England toil as Pakistan dominate in Multan
Pakistan v England, Multan — Day 1
PAKISTAN 328–4
Prior to the opening day under a blistering Multan sun, England head coach Brendon McCullum expressed both “high hopes” and “high expectations” and whilst he readily admitted that it was “hard to win in this part of the world” he was also excited, as is his laid back and understated way, for a “slightly different team” from the one he and Ben Stokes managed and guided to a historic 3–0 win in Pakistan just under 2 years ago. Now beneath both the setting sun and the artificial floodlights of the rather quaintly picturesque Multan International Cricket Stadium, McCullum’s second in command, trusted adviser and spin bowling coach Jeetan Patel confirmed what we all saw with our own sleep deprived eyes: Today had been hard work for the tourists, “hard toil” in the words of the Kiwi from New Zealand, a “hell of a stint” that resulted in the deserved wicket of Babar Azam in the dying embers of a day described by ex England captain Nasser Hussain as “tough as it gets” and a real examination of McCullum’s anything but “slightly” different team. Shorn of the legendary and now retired once in a generation talents of both James Anderson and Stuart Broad and with skipper Ben Stokes sidelined through injury until the 2nd Test Match at the earliest, this is indeed a very different team to the one that ripped the record books to pieces in Pakistan in late 2022 and despite the home team’s dominance today, England stuck at it, deserved their late wickets and with a dash of luck in the morning session tomorrow, could well restrict their hosts to 425 all out and a level par score on this batsman friendly wicket.
Make no mistake, today was Pakistan’s day and at 328–4 and two centurions, including skipper Shan Masood, sleeping very well and comfortably this evening, they have set their stall to bag huge 1st innings runs and if Saud Shakeel (35 not out) and Mohammad Rizwan (yet to bat) score big tomorrow morning and into the baking sun of a hot Multan afternoon, 500+ isn’t out of the question and due in large part to the platform of 253 combined runs from their century makers today. Coming to the crease early at 8–1, captain Shan Masood was the quicker and more explosive run chaser of the pair and although granted a cricketing “life” when on just 16 when he overturned an incorrect on field decision via the TV umpire and when on 133 when stand in England skipper Ollie Pope dropped a difficult close in chance, Shan galloped to a 43 ball half century, 102 ball century and 166 total balls received when he passed 150. Accompanying the skipper at the other end was a more dogged and circumspect accumulation of runs from Abdullah Shafique who received 77 balls for his half century and a further 88 balls to reach a second Test Match century of the day and one brilliantly reached by dancing down the wicket and depositing Jack Leach high and hard back over his head for a glorious boundary 6. Both batsmen departed soon after reaching their final milestones of the day and within 16 balls and mere minutes of each other and had ex captain (and particular favourite batsman of mine) Babar Azam remained not out overnight, a very dominant day for the hosts would’ve been just about perfect.
So what of the tired and weary tourists? Whilst the unchanged top 5 in the batting order will be tested tomorrow, a much changed bowling attack spearheaded by the evergreen Chris Woakes toiled hard all day and were deserving of their two gift wickets together with Jack Leach’s smartly taken return catch to finally dismiss Shan Masood and Woakes’ late winkling out of Babar Azam. Gus Atkinson ran in hard for his two wickets, banishing the memories of poor old Ollie Robinson from tours past and cementing his place in the Test team once more, and whilst Brydon Carse bowled without success today it isn’t without promise for the future. The “Mad Professor” Jack Leach returned to the team with a wicket and as his biggest fan I couldn’t be more pleased for him whilst also cautioning that he needs a huge haul of wickets on this three match tour. Joe Root chipped in with the ball without success and Shoaib Bashir’s prodigious rise and inclusion in the Test team won’t be affected by today’s empty wicket haul. The 20 year old from Surrey has one hell of a Test Match career ahead of him and for the immediate present? Wickets tomorrow and a double digit haul in the coming weeks wouldn’t go amiss!
Tomorrow’s first session is intriguingly set up. If England can dispense with overnight nightwatchman Naseem Shah and then Mohammad Rizwan in quick order then they’ll feel as though they’re more than in this first Test Match. If Pakistan can bat into the afternoon session and post 500+ 1st innings runs, then they can turn the screw under a sweltering sun and be in as dominant position as they ended today.
Time will tell.
It always does.
Thanks for reading. I hope this message in a bottle in The Matrix finds you well, prospering, and the right way up in an upside down world.