Tea Pakistan 233 for 1 (Masood 130*, Shafique 94*) England

Although England struck early, with Saim Ayub caught behind off Gus Atkinson for 4, that was to be their only success in 52 overs of toil on a broiling day with temperatures in the high 30s C. Masood set the tempo with a 43-ball half-century, progressing to his hundred from 102 balls – the second-fastest by a Pakistan captain in Tests – while Shafique was more watchful as he attempted to put a run of poor form behind him.

Ollie Pope, again standing in for Ben Stokes as he continues his rehabilitation from a hamstring injury, shuffled his options to no avail. The closest England came to separating the pair during almost two full sessions of batting was when Pope himself missed the stumps at the non-striker’s end after Shafique chanced a non-existent run to mid-on.

Pakistan came into the match having not won a Test at home since 2021, and on a run of five consecutive defeats since Masood took on the captaincy late last year, but were buoyed by a mammoth top-order partnership after winning the toss. England had arrived amid talk of spicy pitches and Pakistan’s batting issues, but it swiftly became clear that an inexperienced attack was facing a steep learning curve.

The hosts reached 122 for 1 at lunch, having made a point of attacking Shoaib Bashir’s offspin, and they continued to accumulate through the afternoon, scoring at roughly 4.5 an over despite Jack Leach offering Pope some semblance of control. Brydon Carse, on debut, and Atkinson attempted a short-ball attack for a period, with Masood perhaps a little fortunate when top-edging the latter all the way over fine leg for six.

A more authentic loft down the ground off Leach took Masood into the 90s, before he drilled the returning Chris Woakes’ through cover point and then tickled a single to bring up a first Test century in four years and 27 innings, going back to Pakistan’s 2020 tour of England.

The second-wicket pair were largely untroubled as they moved towards a double-century stand, Pope taking his DRS record as captain to 11-0 when unsuccessfully reviewing for a catch at slip off Masood. Bashir was taken for 59 runs in 11 overs on a tough first outing in the country from where his family came to England, and Pope had resorted to his sixth bowling option – in the form of Joe Root’s offspin – by the time tea came around.

Masood’s decision to bat (Pope said he would have done the same) was soon backed up, despite the tinge of green to the surface and the early loss of Ayub. There was little movement on offer for England’s opening pair of Woakes – playing his first overseas Test since March 2022 – and Atkinson, and it was something of a surprise when Ayub gloved an innocuous-looking short ball to the keeper in the fourth over.

The dismissal extended Shafique and Ayub’s miserable run as an opening pair, failing to reach double-figures for the seventh time in a row. Atkinson, having enjoyed a sparkling debut during England’s home summer, had a wicket with his 10th ball on tour.

But while Woakes probed away, giving Shafique a few anxious moments with deliveries that did enough to beat both edges of the bat, the second-wicket pair soon settled. Atkinson was driven down the ground by Shafique, who then opened the face to steer Woakes wide of the slips, while the extra pace of Carse brought scoring opportunities as well as the potential for peril.

That much was in evidence in Carse’s second over, as Masood edged crookedly through backward point for his first boundary and then was given out playing around a full, fast one – only for DRS to prove that it had pitched outside leg.

Pakistan were 56 for 1 at drinks, consolidating nicely after the early loss, and the introduction of spin in the form of Bashir saw Masood go up a gear. After being hit on the pad by one that didn’t turn, Masood responded by thumping four of Bashir’s next eight balls to the boundary, the pick a skip down the track and launch through cover.

Shafique, having survived Pope’s underarm at one stump on 34, then followed his captain’s lead by taking on Bashir’s offspin as he doubled his boundary tally in one over. A charge down the pitch to clear mid-on brought up the century stand, followed by a cut for four and six launched over long-on, taking Shafique to a 77-ball fifty – his first in eight Test innings.

Both teams had named their XIs in advance. Pakistan recalled Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah, after both were left out of the second Test against Bangladesh, while allrounder Aamer Jamal was fit to return after injury. Abrar Ahmed, who debuted to prolific effect against England two years ago, shoulders spin duties with Salman Ali Agha also able to chip in.

England opted for a cautious approach to Stokes’ fitness, eight weeks after he tore a hamstring playing in the Hundred, leaving Woakes to lead an inexperienced seam attack, with Carse on debut and Atkinson playing only his seventh Test. Leach, meanwhile, returned for a first outing since being injured on the tour of India last winter, after which he lost the No. 1 spinner’s berth to Somerset team-mate Bashir.