Shakeel and Rizwan retaliated against the early strikes of the West Indies.
First Test match at Multan started late because of heavy fog, but once play began in the afternoon, there was a tonne of action. Before Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel led a comeback, the West Indies struck hard through Jayden Seales in the first match.
Ankush Pandey
Putting the spinners under pressure allowed Rizwan to launch a thrilling counterattack. Rizwan's effective sweeping and footwork gave Pakistan a much-needed boost following a turbulent first session. In his quirky company, Shakeel was able to effectively play the role of sheet-anchor, which ultimately led to an undefeated 97-run stand. The two half-centuries reversed what had been a positive beginning for the tourists.
Pakistan had decided to bat immediately on a spicy pitch. West Indies started the bowling with Gudakesh Motie's left-arm spin at one end, and there was immediate purchase for spin due to the dust kicking up. However, there was also a lot of movement for the pacers off the deck, which Jayden Seales took full advantage of. The cautious start by Pakistan's openers was cut short when Muhammad Hurraira, making his debut, nicked off Seales. Tevin Imlach, a rookie wicketkeeper for the West Indies, was dismissed for the first time in Test cricket.
After Hurraira's partner Shan Masood edged a large turning ball from Motie down the legside, Imlach moved to his left to take a quick shot. The bowler had the final laugh after Kamran Ghulam's delicious cover-drive off Seales, pinging him on the back pad with a nipbacker. The umpire's decision remained in favour of Seales despite Ghulam's hopeful review after he had left the ball. The first session of Pakistan had not proceeded as planned at 31/3. For a few overs, Saud Shakeel and Babar Azam overcame some apprehensions before Seales gave the latter a crackerjack.
Pakistan was in serious trouble after Azam edged the away-seaming delivery to give Seales his third wicket of the morning. However, after that, Shakeel and Muhammad Rizwan persevered through the day, which was further interrupted by poor lighting that forced an early conclusion.
