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Pakistan start steadily despite Woakes strikes

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Lunch Pakistan 76 for 2 (Younis 18*, Azhar 7*) v England
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

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Woakes impresses on opening morning

Pakistan began their first morning of Test cricket in England for six years without too many alarms but a brace of wickets for Chris Woakes meant their progress was not entirely unchecked. With the sun shining at Lord’s, Misbah-ul-Haq took the opportunity to bat – so delaying the much-anticipated return to the fray of Mohammad Amir – and his top order immediately flagged that they would provide stiffer opposition than Sri Lanka, the visitors to England in the first part of the summer.

Misbah had never batted in a Test in England and he was still awaiting his opportunity by the time the lunch interval arrived. Mohammad Hafeez gambolled his way to 40 before falling in lackadaisical fashion, trying to flip Woakes into the leg side, but Younis Khan’s presence at the crease, springing cat-like into line 15 years after his last appearance at Lord’s, hinted at the work to come for the bowlers.

Anticipation of Amir’s first ball at the ground where his involvement in spot-fixing plunged the game into crisis back in 2010 gave way to a moment for the England debutant, Jake Ball, to savour. The Nottinghamshire seamer opened the bowling alongside his club team-mate Stuart Broad and nearly struck with his second delivery in Tests, Alastair Cook generously deigning to review an lbw decision against Shan Masood only for the replays to confirm Kumar Dharmasena’s suspicion the ball had pitched outside leg.

Ball acquitted himself well as the stand-in for James Anderson, who was held back from this match as he recovers from a shoulder injury, pushing the speed gun up towards 89mph and troubling both of the Pakistan openers in his first spell. Aside from Broad, England’s green-tinged attack was guilty of serving up a few too many loose balls as they strove for inroads.

The first hour saw Hafeez and Masood put on a 38-run stand that involved a little bit of luck alongside some proactive batting. Hafeez might have been taken on 11, when a drive at Broad resulted in a thick edge low to the left of James Vince at third slip but he could not hold on one-handed. He flashed wide of the slips off Ball in the 10th over and Masood followed suit, off Woakes, moments after.

Woakes, though, found success shortly before the drinks break, inducing a thin edge from Masood with a delivery than bounced a touch more than expected. The elegant-looking left-hander is well acquainted with the surroundings at Lord’s, having grown up around the corner in St John’s Wood, but he was unable to linger in the middle long enough to truly enjoy himself.

Most aspects of the first Test between England and Pakistan had been pored over in detail during the build-up but Misbah still managed to spring a minor surprise after winning the toss. The subject of Amir’s first Test match in six years had been the dominant theme before the match but Pakistan’s choice of another left-armer, Rahat Ali, was a less-explored point of interest. His selection ahead of Imran Khan meant Pakistan would field a trio of left-arm quicks, alongside the legspin of Yasir Shah, with Misbah suggesting this comprised his best attack.

Amir could take some time to accustom himself once again to the rarefied Lord’s atmosphere from the comfort of the pavilion, with Misbah keen for his batsmen to take advantage of favourable conditions and put a score on the board. Cook said he would have done the same but England’s reshuffled batting order, with Joe Root at No. 3 and Gary Ballance returning for his first Test in a year, had to wait its turn.

Alan Gardner is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @alanroderick

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

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