Nasser Hussain praises England's efforts on Day 1 against Pakistan
Former England captain, Nasser Hussain, has praised the English cricket team for their effort on the opening day of the first Test against Pakistan. Despite difficult conditions in Multan, Ollie Pope's side managed to pick four wickets. However, the effort was overshadowed by a daunting 253-run partnership between Pakistan's skipper Shan Masood (151) and Abdullah Shafique (102). Here's more.
England's bowling performance in challenging conditions
The English bowlers had a tough day in the field. Gus Atkinson (2/70) took two wickets while Jack Leach (1/61) and Chris Woakes (1/58) claimed one scalp each. Despite the tough conditions, Hussain praised their resilience on Sky Sports Cricket. He said, "You cannot criticize Pope and the bowlers, they stuck to their tasks, they gave it everything."
Hussain highlights England's positive signs
Hussain further stressed that despite Pakistan's strong position at 328-4, England shouldn't feel out of the game. He noted the team's positive body language, speed, and fitness as encouraging signs. Atkinson made an early impact by dismissing Pakistan opener Saim Ayub (4) in the fourth over. However, it was only in the 60th over that England got their second wicket when Atkinson had Shafique caught by Pope at cover.
Woakes provides late boost for England
Chris Woakes gave England a much-needed boost by getting rid of Babar Azam (30) late in the evening session. Hussain stressed on the importance of keeping pressure on key players like Babar throughout the series. He also admitted that this match would have been physically demanding for England, saying, "England win or lose games quickly. They're not used to such long toil in the field."
England's young bowling attack impresses Hussain
Hussain also lauded the efforts of England's young, relatively inexperienced bowling attack. The team featured debutant Brydon Carse (29), Atkinson (26) on his first overseas tour, and Shoaib Bashir (20) playing in a Test series away from home for the first time since India earlier this year. Sky Sports's Michael Atherton echoed these sentiments, stating "You can't judge England too harshly."
