Unbeaten half-centuries from Muhammad Rizwan 62 and Salman Agha 51 rescued Pakistan from a point of bother to a position of strength as they accumulated 311-5 runs through a solid partnership of 114 against South Africa at the close of play on day one of the first test match against South Africa at Gaddafi stadium here on Sunday.
Four Pakistani batters including Imam ul Haq 93 (153), captain Salman Agha 76 (147), Mohammad Rizwan 62 not out and Salman Agha 52 not out helped Pakistan post a big total on day one. Rizwan and Salman stole the show as they notched up an unbeaten partnership of 114 runs off 184 balls in the last session of the day when the chips were down. Pakistan faced the barrel as they lost three quick wickets on 199 but the valiant knocks in the last session of the day put Pakistan ahead.
The 12th fifty plus run knock included two boundaries and two 6s while Salman Agha’s 10th fifty comprised two boundaries and a lone six.
The day belonged to Pakistan as they succeeded in scoring a total beyond 300 on a wicket which produced significant spin on a slow track of Gaddafi stadium. The credit must go to the gritty knocks by Rizwan and Salman Agha who steered the ship well after three jolts around the tea-break.
Pakistan did not have an ideal start to the first test of the new ICC World Test Championship cycle as Abdullah Shafique 2 (3) fell early as the Proteas premier fast bowler Kagiso Rabada got the better of him in the very first over. The umpire had disallowed the lbw appeal but the television replays showed he was hit before the wickets.
Salman Agha was lucky to be at the crease as he dropped on the silly mod-on and first slip twice on his individual score of 34 and 44.
The highlight of the day for Pakistan was the 161 runs partnership off 284 balls between captain Shan Masood 76 (147) and Imam ul Haq 93 (153) but both missed on a hundred. Both the batters played gritty knocks on a difficult pitch which favored the spinners. The decision to bat first after winning the toss was a definite advantage as Pakistan scored a big partnership before the ball started turning ferociously.
Imam ul Haq was more aggressive of the two on his test comeback innings and hit seven boundaries and one 6 in his knock of 93. It was Imam’s 10th fifty in tests. Imam ul Haq earned a return call due to red-hot form when he scored three back-to back centuries for Yorkshire. Upon return to domestic cricket, Imam hit career-best 330 runs for Multan Region against Dera Murad Jamali at NBP stadium Karachi. Imam had played his last test match against Australia in Perth in 2023. Ima was unlucky to miss on a well-deserved century. On the other hand, Shan Masood started on an aggressive note but became more cautious as the innings progressed and scored 76 off 147 balls with nine boundaries and a six.
Both the batters had their share of luck as both Shan Masood and Imam ul Haq both had a life on individual scores of 61 and 72 off Prenelen Subrayen at silly mid-on and long off by de Zorzi and Harmer with the team total at 136 and 139
Pakistan scored 107-1 in the first session of 28 overs while they had reached 198-2 by the end of second session of the day before a mini-collapse set in and Pakistan were reduced to 199-5.
Pakistan went down from a point of advantage to a vulnerable position when they lost three wickets at 199 a little before and after the tea break. Pakistan lost Imam ul Haq 93 (153) and Saud Shakeel 0 (1) on consecutive balls off Muthusamy at the clock of tea-break. Babar Azam also got out in the second over after tea off Simon Harmer.
A big score eluded Babar Azam once more as he could score 23 (48). Babar Azam had a shaky start to the innings and was given out, when on one, by the umpire Rod Tucker off Muthusamy and Babar reviewed immediately. but the replays showed that the ball had narrowly missed the outside edge of the bat and perhaps brushed the elbow on its way to wicket-keeper.
However, Babar Azam reached a milestone when he became the first Pakistani batter to score 3021 runs in the ICC World Test Championship in 37 matches with 8 centuries and 18 half-centuries and one duck. The other Pakistan behind him is Mohammad Rizwan who has scored 2244 runs in as many innings. Babar Azam has fared better than Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharman on the list of highest run-scorers in the ICC World Test Championship.
Senuran Muthusamy was the most successful bowler for the Proteas and snared two back-to-back wickets of Imam ul Haq and Saud Shakeel for 101 runs off his 26 overs. Simon Harmer claimed the prized scalp of Babar Azam for 75 runs off 28 overs. Rabada picked one wicket of Abdullah Shafique and conceded 43 runs off his 13 overs.the only wicket for 27 runs at lunch. All-rounder Wiaan Mulder conceded 13 runs off the unsuccessful two overs while Prenelek Subrayen also garbbed one wicket of Shan Masood for 70 runs off 20 overs.