Pakistan aimed to bounce back from their recent Test woes as Shan Masood won the toss and opted to bat first.
Openers Abdullah Shafique and Saim Ayub started cautiously on the spin-friendly pitch in Multan. Returning from a lengthy injury layoff, England captain Ben Stokes turned to spinners Shoaib Bashir and Jack Leach.
As spin came into play, Pakistan managed to reach 15/0 after seven overs. In the eighth over, Leach delivered a full-length ball targeting the middle and leg stump.
Shafique leaned forward to defend, presenting the full face of his bat, but the ball spun sharply away, beating his outside edge and crashing into the off stump.
— alex (@AlexHivklzzyh) October 15, 2024
Shafique walked back, visibly disappointed, as Pakistan’s opening struggles continued. Leach celebrated his breakthrough, while Twitter buzzed with praise for his delivery and commentary on Pakistan’s ongoing challenges.