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Before play began today, much of the focus was on the pitch, especially how industrial fans and heaters had been used to dry it out. The question wasn’t whether it would turn, but how much. Credit to the groundstaff, the surface allowed for a day of competitive cricket. England won the toss and chose to bat, but they quickly found themselves in trouble at 118/6. It took a remarkable 105-run partnership between Jamie Smith and Gus Atkinson, both batting superbly, to rescue England. Not only did they pull England out of a tough spot, but they also put them in a commanding position with a total of 267.
In reply, Pakistan's openers began confidently against the new ball. England's spinners initially struggled to get the same grip off the pitch, but it didn't take long for them to break through. Shafique was trapped lbw, Ayub pushed at one and edged, and Atkinson bowled Ghulam with a skidding delivery. England now holds the upper hand, as there's significant turn and variable bounce on offer, giving them plenty of confidence heading into tomorrow.
Teams:
Pakistan (Playing XI): Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood(c), Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan(w), Agha Salman, Aamer Jamal, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Zahid Mahmood
England (Playing XI): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes(c), Jamie Smith(w), Gus Atkinson, Rehan Ahmed, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir
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