Before this week nobody knew what you would get if you spent the buildup to a game roasting the pitch in a makeshift fan oven. It turns out the answer is wickets, 13 of them falling on an opening day of drama and frequent befuddlement.
Of the 16 batters who tried only Ben Duckett, who scored 52 before being undone by one that kept unsportingly low, and Jamie Smith, who scored a hugely impressive 89, looked particularly comfortable. In what became the longest innings - since people started noting these things - when only spin was bowled England posted 267, of which 143 were scored while the No 7 was at the crease.
Smith alone found an answer to the bowling of the mercurial Sajid Khan, who added another six wickets to the nine he took in Multan last week. In response, Pakistan reached stumps on 73 for three, with four of their batters having reached the teens and none so far getting beyond them.
This story is from the October 25, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the October 25, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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