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Captain Shan Masood hit a century and Abdullah Shafique hit a fifty as Pakistan made 200 runs for the loss of one wicket in the Multan Test against England.

Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat. England’s opening session yielded only one wicket despite an early breakthrough. Saim Ayub, caught behind off Gus Atkinson’s bowling with only 8 runs on the board, was the sole casualty.

Despite captain Ollie Pope—filling in for the injured Ben Stokes—trying various bowling options, the Pakistan openers, proved incredibly difficult to dislodge.

England’s closest opportunity to separate the pair came when a risky, non-existent run by Shafique to mid-on allowed Pope a chance at a run-out at the non-striker’s end, a chance he narrowly missed.

Pakistan, entering the match with a five-Test losing streak under captain Shan Masood’s leadership and without a home Test victory since 2021, received a significant boost from winning the toss and choosing to bat. This decision, mirrored by Pope who admitted he would have done the same, proved shrewd despite the pitch showing a hint of green and the early dismissal of Ayub.

The lack of movement for England’s opening bowlers, Chris Woakes (playing his first overseas Test since March 2022) and Atkinson, was notable. Ayub’s dismissal in the fourth over, caught behind off a seemingly innocuous short ball, was therefore somewhat surprising, leaving England to toil without further reward in the session