The opening day's play was interrupted several times by rain, while fading light forced an early finish after just 67 overs. Despite Pakistan's disciplined bowling effort in helpful conditions, West Indies recovered well after losing three wickets to close the day in a strong position.

The Test also marked a historic occasion, with the Brian Lara Cricket Academy hosting its maiden Test match. Before the start of play, players from both teams observed a minute's silence and wore black armbands in tribute to West Indies cricket legend Sir Garfield Sobers, who passed away earlier this week.

After winning the toss, West Indies captain Roston Chase opted to bat first. Pakistan's experienced seamer Mohammad Abbas immediately justified his captain's decision to bowl with tight, disciplined spells. Abbas bowled five maiden overs in his opening seven-over spell and dismissed Brandon King for 12 after the batter chopped the ball back onto his stumps. Rain then interrupted play, with West Indies reaching 23/1 at lunch after only 14.1 overs had been completed.

Conditions remained favourable for the fast bowlers after the break, but Hodge showed patience and composure while rebuilding the innings. He shared a 51-run stand with Tagenarine Chanderpaul, who made 21 before edging Aamir Jamal to second slip, where Salman Ali Agha completed the catch. Pakistan struck again soon afterwards when Abbas trapped Amir Jangoo lbw for 21. The on-field decision was overturned following a successful review by Pakistan captain Babar Azam, leaving West Indies at 106/3.

With Pakistan sensing an opportunity to dominate, Hodge and Hope steadied the innings through disciplined batting. Hodge brought up the fourth Test half-century of his career with a crisp boundary and continued to frustrate Pakistan's attack with assured stroke play and sound defence. By stumps, he had faced 181 balls, striking nine fours, while Hope remained unbeaten after occupying the crease for 91 deliveries.

Pakistan's bowlers continued to create pressure throughout the final session, but wickets proved elusive. Abbas finished the day as the visitors' standout performer with figures of 2/44 from 19 overs, while Jamal claimed one wicket. Debutant spinner Ali Usman and the rest of the attack kept the scoring rate under control, although they were unable to break the resilient fourth-wicket partnership.

The final session was characterised by patient batting rather than aggressive stroke play, with neither batter taking unnecessary risks as deteriorating light made conditions increasingly difficult. Remarkably, no boundary was scored during the closing passage of play as both teams settled into a tactical battle before the umpires called an early halt.

West Indies will resume Day 2 in a favourable position with two well-set batters at the crease, while Pakistan will be eager to strike early and prevent the hosts from building a commanding first-innings total in the opening match of the two-Test series.