Pakistan vs West Indies: Rizwan, Shakeel rescue hosts after top-order collapse

MULTAN: Pakistan have recovered from an early collapse in the first cricket Test against the West Indies in Multan. Captain Shan Masood opted to bat first after winning the toss. However, the host lost four top-order wickets by the time the score reached 46. By the end of the first day’s play, wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan (51*) and Saud Shakeel (56*), who both scored half-centuries, are at the crease.

The hosts lost their first wicket when opener Mohammad Huraira (6) was dismissed with the team’s score at 16. He was caught by wicketkeeper Tevin Imlach off Jayden Seales’ bowling. Shan Masood followed soon after, gifting his wicket to Gudakesh Motie. Kamran Ghulam (5) was the third to fall, trapped LBW by Jayden Seales.

When the score reached 46, former captain and star batsman Babar Azam (8) was dismissed, also by Jayden Seales. After this, Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel steadied the innings with a solid fifth-wicket partnership. Rizwan hit seven boundaries in his 80-ball innings, while Saud Shakeel faced 100 balls and struck four boundaries to reach his half-century.

For the West Indies, Jayden Seales claimed three wickets, while Gudakesh Motie took one. Due to poor weather, only 41.3 overs were bowled on the first day.