Mon Oct 07 05:00:58 UTC 2024: ## Pakistan Wins Toss, Elects to Bat First in Scorching Multan Test
Multan, Pakistan – The first Test of the three-match series between England and Pakistan began today under a blistering sun, with temperatures reaching 37 degrees Celsius. England, fielding a new-look pace attack, will be looking to challenge a struggling Pakistan team.
Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat first, setting the stage for an exciting match.
England’s Playing XI includes Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (Captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (Wicketkeeper), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jack Leach, and Shoaib Bashir.
Pakistan’s Playing XI features Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (Captain), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (Wicketkeeper), Salman Agha, Aamer Jamal, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Abrar Ahmed.
This match marks the return of Ben Stokes to the England squad, who will be missing the first test due to injury.
The first Test promises to be a nail-biting encounter with both teams looking to make a strong start to the series.
First Piper 