Good morning and welcome to our live blog of the first Test between Pakistan and England, in Multan. England arrive distinctly short of a gallop, they have only just arrived in the country. That’s not to say that the England cricket team haven’t been busy: after all, they were contesting a one-day series in England only last week, playing Australia with a white ball under grey skies. Conditions-wise, this is a different challenge and there’s no getting away from the fact that England are undercooked.
It seems absurd really, and there are personnel questions to answer alongside the structural ones about fixture congestion. With James Anderson having been retired, Mark Wood injured and Ollie Robinson out in the cold, none of the seamers who played on England’s successful last trip here are present. England take on Pakistan with a pace bowling attack of Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse and Gus Atkinson. Woakes, splendid fellow and a force in English conditions, has played 20 Tests overseas and taken 36 wickets at 52, far inferior to his record in Blighty. The other two haven’t played Test cricket at all outside the UK. And talking of inexperience, with Ben Stokes out injured still, Ollie Pope skippers.
All that said, the hosts have plenty of problems of their own, they have lost five Tests in a row and the build up to this one has been a bit of a shambles, it wasn’t even really clear where the opening match would be played. But in Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Aamer Jamal, they have some quality bowling and skipper Shan Masood has the batting genius of Babar Azam to call upon. It would take a brave person to predict this one and to be honest the wheels could come off for either, or indeed both, sides.
The toss will be at 5.30am UK time and the action starts at 6am UK.
The Toss
Here is the toss.
Ramiz Raja is doing the toss. Pakistan win the toss and bat.
Pakistan's Batting Domination
The hessian cover has been peeled off and the pitch looks green, making it important England make the most of the new ball after Pakistan won the toss and bat first. The grass will not last long under the hot sun so a wasteful performance with the new ball could cost England the game. Brydon Carse received his Test cap from Ben Stokes this morning, making his debut at 29 which is unusually old for the Bazballers.
A Devastating Start for England
Gus Atkinson gets the first wicket of the series with the SOFT dismissal of Saim Ayub! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/i9xo64j430
Will Macpherson: “Gus Atkinson’s 35th Test wicket, in just his seventh Test. Definitely not the prettiest, but they all count, especially in these conditions.”
Absolute gimme for England as Saim caught down the leg side off a nothing ball from Atkinson. It is the seventh consecutive single figure stand for these openers - an all time record according to TMS statistician Andy Zaltsman - and on a flat pitch that one is a shocker.
Skipper Shan Masood comes in, sooner than he would have been hoping having won the toss and batted.
Oh dear that is a poor way to get out. Legside ball from Atkinson, bit of extra bounce but no way a Test match opener should be fiddling at that and gloving it behind. Weak. FOW 8/1
This pair are settling well and beginning the process of recovery from the early setback.
Abdullah Shafique timing the ball nicely as he attacks Atkinson. Gus is bowling quite quick. Drawing some false shots but runs are coming.
England's Bowling Woes
Woakes going quite straight at Shafique and hits him on the pads, high.
This looks like what a certain Yorkshireman would describe as a “book in for bed and breakfast.” Shafique creams a ball from Carse to the cover fence. The Nautical Bottom has his work cut out on debut.
Carse and his new teammattes can review their progress over drinks
A bad toss for England to lose, you’d say. Certainly that was my immediate instinct when my alarm went off this morning, and I rolled over bleary-eyed this morning. The dynamic between Leach and Bashir will be fascinating; senior man Leach was bowling beautifully for Somerset in September, while first choice Bashir’s season rather fell away.
Zak Crawley true to his word on not fielding in the slips. He’s England’s best athlete, but that was a filthy run out attempt. Saim would surely have been safe either way.
Woakes accurate and getting a bit of seam movement. Promising start.
Hoult: “This pitch is very dry. There are footmarks at Chris Woakes’s end after just one over. It will turn. The grass will burn off quickly and expect it to crumble. Batting last will be a massive challenge.”
It looks jolly hot! Chris Woakes has the new ball. David Gower is on comms. Woakes will bowl to Abdullah Shafique.
Masood's Century
Masood tucks Atkinson to leg for a couple to bring up his 50. And then celebrates by creaming a four a couple of balls later. Looking in the mood.
Masood playing young Bashir with real authority here and Bash needs to find a way to bride the experience gap. Can Pope help him? Probably not, I would suggesrt.
How important will that century from Shan Masood be for Pakistan? A personal triumph, coming into this Test under pressure of his job, but he has set the tone with a stylish century off 101 balls - Pakistan’s fastest against England. He has attacked as he promised he would and seized Pakistan’s chance to capitalise on a good toss to win. We have seen recently Pakistan throw away good positions in Test cricket. They cannot let this one go.
Ricky Ponting would be pleased if he was commentating in Multan. The century by a captain in the first innings of the opening Test was his speciality. It stamps his authority on the whole series.
Pakistan's Dominance
One gifted wicket, but otherwise Pakistan have taken control here.
Will Macpherson: “Hard work, that, for England. Nice batting from Pakistan, especially Abdullah Shafique, who scored more slowly than Shan Masood, but looked in much greater control. They have a clear strategy to hit Shoaib Bashir out of the attack, which would mean more and more overs for the seamers in searing heat...”
England review...desperately at that. They were hoping Masood got an edge of sorts as he tried to play a sweep. He didn’t and thus Ollie Pope’s woeful record of reviewing rolls on. That was about as speculative as a review gets.
It is so hot in the afternoon sun even the black kites that circled the ground all morning have disappeared to find some shade. That was the 11th unsuccessful review out of 11 for Ollie Pope and possibly one of the most optimistic of the lot. Masood has set the tone and now Pakistan are milking England, who are looking weary at the halfway point of the day.
England's Struggles
England’s best course of action here is to build pressure through dot balls.
This might well be wishful on my part but I think there may just be a hint of movement for Chris Woakes here. My lack of certainty betrays the reality that it’s minimal at best but it’s certainly better than nothing for England right now. Woeakes drops too short and Masood cashes in through point. Back when he was playing James Anderson was always superb at maintaining control in these kinds of situations.
Turning into the kind of day where England would ordinarily put the bowling coach up for media duties but, well…
Woakes floats the ball up fuller. Masood goes after it and gets two for his efforts but it’s uppish and not without risk. England are going to have to get creative here. These are very well set and are already far enough ahead of the game whereby they won’t mind a quiet scoring period if one of the England bowlers really hits their straps. In short, boring one of them out will become increasingly difficult.
Masood starting to ask some questions of Leach. Hard sweep for four. I’ve always liked Shan. Intelligent batsman and person. Was something of a walking wicket in 2015 and 2016 when England played Pakistan in UAE and then in England. But he made some changes and came back at England with that super 156 at Old Trafford in 2020.
England Need to Find a Solution
One (only?) positive for England so far: Pakistan’s start - and the heat - suggests that England were right to pick five bowlers, rather than Jamie Cox as the replacement for Ben Stokes, and only four specialists. Still, even with five bowlers, suspect we could see Joe Root tried as a sixth option at some point in the afternoon if England’s toil continues.
The Leach grind continues. He’s been economical if not threatening thus far but in truth getting a touch of control back will have been welcome to Ollie Pope. As I type, Masood smashes Leach back over his head for six...
Atkinson hacks in. England feel like they are wilting a touch here. Flat pitch, swealtering day – this will be as much about mental character as it is about the quality of the bowling. Masood picks up a couple out to deep sqaure.
What Next for England?
England need to hit the ground running.
Pakistan win has gone odds on. England pushed out to 5/1 or worse.
The questions for the tourists are already mounting up. If they can push on from here they can bat England out of the Test and the questions for the tourists are already mounting up.
An unblemished session for Pakistan who have made efficient and indeed largely untroubled progress to a very handy score.
You’d think this will be the last in this spell for Woakes. He is looking a touch weary at the moment and Pakistan are milking England with ease.
Leach is yet to find any noticeable turn on this pitch but his areas remain consistent and that’s reflected in his economy. Just one from that set.
Joe Root – so often the man to come up with big wickets for England in these kinds of situations – is going to have a bowl. Wigmore on the money. Certainly worth the gamble for Pope this. The over is fairly easily negotiated by these two Pakistan batsmen.
Only one thing more annoying during a hot day in the field than singles seized by a left and right handed pair of batsmen which demand so much changing over - and that is something thrice as annoying, the three. Pakistan have scored ten threes in their first 50 overs, thanks in part to some artless field placing.
This pair happy to treat Leach with caution, and he’s not posing any particular questions, so another quiet over.
Leach is the only England bowler to have provided any real control. Easy to hark back to 2022, because they played so well, but look at the economy rates on that tour. Pakistan were much more passive than they have been here, but England dried it up so well. Anderson, Wood and Robinson all had economies of less than 2.5, putting strain on Pakistan’s batsmen, who attacked the spinners.
Tyers here, retaking control after a skillful and committed spell from Tom Ward that sadly failed to yield a wicket. Root wheels away. Four off the over, comfortable, Shaf onto the Aussie bogey number.
Shafique sweeps Root hard, four runs, and he is into the nineties. Pushes to the covers for a two a few balls later and that is tea
