PAK vs ENG 2024/25, PAK vs ENG 1st Test Match Report, October 07 – 11, 2024

Lunch Pakistan 121 for 1 (Masood 61*, Shafique 53*) In England

Pakistan come into this match without a Test win at home since 2021, and have lost five in a row since Masood took over the captaincy late last year, but were boosted by timely contributions from two of the top three after winning the toss.

Masood’s decision to bat (Pope said he would have done the same) was quickly backed up, despite the appearance of the green at the top and the loss of Ayub at first. There was little movement in England opener Chris Woakes – playing his first overseas Test since March 2022 – and Atkinson, and it was a surprise when Ayub gave the keeper an innocuous-looking short ball in the fourth over.

The dismissal extended Shafique and Ayub’s run as opener, failing to reach double figures for the seventh time in a row. Atkinson, enjoying his sparkling debut on England’s home soil, had his 10th wicket of the tour.

But when Woakes kept things tight, giving Shafique seconds to worry with a delivery that did enough to hit the ends of the bat, the two wickets soon settled. Atkinson was run down by Shafique, who opened the face to guide Woakes into the slips, while Carse’s extra pace brought scoring opportunities and a chance for danger.

That much was in evidence in Carse’s second over, as Masood curled back to his first boundary and was then dismissed on a full, fast delivery – only for DRS to prove he had bowled outside leg.

Pakistan were 56 for 1 at the crease, rallying well after an early loss, and the introduction of spin in the form of Shoaib Bashir saw Masood step up a gear. After being hit by one that didn’t turn on the pad, Masood responded by hitting four of Bashir’s next eight balls to the boundary, opting to skip the track and out through cover to take him to 45 from 41.

Shafique, who survived Pope’s underarm at one stump on 34, then followed his captain’s lead by taking Bashir’s wicket. A hit down the field to finish mid-on produced a century, followed after the over by four cuts and a six over long-on, which took Shafique to a 77-ball fifty – his first in 8 Test innings.

Both the teams named XIs early. Pakistan have brought back Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah, after both were ruled out of the second Test against Bangladesh, while all-rounder Aamer Jamal is set to return from injury. Abrar Ahmed, who made his debut against England two years ago, has his work cut out for him with Salman Ali Agha also making an appearance.

England opted to take note of Stokes’ fitness, eight weeks after he tore a hamstring in the Hundred, leaving Woakes to lead the attacking seam, with Carse starting and Atkinson playing only his seventh Test. Jack Leach, on the other hand, returned to play for the first time since being injured on the tour of India last winter, after which he lost the No. 1 spinner spot. 1 to Somerset teammate Bashir.