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

Pakistan 556 and 152 for 6 (Salman 41*, Atkinson 2-28) route In England 823 on 7 Dec (Brook 317, Root 262, Duckett 84, Crawley 78) by 115 runs

It was the fourth day that England had dreamed and Pakistan had feared, and perhaps Multan’s soft talk was inappropriate. A seemingly futile first Test has now been turned in favor of the visitors, who are in for another famous win in these parts.

It took such an effort to put Mpande in the shade as he got a two-year Test stint; only Wally Hammond (7) has more in England. Root has been batting since the night of day two, when Ollie Pope’s dismissal took him 4 for 1 in the lead. When Root was dismissed, with 703 for 4, England leading by 147, he had only spent eight overs. 285.1 overs of the match off the field. After struggling with cramp on day three, he deserved more than 14.5 overs in the sheds before the announcement, but will take solace in the fact that there should be more rest on day five.

Brook stayed on 260, blowing past his Test best of 186 against New Zealand in Wellington in 2023, and his best of 194 against Kent in 2022. from his 245th delivery.

After 118 deliveries to reach 100, then 127 more to reach 200, the next over required just 65, featuring 10 fours and two sixes. The first of those sweet hits was straight and true to Salman, the second was a charge and hit extra cover to Naseem, bringing him within 10 of those threes.

There were no signs of worry in the “nervous 290s”, chasing quick runs before the declaration helped by a fine cameo from Jamie Smith, as part of a 41-ball 79 for the fifth wicket. A back-foot shot to the straight boundary – his 31st overall – off part-time legspinner Saim Ayub took him to the promised land.

Pakistani players lined up to congratulate him, there is no doubt that they were happy to finally see the back of a batsman who has more Tests for their country than his own (785 to 761). Brook was within three wickets of his 20-run haul, before Brydon Carse – who hit his second six-over long-off Test cricket 800 – joined the -Chris Woakes for 24 runs. , at which point stand-in captain Ollie Pope called the team to a 267-run lead.

At the time, it felt like mercy for the bowlers, who had their highest innings total, with six bowlers conceding 100 runs or more for only the second time in Test history. But more pain was at hand.

Over six overs before tea gets off to a terrific start, as Woakes finds the necessary form in the air and off the field to clear Shafique’s stumps. And even if Woakes goes on to get Shan Masood out, bounced in the middle of the overs, and sees the same tough chance that Gus Atkinson missed with his early bowling, the fix will be made early in the evening session.

Atkinson eventually caught Masood, as the Pakistan skipper handed over to Zak Crawley, one of the two midshipmen involved. Surrey quick then got a length ball to the outside off stump to leave Babar Azam in a hard-hitting cut to Smith.

Then it was Carse’s turn to punch a few holes in the batting line-up, although he owed it to Ayub for giving him an easy one off his first ball in the second innings. The left-hander’s attempt to clear cover after being given a short, wide delivery was a mistake, even if it required a wonderful take from Ben Duckett, over his shoulder, running back from mid-off. It spoke of the fact that the real demons were in the minds of tired Pakistanis rather than under their feet.

That would be the worst ball thrown by Carse, arguably picking seamers, hitting the pitch hard and getting fancy movement from right fielders in the air, while operating in the mid-80s mph. A delivery that showed all those signs sent back Mohammad Rizwan’s middle stump to take the quick figures of 2 for 39 in his 10 overs so far.

Pope was a brilliant captain, not only in his positions, but also in the way he turned the quicks. And he was fit when Jack Leach replaced left-arm spinner Saud Shakeel, replacing Carse.

That would have been the last wicket, or England should have had one more when Aamer Jamal, on 12, popped a Carse shot that was dismissed by Shoaib Bashir at deep backward square leg. Jamal built up the order to accompany Salman Agha, whose 41 restored order to proceedings. Even it suffered another humiliating defeat in the day.