Pakistan ends day 1st at 328/4 in first Test against England

The opening day of the first Test between Pakistan and England concluded with the Shan Masood-led team scoring 328 runs for the loss of four wickets at the Multan Cricket Stadium.

After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, Pakistan faced an early setback when opener Saim Ayub was dismissed for just four runs, caught behind off the bowling of Gus Atkinson.

Despite the early loss, captain Shan Masood and opener Abdullah Shafique formed a strong partnership, putting together 114 runs to stabilize the innings and reaching 122 for one at lunch.

Masood’s innings was particularly impressive, as he scored 151 runs off 177 balls, featuring 13 boundaries and two sixes. He was eventually caught by Jack Leach after 62.3 overs.

Shafique also played a vital role, scoring 102 runs from 184 balls, but he fell to a direct hit from stand-in captain Ollie Pope after a risky single. Babar Azam aimed for a half-century but ended up making only 30 runs before being dismissed lbw by Chris Woakes.

By the end of the day, Saud Shakeel was unbeaten on 35, with Naseem Shah at the crease with no runs. Pakistan will resume their innings on the second day with a strong total.

England, missing their regular captain Ben Stokes due to a hamstring injury, was led by Ollie Pope. The team’s bowling attack included Woakes and Leach, who took one wicket each, while Atkinson secured two wickets.

The match marks the beginning of a three-match series and is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25.

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