Saud Shakeel is on track to become the third Pakistan batter to score a century in the opening Test against England, as the hosts reached 397 for six at lunch on the second day of play on Tuesday.
Naseem Shah, serving as the nightwatchman, made a significant contribution with a career-best 33 runs. He and Shakeel forged a solid partnership, adding 64 runs together, with Shakeel not out on 67 at the lunch break.
Meanwhile, Salman Agha remained without a score at the other end, batting in what is proving to be a favorable pitch for run-making at the Multan Cricket Stadium.
England’s bowlers have faced a tough task, having toiled hard with minimal reward on the first day, and the trend continued as play resumed.
Naseem, typically known for his skills with the ball, demonstrated that he could also be a valuable asset with the bat. He struck three sixes and showed impressive resilience, frustrating the English bowlers during the first hour of play despite enduring hits to both his helmet and bowling hand.
Naseem’s determined innings came to an end when he edged a delivery from Brydon Carse to Harry Brook at leg slip, marking the debutant seamer’s first Test wicket.
Shortly after, Mohammad Rizwan fell for a duck, dismissed after just 12 balls when he stepped out against Jack Leach and sent a catch to Chris Woakes at mid-off.
Throughout his innings, Shakeel has looked composed, finding the boundary eight times in his solid knock. As the session progressed, the pressure remained on the English bowlers to make further breakthroughs and stem the flow of runs.
