Captain Shan Masood has finally ended a lengthy dry spell without a century, scoring his first Test hundred in four years during the first Test against England on Monday. Masood’s performance was instrumental in guiding Pakistan to a solid position of 233-1 at tea on the opening day.
The 34-year-old left-handed batsman remained unbeaten on 130 runs, while opener Abdullah Shafique contributed an impressive 94 runs. The duo formed an unbroken partnership of 225 runs for the second wicket, showcasing their skill and determination after Pakistan opted to bat first upon winning the toss.
A Dominant Display of Batting
Masood, who faced increasing pressure to score runs, had not reached the three-figure mark since his last century against England in Manchester back in 2020. This marked his 14th Test and 27th innings without a hundred.
He made a decisive move to complete his fifth Test century, pushing England’s fast bowler Chris Woakes for a single. Masood’s century came off just 102 balls, featuring two sixes and 11 boundaries, displaying a dominant batting performance. Shafique also held his ground firmly, hitting 10 fours and a six, as they made England’s bowling attack work hard on a pitch that favored batting.
Key Moments in the Match
The match started with a wicket for England in the fourth over when fast bowler Gus Atkinson forced Pakistan’s opener, Ayub, to glove a delivery down the leg side, resulting in a catch for wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.
England thought they had a second breakthrough when debutant Brydon Carse trapped Masood in front for 16 runs, but a review revealed the delivery had pitched outside leg stump, allowing Masood to continue his innings.
He soon began to dominate the spin attack, particularly against Shoaib Bashir, hitting multiple boundaries to bring up his 11th Test fifty. Shafique had a close call on 34 when he narrowly escaped a run-out due to a missed throw from Ollie Pope. Both teams featured three fast bowlers and two spinners, indicating expectations of a pitch that would assist seamers early on before spinners took over later in the match.
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