Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan came to Pakistan’s rescue on the opening day of the first Test against the West Indies at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Friday. The duo stitched together an unbeaten 97-run partnership for the fifth wicket, recovering Pakistan from a precarious 46/4 to a more respectable 143/4 by the time bad light forced an early end to the day’s play.
The day, heavily affected by weather disruptions, saw only 41.3 overs bowled. Dense fog in the morning delayed the start, with the entire first session abandoned. When play finally began, Pakistan captain Shan Masood won the toss and elected to bat first, but the decision backfired as West Indies pacer Jayden Seales wreaked havoc on the top order.
Seales was the star of the morning session, claiming four wickets in a fiery spell. The biggest blow came when Seales removed Babar Azam for just 8 runs, reducing Pakistan to 46/4 in just 13.3 overs.
With the top order back in the pavilion, Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan took charge of the recovery effort. The pair batted with composure, mixing caution with aggression to rebuild the innings.
The weather forecast for the second day remains uncertain, with fog and bad light likely to play a role again. Both teams will need to adapt to the conditions as they look to gain the upper hand in this opening Test.
Stay tuned for updates as the action unfolds in Multan.