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Ghulam's First Century Boosts Pakistan As England Stays Close
Ghulam's First Century Boosts Pakistan As England Stays Close
Kamran Ghulam made a hundred (118) on debut before bowled by Shoaib Bashir.
Pakistan cricket hasn't had much to celebrate lately, but on the first day of the second Test in Multan, Kamran Ghulam gave the team a much-needed boost. He scored a determined century in his first-ever Test innings, helping his struggling side fight back.
Although he was dismissed late in the day for 118, bowled by Shoaib Bashir as he tried to stay aggressive before the close of play, Ghulam's efforts lifted Pakistan to 259 for 5. It wasn't a huge total compared to what England achieved on this same pitch last week, but it was a solid start.
Despite Pakistan's experience in the first Test, where their first-innings total of 556 still led to an innings defeat, Ghulam's determined century, along with a career-best 77 from Saim Ayub and an unusually cautious 37 not out from Mohammad Rizwan, helped keep Pakistan on track for a 300-plus score. This could be competitive if their spin-focused bowling attack can make the most of a pitch that was heavily watered and dried with industrial fans during the four days between the Tests.
The challenge for Pakistan, however, may come from the resources they can't use. Despite Jack Leach taking two early wickets, adding to his nine wickets in three innings on this pitch and cementing his role as England's lead spinner, the real threat came in the afternoon when England's three-man pace attack expertly used reverse swing. All three fast bowlers, including Ben Stokes, who returned to captain the team after recovering from a hamstring injury, hail from Durham. With Pakistan choosing to leave out both Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah for this match, much will depend on their sole fast bowler, Aamer Jamal, if they hope to exploit similar conditions.
But for now, Pakistan has Ghulam to thank for his efforts. At 29, he became the second oldest Pakistani player to score a century on debut. He reached the milestone with a joyful shot through the leg side of Joe Root, after a tense period in the 90s, which included a drinks break. A few more minutes of waiting didn’t bother him, as he had spent over a decade playing in Pakistan's Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, amassing more than 4,500 runs at an average of 49, likely thinking his achievements would never be recognised.
Ghulam came to the crease with Pakistan struggling at 19 for 2 in the tenth over, after Leach, brought on early by Stokes, became the first England spinner since Johnny Briggs in 1889 to take two wickets so early in a Test match. Leach’s quick impact hinted at a repeat of Pakistan's collapse late in the first Test, but Ghulam stood firm. He showed his comfort with the dry conditions and relied on the techniques that finally earned him a call-up.
His first boundary was a calm six over Leach's head, and he reached his first half-century from 104 balls, achieving a milestone that had eluded Pakistan’s star batter, Babar Azam, who had been dropped after a series of 18 poor innings.
Ghulam had faced only two deliveries of fast bowling in his first 120 balls when Ben Stokes brought himself into the attack midway through the afternoon, immediately raising the difficulty level. In Stokes' first over, he found a thick edge off Ghulam’s bat that flew through the vacant slip cordon, and soon after, another edge fell short. Joe Root put on a helmet to capitalise on any future chances and positioned himself just four yards from the bat.
The breakthrough, however, came at the other end. Ayub’s reputation had taken a hit in this series, mainly due to his struggling opening partnership with Abdullah Shafique, which had failed to click in nine innings. They did at least manage to pass ten runs this time, but not by much. Leach bowled Shafique for 7, reducing Pakistan to 15 for 1, and Shan Masood followed soon after, caught by Zak Crawley at midwicket for 3.
Despite this, Ayub has been a relative success at the top of Pakistan's order, scoring his third half-century in four first innings, following two fifties against Bangladesh last month. But with tea approaching and England getting the ball to swing dangerously, Matthew Potts tested Ayub’s outside edge with a series of outswingers. Eventually, Stokes took a sharp catch off a firm shot straight to a very close silly mid-off, dismissing Ayub for 168 for 3.
After tea, Brydon Carse, full of energy as always, unsettled Saud Shakeel with a sharp bouncer, then found his edge with a 140kph (87mph) delivery that flew through to Jamie Smith, dismissing Shakeel for 4. England could have strengthened their position even more had Ben Duckett held onto a loose shot from Ghulam, who was on 79, when he tried to attack Leach and nearly paid the price at mid-on.
Stokes' tight bowling earlier in the day set up England well for the evening session. Carse kept the pressure on Mohammad Rizwan, holding him scoreless for 19 balls. Matthew Potts then took over and almost delivered a game-changing moment. His first ball to Rizwan, who was on 6, zipped past the outside edge into Smith’s gloves. England didn’t review the play, but replays later showed the ball had just grazed Rizwan’s bat.
England deserved another wicket before stumps, and though Shoaib Bashir had been less effective than his teammates, he delivered a crucial strike late in the day. With the second new ball, he bowled a well-placed delivery that snuck past Ghulam's weary attempt to attack and clipped the top of leg stump, opening a door that might prove decisive in Pakistan's effort to build a solid first-innings score.
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