Masood & Shafique make England toil in first Test

First Test, Multan (day one of five)

Pakistan 328-4 Masood 151, Shafique 102; Atkinson 2-70

England: yet to bat

Scorecard

England got a late reward at the end of a gruelling opening day to their tour of Pakistan, who were taken to 328-4 by centuries from Shan Masood and Abdullah Shafique.

England claimed an unprecedented 3-0 win here two years ago, but with a different team and in different conditions, this was always likely to be a difficult proposition.

So it proved after Pakistan won the toss in oppressive heat and pounced on the chance to bat first on the flattest of pitches.

Gus Atkinson had Saim Ayub caught down the leg side in the fourth over, only for opener Shafique and captain Masood to pile on 253 for the second wicket.

Masood overturned being given out lbw to England debutant Brydon Carse on 16 and Shafique could have been run out by stand-in skipper Ollie Pope on 34.

Both men fell in the space of 17 deliveries, Shafique to Atkinson for 102 and Masood to Jack Leach for 151.

At 263-3, England had hope of taking more from the day, hope dimmed when Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel added 61, then realised when Chris Woakes pinned Babar leg before.

Brendon McCullum said before this match began that England were realistic about the challenge that awaited them. Perhaps the coach had days like this in mind.

McCullum also defended the late arrival of bowling consultant James Anderson, so instrumental in England’s success two years ago when he was still a player. Bar coming out of retirement, it is hard to imagine what Anderson could have done to help England combat these conditions.

The toss was crucial. For all the talk of a green pitch, the surface was shaved just before play to leave a placid, run-filled batting paradise.

Short of Pope calling differently when the coin went up, there was little else England could have tried. This was as tough as it gets for a pace attack that has barely played overseas, a young spinner in Shoaib Bashir and another, Leach, playing his first Test since January.

Despite temperatures of 35 degrees, limited preparation time and the absence of injured captain Ben Stokes, England stuck to the task. Their effort cannot be faulted and they deserved the prized scalp of Babar.

The tourists can take heart from the likelihood of the pitch remaining good by the time they come to bat. When that might be is the big question.

Masood and his team are under pressure. Pakistan have gone 10 Tests without a home win and Masood has lost all five of his matches in charge, including a 2-0 defeat by Bangladesh in August.

But Masood has been open about his admiration for England’s attacking intent and dished out some aggression of his own after Ayub tickled down the leg side from Atkinson’s 10th delivery of the day.

How different it might have been for England had Carse’s lbw shout not pitched marginally outside Masood’s leg stump or Pope’s flick at the non-striker’s stumps hit when a diving Shafique was short of his ground. Pope possibly had time to remove the bails himself.

Left-hander Masood played through the covers, Shafique towards mid-wicket. Both attacked Bashir and were untroubled by England’s bouncers. For Shafique it was a first Test hundred since July 2023, for Masood, a first in four years.

Both men were struggling with cramp when they fell in quick succession. Shafique drove Atkinson to Pope at cover, then Masood patted a return catch to Leach.

Babar looked ominous for his 30, only to play across Woakes, leaving Shakeel on 35 alongside nightwatchman Naseem Shah.

Pace bowling was key to England’s success here two years ago, so a fresh-looking attack came under the spotlight in the run-up to this match. Woakes has a terrible record overseas, Atkinson had not played away before, Carse not anywhere before.

England lacked experience and assistance. The ball barely swung or turned, offering next to nothing for bowlers of all kinds.

Woakes started well before his effectiveness waned. Carse was lively, asked to bowl bouncers as early as the 15th over of the day, a plan that England overdid. Bashir was expensive, often lacking control.

England were led by Atkinson and Leach. The ball Atkinson bowled to get Ayub was probably his worst of the day and, later, he tirelessly executed the plan to drag Shafique into a loose drive.

Left-armer Leach was overlooked in the home summer, though is the only one of England’s frontline bowlers to have played in Pakistan before. He was by far England’s most economical bowler and comfortably out-performed Bashir.

As the light faded Woakes, was given the second new ball. The thud into Babar’s front pad gave him just a seventh Test wicket in Asia and first since 2016.