Vic Marks
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

You're starting to think Bairstow is bound to get a 100 now. He's been dropped twice and had a close lbw shout but he's still there.

Bairstow dropped on 42published at 16 overs

16 overs

Eng 80-1

Dropped! Again! Bairstow throws his hands at Shadab Khan and the ball flies up towards slip, where Babar Azam shells it. It went high but Babar got two hands to it and if you're in at slip, you should be taking those. Spare a thought for Jason Roy...

Derry: Looks like I'm going to have to eat humble pie, Bairstow was a good call at the top.

Ralph Pedersen: Everything about this Cardiff venue sounds terrible, poor pitch and crowd turn out.

There's no messing about from Imad Wasim. He's firing through these overs, and Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow are more than happy to work singles here and there. Bairstow is now in the 40's, which he seems to have reached in next to no time.

Image source, Getty Images

Here is that Bairstow drop - thoughts? It went fast but Azhar did get a hand to it, and he wasn't a happy bunny afterwards.

Ooh, unbelievable reflexes from umpire Rod Tucker! Jonny Bairstow absolutely hammers a drive down the ground and Tucker dives to his left and avoids getting a very nasty bruise as the ball whizzes away for four. Shadab Khan responds with a lovely delivery with plenty of revs on it, and beats Bairstow's wristy attempt at a drive.

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Imad Wasim ruins England's run of picking up singles off every ball by forcing Bairstow to go deep into his crease. Bairstow blocks while Root leans leisurely on his bat at the non-strikers.

Here's how Alex Hales morning went - first, he was given out lbw but that was overturned...

Before he rather spoiled the reprieve by offering up a bit of catching practice to Babar Azam.

I was humbled at table tennis against one of the England women cricketers last summer, who shall remain nameless. I was completely outplayed. Have any of you ever played any sports against a cricketer? Had a round of golf with Jos Buttler? Let me know. A change of bowler for Pakistan, with leggie Shadab Khan into the attack. Another few singles are worked here and there, before Root hoicks a pull down to the boundary to break the run of singles.

Stephan Shemilt
BBC Sport in Cardiff

Last night, some of the TMS team found a bar with a table tennis table. Dan Norcross favours the stabby backhand, while a surprisingly nimble Andy Zaltzman has an excellent lunging forehand.

Imad Wasim continues, rolling his wrists nicely on his twirlers, and Bairstow and Root trade singles. It's starting to fill up a little in Cardiff but there's still a sea of empty blue seats in one of the stands.

Andy Zaltzman
BBC Test Match Special statistician

Root has struggled against left-arm bowlers in this format, averaging 39 against left-arm bowlers and 56 against right-arm bowlers. Against spinners, he averages 91 against right-arm bowlers and 40 against the left-armers.

Azhar leapt to catch that like a fish leaping out of the water. He did manage to knock it behind him and there was a brief hope that he'd be able to catch the rebound, but it had gone too far. Top marks for effort though.

Dan Norcross
BBC Test Match Special

It was a very tough chance, he had to leap above. He got one hand to hit it but once he got there he did get a thick hand to it. Azhar Ali is furious with himself.

Bairstow dropped on 27published at 9.4 overs

9.4 overs

Eng 49-1

Oh, that would have been a belter of a catch! Bairstow pulls Rumman Raees leisurely into the air and Azhar Ali leaps, gets a mitt to it and can't quite cling on. That was a tough chance but I reckon Azhar would have backed himself to take that.

Here's the early boundaries from England's new-look opening partnership. You can make your mind up about this pitch, and if Pakistan have made the right call in bowling first.

That's probably a bit too cute from Jonny Bairstow, skipping down the track and trying to launch Imad Wasim through mid-wicket. The spinner spears it in a bit quicker, and Bairstow has to make do with shuffling through for a single. Root then gets struck on the pad, going back into his crease, but that looks to be sliding down leg. Root's not entirely comfortable, though, not really reading the spinner's line that well.