Rizwan, Shakeel hit back after West Indies' early strikes

Pakistan 143/4 (Saud Shakeel 56*, Mohammad Rizwan 51*; Jayden Seales 3-21) vs West Indies

The opening Test at Multan got off to a delayed start due to thick fog. Once the game started, it came packed with plenty of action. In the first session, West Indies struck hard through Jayden Seales. Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel led a fightback.

Rizwan's counter-attack came in a thrilling fashion with the spinners being put under the pump. Shakeel was able to play the sheet-anchor role to good effect which ended up in an unbeaten 97-run stand at the end of the day. The two half-centuries turned the tables on what was otherwise a good start for the tourists.

Pakistan chose to bat on a pitch that was spicy straightaway. There was purchase for spin from the get-go and West Indies opened the bowling with Gudakesh Motie's left-arm spin. There was also significant movement off the deck for the pacers which Jayden Seales made perfect use of.

Pakistan's openers got off to a watchful start, but it came to an end when debutant Muhammad Hurraira nicked behind off Seales. It gave West Indies' debutant wicket-keeper Tevin Imlach his first dismissal in Test cricket.

Hurraira's partner Shan Masood followed soon after edging a big turning ball from Motie down the legside. Kamran Ghulam started with a delectable cover-drive off Seales but the bowler had the last laugh, pinging him on the back pad with a nipbacker. Ghulam reviewed in optimism but the umpire's call stayed in Seales' favour. At 31/3, Pakistan's first session had not gone according to plan. Saud Shakeel and Babar Azam saw through some nervous moments for a couple of overs before Azam got a crackerjack from Seales.

Azam edged the away-seaming delivery to give Seales his third wicket of the morning. But thereafter Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan saw through the day which was further cut short at the end of the day by bad light forcing an early end.