Seales Takes Three but Shakeel and Rizwan Lead Pakistan Fightback

Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan hit unbeaten half-centuries to help Pakistan recover from Jayden Seales' three-wicket burst on the opening day of the first Test against the West Indies in Multan.

Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan played crucial unbeaten half-centuries to help Pakistan recover from Jayden Seales' three-wicket burst, reaching 143-4 on the opening day of the first Test against the West Indies in Multan on Friday. After fog forced the cancellation of the morning session, Pakistan captain Shan Masood's decision to bat appeared to backfire as the home team slumped to 46-4, with Seales dismissing Babar Azam caught behind. However, Shakeel (56) and Rizwan (51) steadied the ship with a 97-run stand for the unbroken fifth wicket before bad light stopped play.

The West Indies began with Gudakesh Motie's left-arm spin on a track that offered significant turn for a first-day wicket. However, it was Seales who made the most impact, denting Pakistan's top order. Opener Muhammad Hurraira made six before edging one to West Indies wicketkeeper Tevin Imlach, who was also making his Test debut. Kamran Ghulam (five) fell lbw after not offering a shot to an incoming delivery from Seales, who then dismissed Babar caught behind. After a lengthy conversation with Saud, Babar, who made eight, decided to review the decision. However, replays confirmed that he had nicked the ball, and Pakistan lost a review.

Jayden Seales reflected on the day's play, emphasizing the importance of consistency in bowling. “We need to continue bowling the good balls,” Seales told broadcasters. “As spinners or as fast bowlers, there's always something in the pitch for us. It's a matter of just bowling our good balls for as long as possible.” Seales also shared his assessment of the pitch, suggesting that a score of around 250 could be competitive. “I think 250-odd is probably a good score on this pitch,” he added.