England off to brisk start after Agha century propels Pakistan to 556 in 1st Test

England's Joe Root and Zak Crawley (R) run between the wickets during the second day of the first Test cricket match between Pakistan and England at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan on October 8, 2024. (AFP)

Pakistan's Shaheen Shah Afridi, center, plays a shot as England's Jamie Smith, center, and Joe Root watch during the second day of the first test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Multan, Pakistan, on Oct. 8, 2024. (AP)

• Pakistan started the day on 328-4 and were spearheaded by Salman Ali Agha’s unbeaten 104 and Saud Shakeel’s 82
• England raced at nearly five-runs-per-over as Crawley smashed 11 fours in unbeaten 64, Joe Root was not out on 32

MULTAN: England chipped at Pakistan’s massive 556, three-centuries total by reaching 96-1 at stumps on day two Tuesday of the first Test.
Pakistan started the day on 328-4 and was spearheaded by Salman Ali Agha’s unbeaten 104 and Saud Shakeel’s 82.
On a pitch which still looks good for batting with little help for fast bowlers or spinners, England raced at nearly five-runs-per-over as Zac Crawley smashed 11 fours in his unbeaten 64. Joe Root was not out on 32.
England lost stand-in captain Ollie Pope without scoring in the second over to a stunning one-handed catch by a diving Aamer Jamal at midwicket off Naseem Shah. England trails Pakistan by 460 runs.
Pope had to open the innings after Ben Duckett injured his left thumb while grabbing a sharp chest-high catch of No. 11 Abrar Ahmed in the slips that finally ended England’s heat-sapping 5 1/2 sessions on the field at Multan Stadium.
Whether Duckett bats was yet to be determined.
England’s Jack Leach took 3-160 and Shoaib Bashir 1-124 but Pakistan dominated both spinners.
Brydon Carse’s long wait for his first wicket in his debut test came on Tuesday, which he finished with 2-74. Gus Atkinson (2-99) and Chris Woakes (1-69) toiled without finding any reverse swing on the green square.
England did well in the first session and allowed Pakistan only 69 runs with Carse breaking the resistance of nightwatchman Naseem, who gloved a legside catch after scoring his test-best 33.
Naseem denied England a breakthrough for 1 1/2 hours and braved a couple of blows. He got a knock on the back of his helmet when he was struck hard by an Atkinson short ball and also received brief treatment when Carse struck the batter’s right thumb off another short ball before round-the-wicket worked for the right arm fast bowler.
Leach had Mohammad Rizwan caught at mid-off for a 12-ball duck.
Shakeel, who began the day on 35, showed plenty of resistance and raised his half-century with a swept boundary off Bashir. Shakeel was undone by the off-spinner after lunch and feathered a low catch to Root in the slips.
Agha took charge with meticulous drives and sweeps. His third test century followed tons by captain Shan Masood (151) and Abdullah Shafique (102) on day one.
Agha gave Pakistan an ideal finish on the benign pitch. In the company of Shaheen Shah Afridi (26), Agha hit 10 boundaries and three sixes in his 119-ball knock to propel Pakistan past 550.
England was scratchy late in Pakistan’s innings as wicketkeeper Jamie Smith missed an easy stumping of Abrar, and Atkinson couldn’t judge a catch over his shoulder before Root folded the innings.