Tue Oct 15 07:42:04 UTC 2024: ## England’s Woakes Denied Catch, Pakistan’s Agha Reaches Half-Century in Dramatic Twist
Multan, Pakistan – England’s hopes of a crucial wicket were dashed in a dramatic moment during the first Test against Pakistan on Tuesday. Chris Woakes appeared to have taken a spectacular catch off Salman Ali Agha, but a controversial umpiring decision turned the tables in Pakistan’s favor.
In the 117th over of Pakistan’s first innings, Agha sent a powerful shot off Jack Leach towards the boundary. Woakes, stationed at long-off, made a remarkable diving effort to grab the ball before throwing it in the air. He then stepped outside the boundary rope before hopping back in to complete the catch.
Initial replays suggested the catch was clean, but a review revealed that Woakes’ back foot had touched the ground outside the boundary line while he was still holding the ball. The third umpire, Chris Gaffaney, ruled the catch invalid, much to the dismay of England and their supporters.
Agha, who had been given a reprieve, went on to celebrate the six runs and eventually reach a half-century. This was a crucial turning point for Pakistan, as they aimed to build a commanding lead in the series opener.
Earlier in the day, Saud Shakeel (82 runs) and Naseem Shah (33 runs) added 64 runs to Pakistan’s total. The hosts had already established a strong foundation on day one, thanks to century scores from skipper Shan Masood (151) and Abdullah Shafique.
Pakistan’s strong batting display put them in a dominant position as they aimed to bounce back from their recent 0-2 Test series loss to Bangladesh.
The first Test continues with England facing a challenging task to recover from this unexpected setback.
First Piper 