PAK vs ENG | Masood and Shafique’s tons frustrate English bowlers as Pakistan claims advantage on Day 1

Debayan Sinha

ByDebayan Sinha, SportsCafe Editor

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Pakistan dominated the first day, finishing at 328/4, courtesy of impressive centuries from Abdullah Shafique and skipper Shan Masood to put their team in a commanding position. The flat pitch in Multan hindered the English bowlers, who struggled to take wickets throughout the day.

‌Pakistan's hopes of bouncing back from their home Test defeat against Bangladesh took a further hit when they opted to bat first against England in Multan and lost their opening wicket early, with Saim Ayub falling in the fourth over to Gus Atkinson. However, Abdullah Shafique and Shan Masood sought to stabilize the innings with a counterattacking approach. The pair effectively adopted the Bazball strategy, dispatching the ball to all corners of the ground. Shafique reached his half-century in just 43 balls, propelling the score to 98/1 at the end of 21 overs. The typically flat Multan pitch favoured the batters, allowing for occasional boundaries as the English bowlers struggled to find the right line and length. Shafique also settled in nicely, bringing up his fifty in 77 deliveries. Together, they forged a 114-run partnership, guiding the score to 122/1 by the time Lunch was called after 25 overs.

Post-Lunch, Pakistan remained in control as the Shafique-Masood partnership flourished, accumulating a remarkable 153 runs together and lifting the score to 161/1 in 35 overs. Amidst the run surge, Masood smashed a stunning century in 102 deliveries. With the partnership thriving, England desperately sought a breakthrough to halt the impressive 191-run alliance. The pitch resembled a bowler's graveyard, as the English bowlers struggled to find a way to break the stand. Ultimately, Shafique and Masood combined for a formidable 225-run partnership, leaving Pakistan at 233/1 in 52 overs at Tea.

The English bowlers faced relentless pressure in the final session as Shafique reached his century off 165 balls. Despite their disciplined efforts, nothing seemed to click for them, as the pair of Shafique and Masood consistently punished their short deliveries. The muched needed relief finally came when Atkinson dismissed Shafique in the 60th over, breaking the 253-run partnership. The visitors' fortunes improved further when the in-form Masood fell in the 63rd over after scoring 151 from 171 balls. However, Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel quickly resumed the momentum, adding 56 runs to bring the score to 319/3 in 83 overs. As the day drew to a close, Babar’s struggles continued as he managed only 30 off 71 balls before being trapped in front by Chris Woakes, leaving Pakistan at 324/4 in 86 overs at Stumps.

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