Kamran hits superb ton on debut to defy England

MULTAN: Kamran Ghulam hit a superb century on his debut to guide Pakistan to 259-5 on the opening day of the second Test against England in Multan on Tuesday.

The 29-year-old replaced out-of-form Babar Azam at number four and foiled England’s aggressive bowling and fielding to score 118.

At close of an even day’s play, Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha were unbeaten with 37 and five respectively.

The day ended Kamran’s frustrating long wait for a place in the Pakistan team after he smashed a national record 1,249 runs in the 2020 domestic season.

Kamran led a fightback after the hosts, who won the toss, were struggling at 19-2 with England spinner Jack Leach striking twice in the first hour.

Kamran added 149 for the defiant third wicket with Saim Ayub, who hit a career-best 77, and another 65 for the fifth wicket with Rizwan.

He reached three figures with a boundary off spinner Joe Root, taking 280 minutes and becoming Pakistan’s 12th batter to score a century in his first Test.

With just half an hour before stumps, Kamran was bowled by spinner Shoaib Bashir, ending a resolute 323-minute knock spiced with 11 fours and a six.

Kamran said his century was a reward for his wait.

“It is delightful to score a hundred and that too as a replacement for Babar Azam, who has been a great player for Pakistan,” said Kamran.

“I saw that with a bated breath but Almighty was so kind on me,” said Kamran. “I just took it as a normal first-class match and never took the pressure of a bad start to the team’s innings.”

One of a dozen brothers, Ghulam said his century will be celebrated among his big family in the northwestern city of Peshawar.

One brother was there in person.

“It is a family occasion now with my younger brother watching in the stadium, so I am proud of the feat,” he said.

England too will be satisfied after an absorbing day’s play.

They employed a short mid-off and two mid-wicket fielders to get wickets after lunch but the Multan pitch — the same used for the first Test — gave very little help to the spinners after some early promise.

Skipper Ben Stokes, one of two changes from England’s thumping innings win in the first Test, bowled five overs and showed no signs of the hamstring injury that forced him to miss the first Test.

Matthew Potts ended Saim’s knock when the batsman patted to Stokes at short mid-off while Brydon Carse removed Saud Shakeel for four, the dismissals coming either side of the tea interval.

Leach has figures of 2-92 while Bashir, Carse and Potts have a wicket each.

Abdullah Shafique was bowled by Leach for seven in the eighth over of the morning with the score on 15 as the opener’s tentative prod saw his off-stump uprooted.

In his next over the left-arm spinner dismissed Shan for three, getting the Pakistan skipper to flick a delivery from outside the off-stump into the hand of Zak Crawley at short mid-wicket.

Kamran showed no nerves though as he stepped out against Leach hitting the spinner over his head for a big six.

He and Saim returned after the lunch break to consolidate Pakistan’s position and Kamran took a single off Bashir to bring up his fifty.

Keen to break the stand, Stokes brought himself on and proved quite a handful with his swing and awkward bounce though a wicket eluded the seamer.

Stokes maintained an attacking field, however, and Saim eventually fell into the trap. Kamran got a lifeline on 79 when Ben Duckett spilled a catch at mid-on and the batter went on to bring up his hundred later.

Pakistan’s heavy defeat last week — their sixth in as many Tests — prompted the selectors to make wholesale changes, with Babar, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed dropped.

Other than Kamran, Pakistan also brought in the spin trio of Sajid Khan, Zahid Mahmood and Noman Ali, leaving them with only one fast bowler in Aamer Jamal.

Scoreboard

PAKISTAN (1st Innings):

Abdullah Shafique b Leach 7

Saim Ayub c Stokes b Potts 77

Shan Masood c Crawley b Leach 3

Kamran Ghulam b Bashir 118

Saud Shakeel c Smith b Carse 4

Mohammad Rizwan not out 37

Salman Ali Agha not out 5

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-3, NB-1) 8

TOTAL (for five wickets, 90 overs) 259

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-15 (Abdullah), 2-19 (Shan), 3-168 (Saim), 4-178 (Saud), 5-243 (Kamran)