England's bowlers were commended for their relentless effort, described as "digging deeper and deeper and deeper," after they managed to claw back from a challenging start to claim three crucial wickets in the final session, leaving Pakistan at 328 for four at the end of the opening day in Multan. Shan Masood's impressive 151 and Abdullah Shafique's 102 formed a formidable partnership of 253, propelling the home side to 261 for one. However, Gus Atkinson, Jack Leach, and Chris Woakes struck late in the day to revitalize England's prospects in the first Test.
"The seamers were fantastic," praised Jeetan Patel, England's spin bowling coach. "They were exhausted by the time they returned for tea but still went back out there, maintaining their energy to seize another wicket and capitalize on the best opportunities." Patel emphasized the challenges faced by the bowlers, "You go through every plan, with everyone offering ideas, but the heat and weather conditions can be overwhelming. You have to dig deeper and deeper and deeper to find a way. I believe the guys did that."
Despite early difficulties in making breakthroughs—"It's pretty hot out there, conditions are quite docile at times. We probably expected it to do a bit more," Patel noted—Woakes delivered his finest over under floodlights with a fresh second new ball, dismissing Babar Azam for 30. His delivery beat the edge before moving back into the batter, securing an lbw decision confirmed after a review.
Patel lauded Woakes' skill, "Getting one ball to move away and then one to nip back is a high skill, especially when you're exhausted and drenched in sweat. To get that wicket tonight proves his skillfulness regardless of the conditions. I couldn't commend the bowlers more. The effort they put in today was top-notch. We're quite satisfied with how it ended up."
Shafique's century, his first in 15 months, broke a streak where he had scored fewer than five runs in seven of his previous nine Test innings. "I am feeling happy because performing for your team is a next-level feeling," he said. "The partnership Shan and I built was crucial. The main focus for me is the process. If I do good things in the process, I am able to perform well in the match."
