing away for boundaries. He then finished the over by going down the track and lofting the office over long on for a six to bring up his half-century.
Brief Scores: Pakistan 122/1 (Shan Masood 61*, Abdullah Shafique 53*; Gus Atkinson 1-32) vs England.