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Shan Masood's Century Leads the Way at Multan
Historic for Shan Masood, he led Pakistan in his maiden Test as a Test captain to such a dominating day and has certainly kept the critics at bay with an outstanding effort on the opening day of the three-Test series against England in Multan. On Monday, October 7, Masood bashed his first Test century as a captain, bringing proofs before his home crowd.
A Milestone Under Pressure
Massive pressure had entered the camps of Pakistan after its recent loss to Bangladesh at home by two wickets. The media and fans' minds were flooded with doubts regarding Masood's competency as a leader, but Masood was under no pressure and class emerged after he scored a hundred in just 102 deliveries, marking him as the third Pakistani captain to score a hundred against England in home conditions, following Inzamam-ul-Haq and Babar Azam.
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Rapid runs on a batter-friendly pitch
Masood's hundred came on the very same pitch that was made to favour the batsmen, and he could not have hoped for a better setup than this at the Multan Cricket Stadium. The last time Masood scored a Test hundred, that too came on December 26, 2014, it was at Multan, and indeed, for him, this match marked the end of an even longer wait of 1524 days - his fifth hundred in Test cricket. Masood kept the scoreboard running aggressively and made sure that the operation was smooth, showing almost five runs per over in the first two sessions.
Abdullah Shafique Partnership
With Saim Ayub losing for 4 in the fourth over, Pakistan's hopes received a near-death blow. But Masood seemed to complement this wonderful form by joining hands with Abdullah Shafique in order to build a solid partnership of 200-plus runs, making Pakistan get on the right track and dictate the terms of Day 1. Momentum was created and positives were too aggressive against England's bowlers, as openers Masood and Abdullah Shafique gave two 100-plus innings.
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Masterful Play of Openers Against England's Bowlers
Masood's innings underlined his flair and game sense against English bowling. He batted well against the spinners Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir, using his feet to good effect along with containing the pace attack consisting of Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, and debutant Brydon Carse. The boundary count was 11 with two sixes that kept the crowd entertained while keeping Pakistan ahead.
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