Opener Imamul Haque returned to Test cricket after 27 months on Friday with an unbeaten 92 to provide Pakistan a solid start in their first home Test against Australia in 24 years.
Imam gave Pakistan a strong 171-1 lead at tea on the first day as Australia fought hard for the lone wicket of opener Abdullah Shafiq (44) on a generally slow subcontinental surface.
Left-handed opener Imam, who preferred Shan Masood, put on an opening partnership of 105 runs with Shafiq on a grassless wicket at the Pindi Cricket Stadium.
Azhar Ali (30 not out) and Imam formed an unbroken 66-run partnership in the second session as Australia tried all their bowling resources, including part-time spinners Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne, without success, Pakistan at 105-1 Started again after lunch. ,
Australia seemed to have made a mistake in their selection as they went into Tests – their first in Pakistan in 24 years – with three fast bowlers, a fast bowling all-rounder and a lone spinner in Lyon.
In contrast, Pakistan consisted of two spinners, one part-time slow bowler and two frontline pacers.
Australia’s fast bowlers did not take a wicket in the first session and Lyon was brought in to bowl in the eighth over.
Lyon, who has figures of 1-36 so far, swung his first ball quickly and beat the bat for an unsuccessful catch behind an appeal on the fourth.
Shafiq hit a six in the spinner’s third over, but the very next ball, Lyon propelled an edge for a leg-slip – only to leave Travis Head a quick chance with the batsman on 21.
Haque, playing his first Test since December 2019, bowed to Cummins for his eighth boundary to complete his third 50 in 12 Tests.
watershed moment
Before the match began, Pakistan Cricket Board chief executive Faisal Hasnain said that the start of the first match is a historic moment in Pakistan’s cricket history, adding that it sends a powerful message to the rest of the world.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam said, “The pitch is looking good so we will try to score runs on the board.”
Australian players wore black bands in memory of former wicketkeeper Rod Marsh, who died on Friday at the age of 74.
A sell-off rush of 16,000 is expected.
The second Test is in Karachi (March 12-16) and the third in Lahore (March 21-25).
Teams:
Pakistan: Babar Azam (Captain), Mohammad Rizwan, Abdullah Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Fawad Alam, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah.
Australia: Pat Cummins (c), Alex Carey, Cameron Greene, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner.
Umpires: Aleem Dar and Ahsan Raza
Additional input from Reuters.