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Pakistan 122-1 at lunch in first England Test / Photo: © AFP
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Pakistan 122-1 at lunch in first England Test
Captain Shan Masood and opener Abdullah Shafique hit half-centuries to guide Pakistan to 122-1 at lunch on the opening day of the first Test against England on Monday.
Batting first after winning the toss on a greenish-looking pitch, Pakistan lost opener Saim Ayub for four before Masood with 61 not out and Shafique, who was unbeaten on 53, steadied the innings at Multan cricket stadium.
England took a wicket in the fourth over when fast bowler Gus Atkinson forced Ayub to glove a shorter ball down the legside to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith with the total on eight.
The visitors thought they had a second wicket when pace bowler Brydon Carse, on debut, trapped Masood in front on 16 and umpire Kumar Dharmasena gave the captain out lbw.
But a review showed the ball had pitched outside the leg stump.
Masood went on the attack against Shoaib Bashir, hitting the off-spinner for four boundaries, before two more off Atkinson took him to his 11th Test fifty.
Shafique, who survived being run out on 34 when Ollie Pope missed the stumps with his diving throw with the batsman short of his ground, smashed two fours and a six off Bashir to reach his sixth Test half-century.
In all Shafique has cracked five fours and a six and Masood has hit seven fours.
Both teams have picked three fast bowlers and two spinners, hoping that the pitch will offer new ball help to the seamers before taking spin later in the match.
P. O'Kelly--BTZ
