Former England captain Nasser Hussain has opened up on the bowler’s performance on Day 1 of the first PAK v ENG Test in Multan.
The opening day of the first Test saw Pakistan score 328 over the loss of four wickets as vice-captain Saud Shakeel (35*) and nightwatchman Naseem Shah (0*) remained unbeaten at the stumps.
After opting to bat first, Pakistan lost opening batter Saim Ayub after scoring just four runs.
However, captain Shan Masood and Abdullah Shafique then scored centuries to take the hosts to 261.
Masood scored 151 off 177 deliveries while Shafique departed after scoring 102 off 184 deliveries.
After their dismissals in a quick session, Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel partnered up to take Pakistan to 324 before the former captain was dismissed after scoring 30 runs.
Read more: PAK v ENG: Nasser Hussain warns England ahead of Test series
Reacting to the England bowlers’ outing in the first PAK v ENG Test, Nasser Hussain said that the visitors would be happy about their bowling on Day 1 of the Test.
“Walking off at
328-4, usually, you are thinking that the game has gone away from us. Actually here, they must be thinking, ‘we did quite well there lads.’ That is the difference between playing at home and playing away from home. If you walk off in England, and the opposition have got 328-4 on the first day, a lot of the time you are out of the game. Here, you are still in the game, and that is a credit,” he said.The former England skipper lauded the comeback by the visitors after a huge partnership between Shan Masood and Abdulla Shafique.
“We were looking for body language, fitness, speeds, coming back with the new ball, and they did all of that. They should be pretty proud of what they achieved. People at home might be thinking Pakistan are in the ascendancy, but you could only do today what they did. You cannot criticize either Pope or the bowlers, they stuck to their task, they gave it everything, that was as tough as it gets for a bowling unit,” Nasser Hussain said.
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