After Shan Masood won the toss and opted to bat first, Pakistan batted for the most of two days in the Multan Test match to amass 556. Masood himself made 151 of these runs and Abdullah Shafique 102, while Salman Ali Agha remained unbeaten on 104, setting the 19th instance of three Pakistanis scoring hundreds in the same Test innings. For England, Jack Leach claimed 3-160.

An awkward catch

The tenth wicket fell in slightly unusual manner, when part-time off-spinner Joe Root bowled a short-pitched ball at No.11 Abrar Ahmed. The ball went too fast for Ben Duckett at slip to react, and ricoetted off his left thumb before Duckett completed the catch with his right hand.

There was no time for Duckett to recover, and when England opened, he did not walk out to bat with Zak Crawley. Ollie Pope, who had been leading in the absence of regular captain Ben Stokes, stepped in for his second role as well, of Test opener.

Unfortunately, he lasted only two balls before Aamir Jamal caught him brilliantly at mid-wicket off Naseem Shah for a duck. Joe Root walked out at the fall of Pope’s wicket.

Since Duckett had taken the last catch of the Pakistan innings, he had not spent any time off the field and is eligible to bat. While there is no update on his injury, his not walking out to bat at first-drop may raise a few eyebrows of caution.

At the time of writing, England were 15-1 with Crawley (8) and Root (7) at the crease.

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