Nasser Hussain hails England's resilience on Day 1 in Multan despite Pakistan's dominance

Former England captain Nasser Hussain praised the efforts of Ollie Pope and his team on the opening day of the first Test against Pakistan in Multan, even as they found themselves under pressure, conceding 328 runs for the loss of four wickets in 86 overs. The English bowlers faced a grueling challenge on a lifeless pitch, with Pakistan's Abdullah Shafique and Shan Masood both scoring impressive centuries.

With regular captain Ben Stokes unable to play, Pope stepped into the leadership role, facing the daunting task of guiding his team in their first overseas match together. The hosts took full advantage of the conditions, reaching 233 for one by the end of the second session, leaving the English side struggling to find their footing.

However, the visitors staged a commendable comeback in the final session. Key wickets fell in quick succession, including the dismissals of both centurions. Chris Woakes made an impactful contribution by taking the crucial wicket of Babar Azam, helping to stifle Pakistan's momentum just before the day's conclusion.

Reflecting on the day’s play, Hussain noted, “Walking off at 328-4, usually, you are thinking that the game has gone away from us. Actually here, they must be thinking, ‘we did quite well there lads.’ That is the difference between playing at home and playing away from home. If you walk off in England, and the opposition has got 328-4 on the first day, a lot of the time you are out of the game. Here, you are still in the game, and that is a credit.”

Hussain commended the English players for their resilience after a challenging start, stating, “We were looking for body language, fitness, speeds, coming back with the new ball, and they did all of that. They should be pretty proud of what they achieved. People at home might be thinking Pakistan are in the ascendancy, but you could only do today what they did. You cannot criticize either Pope or the bowlers; they stuck to their task, they gave it everything. That was as tough as it gets for a bowling unit.”

Despite Pakistan's run rate soaring above four runs per over in the first two sessions, England's determination limited the hosts to just 95 runs in the final session, at a rate of 2.79, while losing three wickets.

In their previous encounter in Rawalpindi, the Ben Stokes-led team achieved a comprehensive 3-0 series whitewash, posting over 500 runs on the first day of the tour.