Flat. That’s the only word there to describe the pitch in the Multan Cricket Stadium. But the seemingly lifeless surface brought much happiness to Pakistani fans. The fear of the repeat of the 2021 series was on their minds. Luckily, Abdullah Shafique and Shan Masood extinguished those doubts. Saim Ayub didn’t last long, and then the opener and Pakistan captain stitched a mammoth 253-run stand against a Ben Stokes-less England.
The 2nd wicket partnership was the fourth highest for Pakistan as Shafique and Masood joined the likes of Zaheer Abbas and Saeed Anwar. The placid surface didn’t even induce chances. It was a walk in the park for the first two sessions. Unlike the past Pakistani sides, Masood had decided to take the game forward.
Highest 2nd wicket partnerships for Pakistan in Tests
- 291 – Mushtaq Mohammad & Zaheer Abbas vs ENG, Birmingham, 1971
287 – Azhar Ali & Mohammad Hafeez vs SL, Colombo, 2012
262 – Ijaz Ahmed & Saeed Anwar vs NZ, Rawalpindi, 1996
253 – Abdullah Shafique & Shan Masood vs ENG, Multan, today
They scored nearly 5 runs an over in the first session and over 4 in the second. Masood had already notched up a hundred, his first as Pakistan’s Test captain and fifth career ton in 35 matches. He’d averaged a meager 28.6 as captain before he made England pay in Multan and enjoyed every bit of it.
Shan Masood’s record as Pakistan Test captain
| Runs | Avg | 50s & 100s | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First 5 matches | 286 | 28.6 | 3 & 0 |
| Today | 151 | 151 | 0 & 1 |
Shafique got to his fifth Test ton moments after Tea. The opener was going through a rough patch; having scored just 42 runs at an astoundingly poor average of 7 in his last three matches, he needed a big score desperately. But, as soon as he got to his milestone, he eased himself and threw his wicket by chasing a full and wide ball outside off.
Things slowed down, and after Masood got his 2nd 150+ score in Test cricket, he walked out back as well. Sensing an opportunity, Ollie Pope looked to put pressure on out-of-form Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel. With the pitch doing no tricks, they decided survival was more important than taking English bowlers on. The scoring rate dropped below 3 for the first time, and Chris Woakes managed to get Babar out for 31 runs, minutes before the day’s play ended.
PAK vs ENG 1st Test: Day 1 Brief Scores
Pakistan: 328/4 (Shan Masood 151, Abdullah Shafique 102; Gus Atkinson 70/2, Chris Woakes 58/1)
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