England’s bowlers struck late in the day to balance the first day of the final Test against Pakistan in Multan, where each side had its moments. England's late three-wicket haul included Kamran Ghulam, hero of the previous Test, who struggled to make an impact this time. Ghulam fell to a fast, low-bouncing delivery from Atkinson, marking the only pace-wicket on a spin-dominated day with just three overs of pace in total.
Pakistan’s openers, Abdullah Shafique and Saim Ayub, were dismissed cheaply as Shoaib Bashir and Jack Leach claimed a wicket each. While Shafique was undone by a sharply turning off-break, Ayub inside-edged an attempted flick, sending a simple catch to short mid-wicket. Skipper Shan Masood and Saud Shakeel then steadied Pakistan’s innings, adding a few solid runs to blunt England's late surge, though those three wickets reduced the impact of Pakistan’s earlier success with the ball.
Sajid Khan and Noman Ali, Pakistan’s spin duo, derailed England’s batting lineup. Unlike the previous Test in Multan, Rawalpindi’s pitch spun fiercely from the very first delivery. Sajid’s opening ball turned sharply, setting the tone, with both spinners exploiting low bounce and unpredictable turn throughout the day. Ben Duckett (52) and Zak Crawley (29) initially built a promising partnership of 56 runs, but after their stand was broken, England slipped to 118 for 6 as Sajid and Noman maintained a stifling line on a slow but turning track.
A significant recovery was then led by Jamie Smith (89) and Gus Atkinson (39), who shared a 107-run partnership to keep Pakistan’s bowlers at bay. Smith adapted well to the conditions, employing sweeps and sound footwork to reach a solid score, while Atkinson defended skillfully. Their counter-attack nearly carried England past 300, but Noman dismissed Atkinson, and Smith eventually fell in the 90s to Zahid Mahmood, leaving England with a respectable 267, even if slightly below-par.
Pakistan, at 73/3, faces an intriguing challenge as the pitch’s slow nature may benefit their batters, especially with the older ball. How the pitch evolves—whether it breaks up further or merely slows down—will shape the second day’s play.
Brief Scores:
England 267 (Jamie Smith 89, Ben Duckett 52; Sajid Khan 6-128, Noman Ali 3-88)
Pakistan 73/3 (Saim Ayub 19; Gus Atkinson 1-2, Shoaib Bashir 1-29)