Masood hits ton to power Pakistan to 233-1 against England

MULTAN (AFP): Captain Shan Masood scored his first century in four years to lift Pakistan to 233-1 at tea on the opening day of the first Test against England on Monday.

The 34-year-old left-hander was unbeaten on 130 and opener Abdullah Shafique was on 94 as the pair put on a brilliant unbroken 225 for the second wicket after Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat.

Masood had been under pressure to make runs, with his last hundred coming against the same opponents at Manchester in 2020 — 14 Tests and 27 innings ago.

He pushed England fast bowler Chris Woakes for a single to complete his fifth Test hundred off just 102 balls with two sixes and 11 fours in a dominant display of batting.

Shafique was equally assured as the pair made England’s three-pronged pace attack and two spinners toil on a batting-friendly Multan stadium pitch.

Shafique has so far hit 10 fours and a six.

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 well short of his ground, smashed two fours and a six off Bashir to reach his sixth Test half-century.

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.