Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan helped Pakistan recover from a poor start in the first Test against the West Indies on Friday to reach 143-4 at the end of a fog-plagued opening day.
When bad light ended the game with just 41.3 overs bowled, Shakeel was unbeaten on 56 in his ninth half-century while Rizwan was not out on 51 in his 11th.
The pair added 97 after finding Pakistan in trouble at 46-4.
The left-right combination of Shakeel and Rizwan negotiated the West Indies attack with three spinners with confidence after fast bowler Jayden Seales initially left the home team struggling.
Sensing that the dry, grassless pitch of the Multan Stadium would be difficult to bat on in the last two days, and with spin set to play a big role, the home team opted to bat after winning the toss.
But the match was delayed due to morning fog, compounded by poor air quality, which caused poor visibility and canceled the first session.
So far, Shakeel has crossed four boundaries, while Rizwan has seven hits on the fence.
Seales finished with 3-21 in 10 overs.
Both teams started with three spinners and just one front-row fast bowler and the tourists opened the bowling with left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie alongside Seales.
It was Seales who provided the breakthrough, forcing a lead from debutant Muhammad Hurraira to wicketkeeper Tevin Imlach in the sixth over. Hurraira scored six.
Three overs later, Motie dismissed Masood with a weak edge towards the keeper for 11 before Seales trapped Kamran Ghulam in the previous leg with a strong delivery for five.
The score reached 46-4 when Babar Azam edged Seales behind the wicket for eight, continuing a poor run of scoring at the home of Pakistan’s leading batsman.
The two-match series is part of the third cycle of the World Test Championship (2023-2025). Pakistan is currently in eighth place and the West Indies are ninth and last.
