Two years ago Ben Stokes walked on water in Pakistan and could do nothing wrong. This time around his stand-in as captain, Ollie Pope, would probably slip over on a bar of soap in the shower.
Minutes after spending 149 sweltering overs in the field as Pakistan racked up 549, Pope was pressed in as an emergency opener and scored a two-ball duck.
An injury to Ben Duckett’s left thumb taking a catch to dismiss Pakistan’s No 11 forced Pope to open for the first time in first-class cricket. And this is a player who speaks openly about the battle of compartmentalising batting and leadership.
Forced into a quick rethink of the batting order, Pope, with his mind still buzzing about bowling changes and field placings, failed to get enough elevation on a short ball from Naseem Shah that he should have put away. Aamer Jamal dived to his right and pulled off a world class catch at midwicket. Pope looked to the heavens and let out a howl.
It ended 25 minutes of chaos for England that included two simple missed chances off Pakistan’s last man Abrar Ahmed and Duckett’s injury, a suspected dislocation. England did not send him for a scan and hope it will settle down but it looked a nasty blow.
Before the series started Brendon McCullum warned the whitewash of 2022 masterminded by Stokes’s brilliant strategic mind was an “outlier”. This most positive of men admitted his team were “realistic” about their chances against a side recently beaten 2-0 by Bangladesh. It was “not going to be easy,” he said.
So it has panned out and after two days England are facing a stern test of their mental strength without their talismanic captain and potentially minus one of the most enthusiastic exponents of Bazball, Duckett.
Now they need Joe Root to continue his march to go past Sir Alastair Cook’s runs record and Zak Crawley to cash in on an unbeaten, 49-ball fifty. They batted England with style to 96-1 at 4.8 an over, and with the pitch playing well, can keep their side in the game. England have won both times they have conceded 500 under McCullum, including beating Pakistan in Rawalpindi two years ago, when they made more than their 556 here.
England had already scored more than 600 in that game, this time they have endured a footslogging five-and-a-half sessions of hard work in the field. The docile pitch forced the seamers to bowl 104 strength-sapping bouncers in the hope of a breakthrough. The definition of sod’s law for them was the fact that only Root took a wicket with a short ball.
In Asia teams can quickly spiral downwards when marginal moments go against them and England have experienced plenty of those already. They lost the toss on a flatbed and thought they had Shan Masood lbw for 16 but it was overturned before he scored a likely match-shaping 151. Today, the third umpire ruled out a Chris Woakes juggling catch on the boundary when another century maker, Salman Agha, was just getting going, while the nightwatchman batted for 81 balls and the ninth wicket added 85. It was all capped by Duckett’s injury at the very end of Pakistan’s long innings.
The pitch exposed the already-known limitations of England’s attack and the constant problem of taking wickets on flat decks. There was little turn to work with for the spinners, apart from the one that fizzed and bounced for Shoaib Bashir to dismiss Saud Shakeel for a dogged 82, and Pope is a captain learning the job. He tried many combinations, kept spirits up and at no stage did England look really desperate.
Pakistan squeezed every last drop out of their innings, resisting the declaration and Duckett’s injury proved the worth of keeping England out in the field as long as possible.
Tired minds make mistakes and it was no surprise the two chances missed to dismiss Abrar were by Jamie Smith, who had never kept this long before in Test cricket, and Gus Atkinson, who bowled more overs than any other seamer. Smith missed a regulation stumping, Atkinson a catch over his shoulder.
The consequence was not counted in runs but the injury to Duckett. Root bowled his bouncer, surprising Abrar who steered a fast catch to Duckett at slip who immediately clutched his left hand to chest and signalled to the dressing room.
After taking 90 minutes to knock over nightwatchman Naseem in the morning but then removing dangerman Mohammad Rizwan for a duck, England had an opening. Agha, on 15 with Pakistan 426-6, tried to bop Jack Leach over long off, Woakes ran back, caught the ball and parried it in the air as his momentum took him over the rope. He jumped over the boundary and completed the catch but one replay showed the toes of his right foot may still have been in contact with the ground. It was a tight call and the defining moment was possibly between frames. Agha was given the benefit and went on to slot his third Test hundred.
He played superbly hitting 10 fours and three sixes, but there were passages when Pakistan slowed, worried about letting England back in and wary of they can do with the bat. England will score quicker, this one is not over just yet.
01:43 PM BST
Brydon Carse, England debutant, speaks to Sky Sports
“It’s been hard work over the last two days but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the challenge.
“I’ve had loads of messages over the last two days from friends and family and people that have supported me over the last 10 years since I moved to England. It’s very much appreciated.
“Stokesy said to me after we fielded that it’s not going to get as tough as this over the last two days. There were times when the heat was probably the biggest challenge and obviously the wicket.”
01:39 PM BST
Aamir Jamal speaks to Sky Sports
“On every ball I try to plan like the ball is coming towards me to so when your mind is prepped for that, then whatever kind of catch it is, you’re ready.
“We’re trying to bowl stump to stumps and I think that is going to be the most effective here because it’s low. The more we bowl into the stumps, the more chances we get.
“Hopefully, in the morning we’re going to come with a positive mindset and I’m confident that with our bowling line up and the experience, we can take benefits from that.”
01:37 PM BST
Close: England 96/1 (Crawley 64 Root 32)
That’s it for today.
After a shaky start from England which saw Pope fall early after just two overs, Root and Crawley worked well together, with a finishing score of 96/1 off 20 overs.
The pair will be disappointed to have finished when they did.
Duckett injured his left thumb taking a catch for the final wicket and couldn’t open the batting – his injury will be assessed tomorrow, with the England camp hopeful it will settle overnight.
01:30 PM BST
OVER 19: ENG 94/1 (Crawley 63 Root 31)
Two more to Crawley.
An lbw shout is dismissed by Pakistan – their decision not to review is the right one because the ball was bouncing over.
The next over will be the last of the day.
01:25 PM BST
More on Ben Duckett
I treat every England pronouncement on injuries with great scepticism. They rarely give much away. A spokesman has confirmed Ben Duckett is unlikely to bat tonight. “We will know more tomorrow but hoping it will settle down overnight. He won’t go for a scan.”
01:24 PM BST
OVER 18: ENG 88/1 (Crawley 58 Root 30)
A well-executed shot from Crawley sends the ball to the boundary and he has his fifty.
It’s his 20th Test score of 50 or more and he has got there today in just 55 balls.
His effort is shortly follow by another one-bounce hit for four.
01:19 PM BST
OVER 17: ENG 79/1 (Crawley 49 Root 30)
Root’s hit off the inside edge causes a low bounce and misses the stumps by three or four inches.
Crawley runs a single.
01:15 PM BST
OVER 16: ENG 77/1 (Crawley 48 Root 29)
Root and Crawley rotate the strike with four singles off the over.
Pakistan making a concerted effort to angle the ball straighter to catch England out in front of the stumps.
01:10 PM BST
OVER 15: ENG 73/1 (Crawley 46 Root 27)
Brilliant from Crawley as he punches one off the back foot for four and twice collects a boundary.
England have made a bright start despite that early wicket off Pope.
Just over 20 minutes to go in today’s session.
01:06 PM BST
OVER 14: ENG 64/1 (Crawley 37 Root 27)
Nicely played, extremely well-controlled by Root to pick out four. It’s what he does.
Eight off the over for Root after he drove one to deep point for two and then ran a quick double off the last.
The sun is beginning to set over the stadium in Multan.
12:59 PM BST
OVER 13: ENG 56/1 (Crawley 37 Root 19)
Root smartly guides one to wide third-man for three to end Abrar’s latest over.
I will now hand over to Ella Nunn, who will take you through to the close of play. Enjoy!
12:56 PM BST
OVER 12: ENG 52/1 (Crawley 36 Root 16)
A mis-field in the legside allows Root to come back for two.
We have an update from the England camp. It is unlikely that Duckett will be available to bat tonight. He has not gone for a scan which is hopefully a positive sign and it might settle down overnight.
12:51 PM BST
OVER 11: ENG 50/1 (Crawley 36 Root 14)
Abrar finds the outside edge of Root’s bat and England come back for three. It was a guided, soft edge rather than a thick one. Root was in control of that.
Crawley then takes advantage of Abrar dropping short and he pulls him away for four to bring up England’s 50.
12:45 PM BST
OVER 10: ENG 43/1 (Crawley 32 Root 11)
Aamer Jamal is into the attack now for the first time. The floodlights are just starting to come on as the natural light is fading. Just a couple of runs from the over.
The camera has panned to Ben Duckett, who has strapping on his thumb. We will give you an update when we hear more on Duckett’s injury.
Time for drinks.
12:40 PM BST
OVER 9: ENG 41/1 (Crawley 31 Root 10)
Change of bowling and spin is on. Abrar Ahmed, who made his Test debut here against England in 2022, is into the attack. He took 11 wickets in the match on debut. How are England going to play him?
Well unsurprisingly they are going after him. Crawley is down the pitch and blasts back past Abrar for four. Mid-off had no chance of getting across to stop that.
Abrar then drops short and Crawley just eases onto the back post and cuts him away for back-to-back fours.
The last ball takes the outside edge and runs away for three. Not a chance for slip but a bit of confidence at the end of the over for Abrar. Clear intent from England to put Abrar under pressure.
12:34 PM BST
OVER 8: ENG 30/1 (Crawley 20 Root 10)
Root tucks a ball on his pads away for two to deep backward square leg. Naseem then gets one to rise on Root, who deals with it well.
12:30 PM BST
OVER 7: ENG 28/1 (Crawley 20 Root 8)
Shaheen bowls a beauty across Crawley and nearly takes the edge from a Crawley push forward. A testing period at the moment for England.
Crawley then responds by thumping Shaheen for four through the covers.
He finishes the over with another terrific drive through wide mid-off. Two terrific boundaries from the bat of Crawley.
12:24 PM BST
OVER 6: ENG 20/1 (Crawley 12 Root 8)
Pakistan appeal enthusiastically for LBW but Root was outside the line. Shan Masood considers a review but ultimately opts against it and that was the right call. It did strike the pad before the bat but outside the line of off stump.
Looking at Hawk-Eye really not much going for that one. Knowing Ollie Pope’s terrible review record, England probably would have gone for that one.
Later in the over another big LBW appeal, this time on Crawley, but it is sliding down. Again Pakistan consider it but do not review and that is a sensible decision. It was missing leg stump.
12:19 PM BST
OVER 5: ENG 18/1 (Crawley 11 Root 7)
Be careful Crawley. He feels at one that comes across him from Shaheen and that is where you easily edge one through to the keeper.
That was a testing maiden over from Shaheen. This could be a tough period between now and the close of play, which will be likely be at 1.30pm UK time as they are way behind the over rate.
12:15 PM BST
OVER 4: ENG 18/1 (Crawley 11 Root 7)
Crawley drives through point and comes back for two. He then gets an easy single into the offside with a deep point in place, meaning there is a gap on the offside to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
12:11 PM BST
OVER 3: ENG 15/1 (Crawley 8 Root 7)
Root drives down the ground beautifully and gets his first boundary. Perfect balance on that straight drive off Shaheen. Any young cricketers or older club cricketers wanting to know how to play that shot, watch that on repeat!
Next ball huge appeals from Pakistan for LBW as Shaheen gets one to nip back to Root but there was an inside edge. Kumar Dharmasena shakes his head. Nearly the perfect inswinger for a left-arm fast bowler there.
12:06 PM BST
OVER 2: ENG 11/1 (Crawley 8 Root 3)
Joe Root is in at three and he needs 71 runs to pass Sir Alastair Cook as England’s leading Test run-scorer of all time.. First ball he drives through the covers for three. Not the fastest outfield so he does not get four.
Crawley then punishes Naseem when he gets short and wide and thrashes it in front of square for four.
12:02 PM BST
Wicket
Pope c Jamal b Naseem 0 What a stunning grab! Pope pulls it away and must think he is going to get four but Jamal takes an incredible one-handed diving catch. This last 10 minutes or so have been absolutely disastrous for England. FOW 4/1
A fantastic catch from Jamal, but that shot from Pope was poor – in the circumstances. It was the same shot he got out to against Sri Lanka, but more importantly he needed to steady his team after a poor 10 minutes of dropped catches, missed stumpings, and busted digits. Take a breath, Ollie.
Ollie Pope, brave to volunteer to bat out of position, played the shot of a number three or four. An opener, keyed to survive, would have played with a vertical bat in his first over.
11:59 AM BST
OVER 1: ENG 4/0 (Crawley 4 Pope 0)
A safe defensive shot up to mid-off from Crawley first ball. Off the final ball of the first over Crawley gets the first runs of the innings as he opens the face and guides one to wide third-man for four.
Crawley himself has only just returned from a broken finger and now Duckett may have done serious damage to his thumb.
11:55 AM BST
England’s response
I have just seen a reply of the Duckett catch to wrap up the innings and it hit him right on the end of the thumb. That will be really painful. He did well to actually keep hold of it and take the catch.
It is not a surprise that Duckett will not open. Zak Crawley is joined by captain Ollie Pope in the middle to open the batting. Shaheen Shah Afridi will open the bowling.
Ollie Pope to open for England. Duckett went off shaking his head after he took that blow to his thumb. England are in a mess here.
11:48 AM BST
Injury concern
You would have to think that Ben Duckett can’t open after copping one right on the end of the thumb. The wait for the return of the Crawley-Duckett partnership would extend to eight innings…
11:46 AM BST
Wicket
Abrar c Duckett b Root 3 That kind of sums up the cricket we have seen over the last 10 minutes. Root bowls a bouncer that Abrar can only guide off the face of the bat to Duckett at slip, who takes a great catch. But this is hugely concerning; as soon as Duckett took the catch he signalled to the dressing room and he is in some pain. We will have to wait and see whether he has injured his thumb or wrist but I do not think he will be opening the batting in 10 minutes. FOW 556 all out
11:41 AM BST
OVER 148: PAK 553/9 (Agha 103 Abrar 1)
England look frazzled now in the field. Another missed chance as Abrar skies it but Atkinson drops a simple chance. Dreadful from England. They have been in the field a long time but these two chances were easy.
11:37 AM BST
OVER 147: PAK 550/9 (Agha 101 Abrar 0)
Abrar comes charging down the ground and misses the ball by a mile. It is the easiest of stumpings but somehow Smith makes an absolute mess of it.
That is as simple as they come for Jamie Smith. Almost 150 overs in the field tell, because he’s been otherwise excellent.
11:35 AM BST
OVER 146: PAK 549/9 (Agha 100 Abrar 0)
Abrar Ahmed comes in and tries to blast his first ball for six. He does not get a good connection and it just loops over mid-on’s head. Agha is not interested in the single and takes strike for the next over.
11:33 AM BST
Wicket
Shaheen b Leach 26 No surprise that as soon as Agha got to his century, Shaheen tries to blast it out of the ground. He tries to smash Leach over the legside but is bowled. Surprisingly Abrar is coming out to bat. FOW 549/9
11:32 AM BST
Hundred for Agha
Agha tries to sweep away and is adjudged to get an under edge but it is just a single to move to 99.
Shaheen pushes it down to long-on for a single to bring Agha back onto strike, one short of his hundred.
He sweeps away and Agha has his century, his third in Test cricket! In rapid time as well off just 108 balls.
A fine hundred for Salman Ali Agha, who is a very good manager of the tail. The Pakistan balcony celebrates, with captain Shan Masood very much still in his tracksuit. So no declaration imminent…
11:27 AM BST
OVER 145: PAK 546/8 (Agha 98 Shaheen 25)
Root is brought on to bowl. Agha tries to flick into the legside and is fortunate to get an outside, leading edge that runs away for a single to move to 97.
Shaheen gets a single to get Agha back on strike. He gets a rank long hop but can only find fine-leg for one to go to 98.
This partnership is now up to 82!
11:24 AM BST
OVER 144: PAK 543/8 (Agha 96 Shaheen 24)
Agha comes down the ground to Leach and just beats long-on for six to move into the 90’s. Just enough on it. He then pulls away and tries to come back for two but is restricted to a single. Perhaps the declaration will come if and when Agha reaches 100.
Shaheen then strides down the ground and flicks it for six over Duckett’s head at long-on. He is having some fun on an absolute road. You will not bat on many better or flatter surfaces than this one.
Agha on strike for the next over, four runs shy of a century.
11:20 AM BST
OVER 143: PAK 530/8 (Agha 89 Shaheen 18)
Shaheen gives himself room to go over the top and he smashes Bashir over mid-off’s head for four. That is the type of shot you would have expected pretty much constantly after the tea break.
11:18 AM BST
OVER 142: PAK 523/8 (Agha 86 Shaheen 14)
I cannot express just how surprised I am at Pakistan’s tactics. It is as if they are making sure they put themselves into a position where they think they cannot lose and then think about winning instead of their first thought being ‘how are we going to win this game’.
11:14 AM BST
OVER 141: PAK 520/8 (Agha 83 Shaheen 14)
A maiden over from Bashir. The closer Agha gets to a century the longer they will presumably bat but this has been a strange few overs after tea from the hosts.
11:12 AM BST
OVER 140: PAK 520/8 (Agha 83 Shaheen 14)
Leach will make it a Somerset tandem to start the session. Four runs come from the over and this is slightly confusing from Pakistan. Why continue batting after tea and not be super aggressive? Maybe they have been scarred by declaring against Bangladesh in their previous series and losing? They declared on 448/6 in their first innings and managed to lose by 10 wickets back in August after being bowled out for 146 in their second innings.
11:07 AM BST
OVER 139: PAK 516/8 (Agha 80 Shaheen 13)
Pakistan do bat on and Bashir will bowl the first over. Off just the second ball after tea Agha goes down the ground. It goes high but lands safely between the fielders for just a single.
Just one run off the over.
Ben Stokes bowled briefly during the break before stopping and walking off. Hard to tell whether he had bowled the number of balls he wanted or he was feeling his hamstring. Either way, it did not look encouraging. There is another week to go before the second Test. England will be cautious with his workload but hard to see him playing much of an active role with the ball.
10:52 AM BST
Was it a catch?
An intriguing session in which the highlight – or lowlight depending on how partisan you might be feeling – was Chris Woakes’ nearly-great ‘catch’ on the boundary. Had it stood, it would have been a remarkable dismissal but it was overturned and, tough though it may be, has to be chalked up as just a decent effort.
You can watch the video of the catch back here and vote on whether you think the umpires made the right decision.
10:44 AM BST
Tea in Multan
Three runs from the final over before tea and Pakistan are 515/8. Will they declare at the tea break or continue on?
Despite the fact that Pakistan have got over 500, there is reason for optimism, England fans. This is the third time in the Brendon McCullum era that England have conceded 500. And they won both of the first two – at Trent Bridge and Rawalpindi in 2022.
Ben Stokes is preparing to come out for a bowl during the tea break, which is hopefully a good sign for the next Test which also takes place in Multan next week a few strips down from this pitch.
A close umpiring call involving Chris Woakes could be a deciding factor in this Test. Salman Agha was on 15 when Woakes parried a catch in the air as his momentum took him over the boundary. He caught the ball as he jumped back over the rope but third umpire Chris Gaffaney ruled his back foot was still in contact with the ground.
It was a marginal call that could have gone either way and Salman made the most of his break motoring to 79, hitting ten fours and two sixes to take Pakistan to a commanding 515-8 at tea.
He has added 50 for the ninth wicket with Shaheen Shah Afridi, ensuring Pakistan did not let slip their strong start. The two wickets to fall in the afternoon were slightly unnerving for England’s batsmen. Saud Shakeel was caught at slip off a ball from Bashir bounced and turned viscously and Aamer Jamal was leg before to a low ball from Byrdon Carse.
It has been a long hard slog for England’s attack. The seamers look tired but have stuck to their task, digging deep to all go below 4 an over economy rate and ensure Pakistan have not run amok.
10:39 AM BST
OVER 137: PAK 512/8 (Agha 77 Shaheen 12)
Ollie Pope, with tea just around the corner, turns to Joe Root for the first time today. He bowled three overs yesterday.
Shaheen takes him downtown and dispatches Root over mid-on’s head for four. Nearly a six but called four.
We will have enough time for one more over before the tea break but, if a wicket falls, the session may be extended.
10:35 AM BST
OVER 136: PAK 508/8 (Agha 77 Shaheen 8)
Atkinson is being brought back on. Agha pulls him in front of square for four and none of the England fielders can prevent it from running away for four.
When Shaheen gets on strike he chips it over the offside for a couple from a short and wide ball from Atkinson.
10:30 AM BST
OVER 135: PAK 500/8 (Agha 72 Shaheen 5)
Agha’s sweep beats Crawley on the square-leg boundary and runs away for four. Plenty of tired legs out there for England and understandably so after over 130 overs in the field.
Leach appeals for LBW but that is going down leg. They consider a review and for some reason go for it. Pope has got all 12 reviews wrong as captain and this one is going the same way. Pitching outside leg, which was so obvious, and Pope is now 0/13.
Agha then comes down the ground and flicks it over mid-wicket for a one-bounce four. That brings up 1000 Test runs for Agha.
A single off the final ball brings up the Pakistan 500. That is ridiculous from England. That is so many times now during this partnership that they have allowed Agha to get a single off the last delivery.
Ollie Pope’s record reviewing goes to 0/13. The trouble is that most of them aren’t even close…
Ollie Pope is now nought out of 13 for reviews as England captain. He is too easily talked into speculative decisions, mainly by Ben Duckett from what I can tell. Stuart Broad would have loved playing under Pope.
10:25 AM BST
OVER 134: PAK 491/8 (Agha 63 Shaheen 5)
Agha uses his feet and chips over Bashir’s head. It lands safely and they come back for two. Not the best connection from Agha there.
That is a much better connection though as he reverse sweeps for four. He tries to go again but misses as it was quite wide.
Another good shot from Agha yields four more as he opens his body up and goes over mid-off for four. Smart shot with mid-off in the circle. Again really bad from England to allow Agha to get a single off the final ball. How much longer will Pakistan go on? Will they be thinking of a declaration?
10:20 AM BST
OVER 133: PAK 480/8 (Agha 52 Shaheen 5)
Leach is back into the attack. He has had some intriguing battles today against Agha, including that Woakes ‘non-catch’.
Agha reaches his fifty in the over with a couple guided down to third-man, his eighth in Test cricket. And that is so poor from England to allow Agha to push with ease into the offside for a single to keep strike.
10:15 AM BST
OVER 132: PAK 475/8 (Agha 48 Shaheen 4)
Five dot balls and then the field is up to keep Agha on strike. He pulls out a sweep and it drops just short of Leach at backward square leg. Leach manages to stop it running away for four but Agha does get through for the single to keep strike.
10:12 AM BST
OVER 131: PAK 474/8 (Agha 47 Shaheen 4)
Carse continues to run in hard and bang it into this flat road. Just two runs from the over and, crucially for Pakistan, Agha manages to retain strike.
10:07 AM BST
OVER 130: PAK 472/8 (Agha 46 Shaheen 3)
How will Agha approach this now with just two wickets remaining? He is happy to give strike to Shaheen after two just two balls of Bashir’s over. Shaheen likes to have a hit so I cannot imagine he will be blocking his way through this innings.
And on cue he attempts a big sweep and is lucky to get an inside edge down to fine-leg for three to get Agha back on strike.
Off the final ball with the field up to keep Agha on strike he uses his feet and smashes it through mid-off for four. He is now just four runs shy of his fifty.
10:03 AM BST
OVER 129: PAK 464/8 (Agha 41 Shaheen 0)
Shaheen Shah Afridi joins Agha out in the middle.
10:00 AM BST
Wicket
Jamal LBW Carse 7 The Durham fast bowler has the field set for a short barrage and is running in hard. He gets one to keep just a little bit low and trap Jamal in front. Kumar Dharmasena’s finger goes up and, despite a review, the decision stands. A second Test wicket for Carse and he deserves that for the effort he has put in over the four and a half sessions England have been out there. FOW 464/8
09:57 AM BST
Umpire controversy
In case you missed it, England thought they had Salman Agha out but were denied as Chris Woakes was adjudged to have still had his foot off the field of play when he caught the ball off the bowling of Jack Leach. Will Macpherson has more on the controversy.
09:55 AM BST
OVER 128: PAK 460/7 (Agha 40 Jamal 4)
Just two runs from that Bashir over.
09:52 AM BST
OVER 127: PAK 458/7 (Agha 39 Jamal 3)
Carse is back into the attack. Jamal attempts to dip under a bouncer and it does not get up at all. Half an appeal as it ended up striking him on the pads but it was going to down the legside.
Later in the over Jamal guides a wide delivery down to wide third-man for a couple.
09:47 AM BST
OVER 126: PAK 453/7 (Agha 38 Jamal 1)
Aamir Jamal is in at number nine and he is off the mark second ball with a single to mid-wicket.
The TV commentators are a little critical of the speed of Shakeel’s batting this morning, when he could have been more positive. I think they have a point to some extent but he still batted well.
09:42 AM BST
Wicket
Shakeel c Root b Bashir 82 That is a beauty. Bashir has not been at his best in this innings but that is a fantastic delivery to dismiss Shakeel, who batted well. Bashir gets one to pitch on middle and leg and turns it away from Shakeel. It takes the outside edge and Root pouches the catch at slip. Time for a drink. FOW 450/7
Obviously fantastic for England to have got rid of the obdurate Saud Shakeel. But will they be delighted to see a bit of turn and bounce, given they need to pile on runs? Maybe not.
09:38 AM BST
OVER 125: PAK 450/6 (Agha 36 Shakeel 82)
Leach strays too far down the legside and it is an easy flick down towards fine-leg for three.
Shakeel then reverse sweeps for a couple. Carse will not be too happy with Leach; consecutive balls where he has to chase the ball towards the boundary!
A single into the legside brings up the Pakistan 450.
09:35 AM BST
OVER 124: PAK 444/6 (Agha 33 Shakeel 79)
Shakeel uses his feet against Bashir and chips over the offside for two. They then run well between the wickets as Shakeel pushes into the offside for a quick single. Good cricket.
Pakistan bring up the 50 partnership.
09:31 AM BST
OVER 123: PAK 440/6 (Agha 33 Shakeel 76)
This is a real cat-and-mouse battle here between Leach and Agha. Leach is giving it some flight, tempting Agha into the big shot. Woakes is back at long-off with Crawley hanging halfway back at long-on.
09:28 AM BST
OVER 122: PAK 439/6 (Agha 33 Shakeel 75)
Shoaib Bashir is on, replacing Woakes, so it is two Somerset spinners in unison although they have not played many times together for their county. Two runs from Bashir’s first over back into the attack.
09:23 AM BST
OVER 121: PAK 437/6 (Agha 32 Shakeel 74)
Just one run from that Leach over.
Some chatter about low crowd today. What do we expect when the schedule is only announced 17 days before the start of the series? There is barely any shade at this ground – only the top third of six of the eight stands are under cover, and it is hot, although milder than yesterday. The Test started on Monday; people are working, kids are at school. And the stadium is a long way out of the city of Multan. The crowd has grown since lunch and there was a good turn out yesterday.
09:20 AM BST
OVER 120: PAK 436/6 (Agha 31 Shakeel 74)
Woakes, who will still be reeling from that not out call, is bowling very accurately here. Perhaps a little reminiscent of what James Anderson did on England’s last tour of Pakistan in 2022. A maiden over.
That evens out close catch calls in Multan. Two years ago England benefitted when Saud Shakeel was ‘caught’ down the leg side off Mark Wood by Ollie Pope (then keeping) and the ball was very close to the ground between his gloves. The third umpire ruled in England’s favour, Pakistan collapsed and England won by a slender 26 runs. Woakes was unlucky, it was one of those between frames and could prove a crucial moment.
09:15 AM BST
OVER 119: PAK 436/6 (Agha 31 Shakeel 74)
Leach drops too short and Agha picks him up over deep mid-wicket for a one-bounce four.
What are your views on that Woakes ‘catch’? Out or not out? You can have your say in the comments section at the bottom of the blog.
09:12 AM BST
OVER 118: PAK 432/6 (Agha 27 Shakeel 74)
A maiden from a frustrated Woakes. Back to the Agha vs Leach battle.
09:11 AM BST
Our writers’ views on that ‘catch’
Unlucky for Chris Woakes: very close to completing a boundary catch there, but his right leg just scuppered him. Those have been one of the most obvious effects of Twenty20 cricket on the Test game; Woakes will actually be frustrated that he didn’t take the catch cleanly.
Wow – that’s hard on Chris Woakes. Seemed quite a swift decision, and it was at worst between frames. Out, for mine…
My opinion, in instances like the disallowed catch by Chris Woakes, is that the law should be changed: so that the fielder, having gone out of play, has to place a foot or some part of his body inside the rope before he can complete a lawful catch.
09:08 AM BST
OVER 117: PAK 432/6 (Agha 27 Shakeel 74)
England are fuming. They think they have Agha after a sensational catch from Woakes at long-off but third umpire Chris Gaffaney thinks Woakes’ foot was still on the ground when he came back onto the pitch after flicking it back into play. Agha was pretty much already back in the pavilion. To compound England’s misery, it is therefore given as six. That was a matter of inches and England are stunned that has been given not out. A shake of the head from Woakes.
Next ball Agha goes again and this time targets long-on, with no-one back there. Six more.
09:01 AM BST
OVER 116: PAK 419/6 (Agha 15 Shakeel 73)
Shakeel uses his feet against Woakes and gets two into the offside, hitting it into the ground which helped it bounce over the fielders inside the circle.
Next ball Shakeel has a slice of luck as he nearly drags on.
He then guides one down cleverly to third-man for a couple.
08:57 AM BST
OVER 115: PAK 414/6 (Agha 15 Shakeel 68)
Agha sweeps Leach away for four. There is no-one out on the legside boundary so not too much risk with that shot.
A few balls later he plays a more delicate paddle sweep and he comes back for two. A little bit too easy for him here.
08:53 AM BST
OVER 114: PAK 406/6 (Agha 8 Shakeel 67)
Chris Woakes will open the bowling from the other end. With a predominantly offside field Woakes is looking to hide it outside the off stump to tempt Shakeel, who has looked comfortable, into a mistake with fielders waiting. Shakeel not tempted, yet.
08:47 AM BST
OVER 113: PAK 405/6 (Agha 8 Shakeel 67)
The first runs of the afternoon session come from the first ball. Leach gives it some flight and Agha plays a delightful cover driver for four, which brings up the Pakistan 400.
A few balls later Agha uses his feet and hits down the ground for four over long-off. He has only faced four balls in this session and already requests a change of bat.
Mid-off goes back to long-off which I honestly cannot really believe after one shot over the top from Agha.
08:44 AM BST
Time for the afternoon session
The players are back out in the middle and we are ready to go. Salman Ali Agha is yet to get off the mark whilst Saud Shakeel will resume on 67 not out. Jack Leach will bowl the first over after lunch.
08:40 AM BST
Lunchtime verdict
England took 90 minutes to dislodge nightwatchman Naseem Shah on a slow burn of a morning in Multan.
England stuck at it, and shortly after removed Mohammad Rizwan, slogging Jack Leach to mid off as Ollie Pope’s squeeze tactics worked, but at 397 for six Pakistan have enough batting left to nudge to 500, a par score in the first innings on this pitch.
There is no turn at the moment and nothing for the bowlers to really use to their advantage and if Pakistan fail to make 500 they will regret not taking the attack to England and piling on a few more more, rather than deciding to sit in following the dismissal of their captain Shan Masood yesterday afternoon.
Naseem took a nasty blow on the helmet but shook it off to slap England’s spinners for three sixes as he made his highest first-class score of 33 off 81 balls in a 64 run stand with Saud Shakeel, who has made a very solid 67. Naseem became Brydon Carse’s first wicket when he flicked a catch to leg slip before Rizwan’s free gift ten minutes before lunch gave England encouragement.
08:34 AM BST
More from Atherton on Sky
“I don’t think Pakistan lacked endeavour. It’s not a particularly easy pitch to score runs on and when you do have a nightwatchman in, that then affects the rhythm of play in the morning.
“He batted longer there than any Test match he has played in. It’s not going to be easy for England to score in. If you were the next man in, you would want to get settled in. Brydon Carse, it was a lovely moment for him.”
08:27 AM BST
Michael Atherton speaking on Sky
“It has not been epic viewing by any means. It was a slow burner of a morning but a very good one with Pakistan not out of sight. England have the chance to bowl Pakistan out around that 450 mark if things go well.
“And on this surface, you have to take that, you have to take that. Particularly after their captain and Abdullah Shafique go to centuries, they would have been eyeing up 500. Equally, the run rate this morning means Pakistan have not been able to get away.
“England have created pressure at times. There was that edge from Naseem Shah that did not carry, that is a measure of how slow this pitch is and how difficult it is to blast a side out.”
08:21 AM BST
Special moment for Carse
08:05 AM BST
Lunch on day two
Shakeel tries to flick away down the legside but fortunately for him does not edge it behind to Smith. What a late gift in the session that would have been for England!
He takes on a short ball from Atkinson and pulls away for four. England have an unusual legside field in this final over with five fielders within 15 yards of Shakeel, all the way from leg-slip to a short mid-on.
The final ball of the session is a dot ball that falls short of Crawley as Shakeel pulled the ball away and that is lunch on day two. Pakistan are 397-6. It was a tough first 90 minutes for England but those two quick wickets will give them confidence going into the afternoon session.
08:00 AM BST
OVER 111: PAK 393/6 (Agha 0 Shakeel 62)
This should be the final over before lunch as Agha plays out a maiden from Leach.
It will not be the final over as we have just enough time for another. It looked the clocks were ticking around to the top of the hour but Atkinson will get six more balls in this session.
07:57 AM BST
OVER 110: PAK 393/6 (Agha 0 Shakeel 62)
Salman Ali Agha is the new man at the crease.
A maiden over from Atkinson and the momentum has shifted over the last 20 minutes.
07:52 AM BST
Wicket
Rizwan c Woakes b Leach 0 Like London buses, you wait ages for one and then two come at once. That is terrible batting frankly from Rizwan. Still to get off the mark, he comes down the ground and only manages to pick out Woakes at mid-off, who takes a simple catch. It had been a tough morning for England but now they will feel a lot better about the situation. FOW 393/6
07:47 AM BST
OVER 108: PAK 392/5 (Rizwan 0 Shakeel 62)
Carse bowled a strong, lengthy spell and was rewarded with his maiden Test wicket. In these conditions sensible not to over-do it and Atkinson is into the attack to replace Carse. England need to go bang-bang here.
A probing maiden over from Atkinson on is return to the attack. He has bowled well enough for a wicket this morning but sometimes you just do not get the reward you deserve.
07:43 AM BST
OVER 107: PAK 392/5 (Rizwan 0 Shakeel 62)
Leach had bowled a good over but off the final ball Shakeel sweeps away well, as he has done on a few occasions this morning, for four. Bashir at deep backward square leg could not prevent it.
07:39 AM BST
OVER 106: PAK 388/5 (Rizwan 0 Shakeel 58)
Mohammad Rizwan joins Shakeel at the crease and Carse bowls a good one to him first up. He gets a bottom edge as he tried to cut away when it was too close to him and it goes one bounce to first slip. A wicket maiden for Carse. Can England now use that wicket to get a couple of inroads now?
Naseem did his job as the nightwatchman and more.
07:36 AM BST
Wicket
Naseem c Brook b Carse 33 Finally the breakthrough for England after 90 minutes of play this morning and Carse has deserved that. Leg slip was in place for exactly that and Naseem flicks it straight into the hands of Brook. A first Test wicket for the Durham fast bowler. He thought he had is early yesterday when he trapped Shan Masood LBW but that was overturned but now he has his moment of his maiden wicket in Test cricket. FOW 388/5
07:32 AM BST
OVER 105: PAK 388/4 (Naseem 33 Shakeel 58)
That is an outstanding shot. Leach as mid-on back at long-on but keeps mid-off in the circle, so Naseem uses his feet and goes over mid-off’s head for six. Impressive. That is the third six of his innings. Mid-off goes back and I think that is bad captaincy; you cannot allow a nightwatchman to dictate and move around your fielders.
England are struggling here and that is another reason why Ben Stokes is so important; whether it be with the ball or as a captain, he can conjure something out of nothing when England need it most.
07:25 AM BST
OVER 104: PAK 381/4 (Naseem 26 Shakeel 58)
This is such hard work for the fast bowlers, on this type of pitch in these sweltering conditions. The TV commentators are wondering whether this pitch will break up or whether it will remain an absolute road for the five days.
Carse continues to run in hard without reward so far. Four runs from his latest over.
Shaping up to be a punishing day for the seamers, who stuck at it admirably yesterday but are having their batteries sapped by Naseem Shah’s fifty stand with Saud Shakeel. Naseem is doing a great job for his team. It has not been riveting stuff but he has taken the shine off the second new ball while deflating England’s sails after being boosted by Babar’s wicket last night and there is plenty of scope for Rizwan to come in next and go after tired bowlers.
07:19 AM BST
OVER 103: PAK 377/4 (Naseem 25 Shakeel 57)
Ollie Pope feels that it is time for a change of spinners as one Somerset spinner replaces the other; Jack Leach on for Bashir.
Off the fourth ball Naseem comes down the ground, as we have seen him do a few times now this morning, and dispatches it over wide long-on for six. That cleared the boundary with some ease. That brings up the 50 partnership between these two.
07:16 AM BST
OVER 102: PAK 371/4 (Naseem 19 Shakeel 57)
Three runs come from the first over after lunch.
07:11 AM BST
OVER 101: PAK 368/4 (Naseem 18 Shakeel 55)
Predictably Naseem comes down the wicket to Bashir and he does not quite hit it where he wanted to but he gets it away to deep mid-wicket for a single.
There is a much smaller crowd here today. On day one there were a few hundred local fans in the stand square of the wicket but barely any today. There are a smattering of England fans. More are expected next week because they booked for Karachi, the original venue for the second Test. Credit to any England fan who pays to watch cricket in Multan, not the easiest place to move around.
07:08 AM BST
OVER 100: PAK 366/4 (Naseem 17 Shakeel 54)
Naseem chips one into the legside and it evades the fielders. They come back for two as Potts, who is on as a substitute fielder, chases it down.
The physio is coming on as Carse hit Naseem hard on the gloves. It is his bowling hand.
Naseem is fine to continue but does not look comfortable against Carse.
06:59 AM BST
OVER 99: PAK 363/4 (Naseem 15 Shakeel 53)
Just one run from Bashir’s latest over. Time for drinks.
06:55 AM BST
OVER 98: PAK 362/4 (Naseem 15 Shakeel 52)
Brydon Carse is brought into the attack for the first time this morning, replacing Atkinson. The field is set for short-pitch bowling.
England appeal for a catch down the legside against Naseem but the umpire is unmoved. There is a short discussion about a possible review but Pope opts against it. We have just seen the replays and it was a good call not to review; it clipped Naseem’s backside.
06:51 AM BST
OVER 97: PAK 360/4 (Naseem 14 Shakeel 51)
That is a convincing shot from Naseem. He has had enough of blocking so advances down the ground at Bashir and smacks home over long-on for six. That brings up the Pakistan 350.
Not sure about that captaincy; after the six Pope has pushed mid-on back and that allows an easy single to the nightwatchman. He should be saying to Naseem ‘go for it again’.
Shakeel sweeps the last ball away for four and that brings up his seventh Test fifty. Well batted.
06:47 AM BST
OVER 96: PAK 349/4 (Naseem 7 Shakeel 47)
Atkinson will continue with Naseem on strike and hits him on the helmet so we will now have the mandatory concussion test but he looks fine. Naseem is fine to continue.
Naseem goes for an aggressive shot over the offside but only succeeds in getting a thick outside edge. It is just one as England had Crawley fielding a a fly slip position. I am not sure Atkinson’s mood will be that great as he probably has not had the reward this morning that he has deserved.
21 runs from the first 10 overs today.
06:40 AM BST
OVER 95: PAK 348/4 (Naseem 6 Shakeel 47)
Ollie Pope has decided it is time for a change and Shoaib Bashir is on for the first time this morning, replacing Woakes. Bashir did not have the best day yesterday as Pakistan went after him a bit so he will be hoping for a better spell this morning.
England go up for a half appeal as Shakeel misses a sweep shot but it hit outside the line of off stump so no review contemplated by Pope.
An outside chance of a run out as there was a bit of miscommunication between Shakeel and Naseem but they get home safely in the end.
Very tedious cricket as the nightwatchman Naseem Shah blocks for 45 minutes and England struggle to winkle him out. Surprised Bashir came on before Leach after yesterday’s performance. Another show of faith.
06:36 AM BST
OVER 94: PAK 346/4 (Naseem 6 Shakeel 46)
A probing maiden over from Atkinson but still no wickets for England this morning. The final ball goes just past Naseem’s outside edge but unfortunately for England no contact with the bat.
That edge of Naseem off Atkinson that fell well short of the cordon a few overs ago indicates that there shouldn’t be too many slip catches in this game, given the slowness of the surface. And yet… England go so hard at the ball, and Shaheen and Naseem bowl at decent pace. So don’t bet against a few flashes finding their way into grateful hands.
06:31 AM BST
OVER 93: PAK 346/4 (Naseem 6 Shakeel 46)
Woakes to continue. Shakeel gets a couple by guiding one down to third-man. It did come off the outside edge but not a genuine thick edge.
Woakes bangs one in short and comes close to catching the top of Shakeel’s bat but it just evades it.
06:26 AM BST
OVER 92: PAK 344/4 (Naseem 6 Shakeel 44)
Atkinson finds the outside edge of Naseem’s bat but it falls quite a way short of Brook at second slip. When you are running in as a fast bowler in these conditions a genuine edge falling short of the slip cordon will not amuse you.
This will also not put a smile on Atkinson’s face as Naseem, guides one down to third man for four. England would have been hoping to get the nightwatchman quickly.
Off the final ball of Atkinson’s latest over there are a few appeals for caught behind but a shake of the head from the umpire.
06:22 AM BST
OVER 91: PAK 339/4 (Naseem 2 Shakeel 44)
Two runs come from Woakes’ third over of the morning.
England really have bowled so much better since tea yesterday. That reflects well on their commitment in sapping heat, but also how they have learnt quite quickly on the job. However, by that point they were in strife, so they cannot afford a wicketless first 30 or 40 minutes. They are bowling nicely, but at least need to prise out the nightwatchman and get stuck in to their work.
06:17 AM BST
OVER 90: PAK 337/4 (Naseem 1 Shakeel 43)
Shakeel flicks away on the legside and gets two through mid-wicket.
England go up for a half appeal for LBW but it was probably one of the less convincing appeals. No thought of a review. Shakeel is looking in decent shape this morning and England will know they cannot really afford to let him get going; Shakeel averages over 55 in Test cricket.
06:12 AM BST
OVER 89: PAK 334/4 (Naseem 1 Shakeel 40)
Will Pakistan fans be holding three things up being on 333? I do not think there are superstitious in the same way we are and anyway they are onto 334 pretty quickly.
Woakes gets five balls at Naseem but cannot get the breakthrough.
06:08 AM BST
OVER 88: PAK 333/4 (Naseem 1 Shakeel 39)
Gus Atkinson will open the bowling from the other end. A really nice way to get the first runs of the morning; Shakeel was denied by a diving stop by Crawley but this time beats Crawley and drives through the covers for three.
Naseem then gets off the mark with a flick into the legside for a single.
06:04 AM BST
OVER 87: PAK 328/4 (Naseem 0 Shakeel 35)
Woakes gets a first tilt at the nightwatchman Naseem. He goes past the edge a few times but no reward. A maiden over to start day two.
05:59 AM BST
Time for action
The England players have made their way out to the middle and will be hoping to make early inroads this morning. A couple of early wickets will give England confidence they can dismiss Pakistan for no more than a part total.
Here we go for day two. Chris Woakes to bowl the first over of the day.
Interesting journey to the ground this morning. All foreigners have to be ferried by a police escort in the city of Multan. An influx of visitors for the cricket has stretched police resources so they have drafted in officers from other cities who have patchy knowledge of Multan. Our escort today didn’t know the route to the ground so took us via the motorway ringroad – a bit like going from central London around the M25 to get to Lord’s. A 20 minute journey took nearly an hour. It did at least give us a glimpse of brick kilns and farms of the Punjab by the side of the motorway. We’re here on time, that is the main thing.
05:57 AM BST
Poor man’s Stokes
Scyld Berry has been having his say on Ollie Pope, who continues to captain England in the absence of Ben Stokes, who is hoping to be fit for the second Test.
05:55 AM BST
Golf over cricket?
A lot has been made of the fact that England’s fast-bowling consultant James Anderson missed the start of this match as he was playing at the Dunhill Links Championship over the weekend. Will Macpherson has all the latest. Could England have done yesterday with Anderson’s in-person expertise?
Jimmy is here. Anderson was on the outfield this morning for warm up drills after joining the tour late to play in the Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland. Brendon McCullum was unusually defensive about the decision when quizzed by broadcasters (he had calmed down by the time he spoke to the written press). This is the deal with McCullum. You cannot play this expansive, adventurous cricket and then expect him to sweat the details off the field. He is laissez faire and not used to the scrutiny that comes with coaching England. There is barely any media scrutiny on the New Zealand cricket team (they have no travelling media overseas these days, even to Australia). Every decision he makes as England coach is interrogated and sometimes he forgets that fact.
05:50 AM BST
Your views
Remember you can have your say on all things this Test match in the comments section at the bottom of this blog. What sort of total do England need to restrict Pakistan to? How should Ollie Pope go about his captaincy in this first session?
05:48 AM BST
To come
Pakistan still have wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha to come but if England can make a couple of early inroads this morning, and that is an if on a pitch like this, then they will feel like the could dismiss Pakistan for around 420/425. On this surface that is probably no better than par. The new ball that England have is only a few overs old. There have been thunderstorms overnight in Multan so it is a bit cooler than it was yesterday (not that it is that hard!) and maybe there could be a little but of moisture in the surface early on this morning.
05:32 AM BST
Day two preview
Good morning and welcome to coverage from day two of the first Test between Pakistan and England in Multan. Day one went the way of the hosts as they closed on 328-4 after a long and swelteringly hot day for the visitors.
After winning the toss and electing to bat first on a pretty flat pitch, Pakistan captain Shan Masood registered his fifth Test hundred, his first as captain. The hosts came into this series under a significant amount of pressure having lost 2-0 at home against Bangladesh just a matter of weeks ago. They have gone 10 Tests without a home win and Masood has lost all five of his matches in charge. Masood was eventually out for 151 whilst opener Abdullah Shafique also registered his fifth Test century as England had to battle hard.
England’s life was not made easy by losing the toss and, on a pitch that offered very little for the bowlers, they did not give up, with the late wicket of Babar Azam at least a positive to take into the second day. England spin bowling coach Jeetan Patel praised the efforts of the team in hugely challenging conditions.
“Solid toil. I’m pretty proud of the boys to put in that stint in the last session. We spoke this morning about chasing the ball hard in the field, no matter what the day brings us,” Patel told Sky.
“That’s such an easy thing to do, but in conditions like this, it’s easy to stop doing. What the boys did tonight was brilliant. It was a hell of an effort from the boys.
“You always want one or two more [wickets], don’t you? Six down at the end of the day would have been amazing. But to have them one down at tea and take three wickets in the last session really sets up tomorrow morning for us.
“We always talk about putting two on it. If we put two on it, how does the game change? Pakistan have got a nightwatchman in, so maybe we could put three on it.
“Maybe that will be the thinking in the morning. We think about getting wickets all the time. Then, at 350-7… who knows? We can only judge the wicket once we bat on it.”
England handed a debut to Durham fast bowler Brydon Carse, who came very close to his maiden Test wicket on day one but was denied by the review system as he thought he had Masood early on. Today could be a truly historic day for English cricket, depending on how long Pakistan bat today. Joe Root could surpass Sir Alastair Cook as England’s leading Test run-scorer; Root needs 71 runs to overtake Cook.
Saud Shakeel will resume this morning on 35 not out with nightwatchman Naseem Shah alongside him on 0 not out. Play resumes at 6am UK time.
Article courtesy of
Source link
