England off to brisk start after Agha century propels Pakistan to 556 in 1st test

MULTAN, Pakistan (AP) — England chipped at Pakistan's massive 556, three-centuries total by reaching 96-1 at stumps on day two Tuesday of the first test.

Pakistan started the day on 328-4 and was spearheaded by Salman Ali Agha’s unbeaten 104 and Saud Shakeel's 82.

On a pitch which still looks good for batting with little help for fast bowlers or spinners, England raced at nearly five runs per over as Zac Crawley smashed 11 fours in his unbeaten 64. Joe Root was not out on 32.

England lost stand-in captain Ollie Pope without scoring in the second over to a stunning one-handed catch by a diving Aamer Jamal at midwicket off Naseem Shah. England trails Pakistan by 460 runs.

Pope had to open the innings after Ben Duckett injured his left thumb while grabbing a sharp chest-high catch of No. 11 Abrar Ahmed in the slips that finally ended England’s sweaty 5 1/2 sessions on the field at humid Multan Stadium.

Fast bowler Brydon Carse was hopeful Duckett will recover overnight and bat on day three.

“He’s just taken a knock on his thumb, but he will be assessed overnight and he’ll be back batting tomorrow," Carse said.

England's Jack Leach took 3-160 and Shoaib Bashir 1-124 but Pakistan dominated both spinners.

Carse’s long wait for his first wicket in his debut test came on Tuesday, which he finished with 2-74. Gus Atkinson (2-99) and Chris Woakes (1-69) toiled without finding any reverse swing on the green square.

“Last two days have been immensely tough conditions for everyone out there,” Carse said.

“We didn’t get that much out of it (pitch) over the couple of days, but credit to the team and everyone for keep coming back in each session. There’s some tired bodies in the camp at the moment, but the lads will rest up and come again tomorrow."

England did well in the first session and allowed Pakistan only 69 runs with Carse breaking the resistance of nightwatchman Naseem, who gloved a legside catch after his test-best 33.

Naseem denied England a breakthrough for 1 1/2 hours and braved a couple of blows. He got a knock on the back of his helmet when he was struck hard by an Atkinson short ball and also received brief treatment when Carse struck the batter’s right thumb off another short ball before round-the-wicket worked for the right arm fast bowler.

Leach had Mohammad Rizwan caught at mid-off for a 12-ball duck.

Shakeel, who began the day on 35, showed plenty of resistance and raised his half-century with a swept boundary off Bashir. Shakeel was undone by the off-spinner after lunch and feathered a low catch to Root in the slips.

Agha, dropped early by Woakes on the boundary, took charge with meticulous drives and sweeps. His third test century followed tons by captain Shan Masood (151) and Abdullah Shafique (102) on day one.

Agha gave Pakistan an ideal finish on the benign pitch. In the company of Shaheen Shah Afridi (26), Agha hit 10 boundaries and three sixes in his 119-ball knock to propel Pakistan past 500.

“I believe I can take on spinners, no matter what the situation is, and that's exactly what I did,” Agha said.

“I have been playing (batting) with tailenders for the last two years, so when the tail comes it brings the best out of me.”

England was scratchy late in Pakistan's innings as wicketkeeper Jamie Smith missed an easy stumping of Abrar, and Atkinson couldn’t judge a catch over his shoulder before Root folded up the innings.

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England's Chris Woakes, second right, and Ollie Pope, left, drink as they wait for third umpire decision regarding the dismissal of Pakistan's Salman Ali Agha during the second day of the first test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Multan, Pakistan, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

England's Brydon Carse appeals for LBW out of Pakistan's Aamer Jamal during the second day of the first test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Multan, Pakistan, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistan's Saud Shakeel bats during the second day of the first test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Multan, Pakistan, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

England's Shoaib Bashir, center, celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Pakistan's Saud Shakeel during the second day of the first test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Multan, Pakistan, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistan's Aamer Jamal, center, celebrates with teammates after taking the catch of England's Ollie Pope during the second day of the first test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Multan, Pakistan, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

England's Zak Crawley plays a shot during the second day of the first test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Multan, Pakistan, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistan's Naseem Shah, third right, celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of England's Ollie Pope during the second day of the first test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Multan, Pakistan, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

England's Zak Crawley, right, plays a shot as Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan, left, and Salman Ali Agha watch during the second day of the first test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Multan, Pakistan, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistan's Salman Ali Agha, right, follows the ball after playing a shot as England's Jamie Smith, left, and Ben Duckett watch during the second day of the first test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Multan, Pakistan, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistan's Salman Ali Agha celebrates after scoring century during the second day of the first test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Multan, Pakistan, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistan's Saud Shakeel bats during the second day of the first test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Multan, Pakistan, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

England's Brydon Carse, left, celebrates after taking the wicket of Pakistan's Naseem Shah during the second day of the first test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Multan, Pakistan, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistan's Saud Shakeel plays a shot during the second day of the first test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Multan, Pakistan, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistan's Saud Shakeel plays a shot during the second day of the first test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Multan, Pakistan, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

England's Ben Duckett, left, and Brydon Carse react when Duckett miss a catch opportunity during the second day of the first test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Multan, Pakistan, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistan's Naseem Shah reacts after a deliver hitting on his shoulder during the second day of the first test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Multan, Pakistan, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

England's Jack Leach, center, celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan during the second day of the first test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Multan, Pakistan, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

England's Jamie Smith, left, reacts when a close call of LBW out of Pakistan's Saud Shakeel, right, during the second day of the first test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Multan, Pakistan, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

England's Brydon Carse, center, celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Pakistan's Naseem Shah during the second day of the first test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Multan, Pakistan, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistan's Naseem Shah, right, follows the ball after playing a shot for six as England's Jamie Smith watches during the second day of the first test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Multan, Pakistan, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan reacts as he walks off the field after his dismissal during the second day of the first test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Multan, Pakistan, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

England's Brydon Carse, center, celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Pakistan's Naseem Shah during the second day of the first test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Multan, Pakistan, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Hurricane Milton is weakening slightly but remains a ferocious storm that could land a once-in-a-century direct hit on Tampa and St. Petersburg, engulfing the populous region with towering storm surges and turning debris from Helene’s devastation 12 days ago into projectiles.

Follow AP’s coverage of tropical weather at https://apnews.com/hub/weather.

Here’s the latest:

And Criswell pleaded with residents to listen to their local officials for guidance on what to do as the storm bears down.

“This is an extremely dangerous hurricane,” Criswell said Tuesday morning. “I need people to listen to their local officials to get out of harm’s way… People don’t need to move far. They just need to move inland.”

The hurricane remained offshore early Tuesday. Power lines, light poles and trees were knocked down near the coast, and some small thatched-roof structures were destroyed, according to Yucatan Gov. Joaquín Díaz, but he did not report any deaths or injuries.

While Floridians are no strangers to storms, Tampa hasn’t been in the direct path of a major hurricane in over a century.

In that lapse, the area has exploded in growth. Tens of thousands of Americans moved to the area during the COVID-19 pandemic, with many choosing to settle along barrier islands like Clearwater and St. Petersburg overlooking the normally placid, emerald Gulf waters. More than 51,000 people moved to the area between 2022 and 2023, making it the fifth-largest-growing U.S. metropolitan area, according to U.S. Census data.

Longer term residents, after having experienced numerous false alarms and near misses like Irma in 2017, may be similarly unprepared for a direct hit. A local legend has it that blessings from Native Americans who once called the region home and used to build mounds to keep out invaders have largely protected the area from major storms for centuries.

MIT meteorology professor Kerry Emanuel said a hurricane in Tampa is the “black swan” worst-case scenario that experts have worried about for years.

Hurricanes are humanity’s reminder of the uncontrollable, chaotic power of Earth’s weather.

Milton’s powerful push toward Florida just days after Helene devastated large parts of the Southeast likely has some in the region wondering if they are being targeted. In some corners of the internet, Helene has already sparked conspiracy theories and disinformation suggesting the government somehow aimed the hurricane at Republican voters.

Besides discounting common sense, such theories disregard weather history that shows the hurricanes are hitting many of the same areas they have for centuries. They also presume an ability for humans to quickly reshape the weather far beyond relatively puny efforts such as cloud seeding.

“If meteorologists could stop hurricanes, we would stop hurricanes,” Kristen Corbosiero, a professor of atmospheric and environmental sciences at the University at Albany, said. “If we could control the weather, we would not want the kind of death and destruction that’s happened.”

▶ Read more about the power of hurricanes.

The entire Gulf Coast of Florida is especially vulnerable to storm surge.

Hurricane Helene came ashore some 150 miles (240 kilometers) away from Tampa in the Florida Panhandle and still managed to cause drowning deaths in the Tampa area due to surges of around 5 to 8 feet (1.5 to 2.5 meters) above normal tide levels.

Forecasters warned of a possible 8- to 12-foot storm surge (2.4 to 3.6 meters) in Tampa Bay. That’s the highest ever predicted for the location and nearly double the levels reached two weeks ago during Helene, hurricane center spokesperson Maria Torres said.

The storm could also bring widespread flooding. Five to 10 inches (13 to 25 centimeters) of rain was forecast for mainland Florida and the Keys, with as much as 15 inches (38 centimeters) expected in some places.

“There is no fuel shortage. Fuel continues to arrive in the state of Florida” despite long lines at gas stations, DeSantis said at a Tuesday morning news briefing. He said officials are working with fuel companies to continue bringing in gasoline.

“You do not have to get on the interstate and go far away,” DeSantis said. “You can evacuate tens of miles; you do not have to evacuate hundreds of miles away. You do have options.”

DeSantis said the state has helped evacuate more than 200 health care facilities in Milton’s path and that 36 county-run shelters are open.

Owners try to secure their boat at the Davis Islands Yacht Clubs ahead a possible landfall by Hurricane Milton, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Jay McCoy puts up plywood in preparation for Hurricane Milton on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in New Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

A shrimping boat makes her way back to port as hurricane flags fly at the Davis Islands Yacht Club, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)