England on top as wickets tumble in Karachi
Pakistan v England — Karachi, Day 1.
Pakistan v England — Karachi, Day 1.
Good morning everyone!
I love the juxtapositions of life as they’re so often lazily evident. Take for instance rising at 4.45am to a dark, bleak and frozen English morning that has apparently tiptoed past a sub-zero temperature for the first time in many days, to be met with the sunshine filled images from a world away in Pakistan and spectators sheltering beneath umbrellas not from an English rain of a Beatles song, but a rather pleasant looking sun. Whilst I, your humble cricketing correspondent, camps beneath a duvet with a hot water bottle for company, the sport I adore is sweltering beneath a benevolent sun at the re-named National Bank Stadium in Karachi and the scene of a famous English victory of yesteryear when arguably it was darker in Karachi than it is this morning as I pen these introductory words to yet another cricketing communique across the cosmos.
Juxtapositions abound. With the hosts Pakistan making 4 changes to their line up after defeat in the 2nd Test Match in Multan, England too have made changes of their own. James “Jimmy” Anderson, at 40 years of age, is rested for this Test Match and whilst that leaves England a bowler short, his place in this new and vibrant looking team has been taken by Rehan Ahmed who on debut and at just 18 years of age is both the youngest ever debutant in English Test Match history, under half the age of England’s talismanic bowling hero for all history and, closer to home, younger than some of my pairs of trainers! I have cricket gear in my old cricket bag 10+ years older than the young man from Nottingham! On the other side of the cricket ball we also have Pakistan stalwart Azhar Ali playing in his 97th and final Test Match. The 37 year old Lahore born batsman announced his retirement from Test Match cricket yesterday as well as his intention that this Test Match will in fact be his final cricketing bow and for the majority of this morning’s session it was looking like a perfect send off, until he perished right on the cusp of the Lunch Break.
Pakistan scored at a rapid rate in the day’s opening session scoring 46 runs for the loss of Abdullah Shafique in the first hour of play before a further 71 runs in the next hour leading to the Lunch Break. But, and perhaps crucially, they lost two further wickets in the process with Azhar Ali’s dismissal signalling the end of the session and the Lunch Break.
Here are your first session highlights:
Morning Session: PAKISTAN 117–3 (Babar Azam 30 not out)
5.23am ABDULLAH SHAFIQUE lbw bowled Leach (8).
Continuing the morning theme of juxtapositions, England captain Ben Stokes opted to have a fast bowler bowling from one end whilst employing a spinner from the other, and it was his premier spin bowler who struck first with a drifting delivery that trapped Shafique in front of his stumps. The 23 year old batsman from Sialkot reviewed the decision on DRS to no avail, and England had a valuable early wicket.
6.07am SHAN MASOOD caught Leach bowled Wood (30).
Returning to the Pakistan team, Masood took the attack immediately to Jack Leach in order to prevent the England spin bowler gaining any early rhythm and regularly, in cricketing parlance, “danced down” the wicket and crashed him straight for boundary 4’s. Seemingly never out of the game in the morning session, Leach gained a modicum of revenge by pouching a safe catch in the “long leg” position after Masood top edged a bouncer from the energetic bowling of Mark Wood, leaving his team on 46–2.
6.59am AZHAR ALI caught Foakes bowled Robinson (45).
In his final Test Match, Ali too put the early England bowlers to the sword by scoring quickly and with great authority. Scoring 45 runs from just 68 balls received, he was, again in the juxtaposed poetry of the cricket vernacular “strangled” down the leg side by gloving a sharp catch to England wicketkeeper Ben Foakes diving to snag a great low catch. Ali was a single solitary minute away from the Lunch Break and perhaps a huge afternoon of run accumulation. Instead his dismissal signified the end of the session and he’ll now hope his captain Babar Azam (30 not out) and his teammates pile on the runs in the sunshine.
Afternoon Session: PAKISTAN 204–5 (Babar Azam 71 not out)
Whilst Pakistan captain Babar Azam scored an additional carefree, risk free and a rather serene 41 more runs in the afternoon he witnessed the demise of two of his senior batting partners, one an astonishing catch, the other a ridiculous and ugly misjudgement, and England “win” another session as their 18 year old debutant snags his first ever wicket in Test Match cricket.
8.55am SAUD SHAKEEL caught Pope bowled Ahmed (23).
Fresh to the wicket after the Lunch Break, Shakeel soon stamped his authority on the innings by attacking the spin bowling of Jack Leach and Rehan Ahmed before two consecutive deliveries from the 18 year old saw his demise for 23. The first was a “googly” that he played and missed, the second was a traditional leg spinning delivery that he edged into his pads that saw Ollie Pope at the “Short Leg” position diving full length onto the wicket itself to snaffle a wonderful one handed catch an inch from the ground.
The 18 year old debutant had his first ever Test Match wicket.
Good on yer kid!
9.25am MOHAMMAD RIZWAN caught Stokes bowled Root (19).
Oh the beauty of Test Match cricket! First it’s Root’s “golden arm” and knack of getting wickets with his part-time bowling and secondly, you can bowl all day long producing unplayable deliveries and then, you bowl a full toss that the batsman digs out as he tosses a simple catch to a gleeful captain who cannot believe his luck! A gift of a wicket gratefully received.
Stumps, Day 1: PAKISTAN 304 all out. ENGLAND 7–1 (trail by 297 runs)
With captain Babar Azam at the crease, he and his Pakistan team must have targeted a score of at least 350–375 by the close of play and with wickets still in hand, however Azam’s dismissal signalled both a mini collapse as well as being another gift wicket that typified the hosts day today.
10.28am BABAR AZAM run out (78).
After completing his half century from 74 balls received prior to the Tea Break, he and partner Agha Salman had added just a further 15 runs in the day’s final session before a sloppy piece of running (and calling) saw his downfall. A smart run and throw from Harry Brook was equalled by a quick removal of the bails by Ben Foakes before he made his ground and yet again, Pakistan had gifted England an unnecessary and crucial wicket.
11.02am FAHEEM ASHRAF lbw bowled Ahmed (4).
Ashraf struggled somewhat for 22 deliveries before the 23rd was a gem from Rehan Ahmed, trapping him in front of his stumps, and the teenage debutant had his second wicket of the innings.
11.42am NAUMAN ALI caught Stokes bowled Leach (20).
Ali swiped a swift 20 runs from just 24 balls in his 40 minute stay at the crease in partnership with the still not out Agha Salman before he skied a simple catch to Ben Stokes at the “Mid On” position, gifting Leach a deserved, if expensive, second wicket of the innings.
12.03pm AGHA SALMAN stumped Foakes bowled Leach (56).
Shortly after reaching his half century from 83 balls received, Salman’s impressive innings came to an end via the wicketkeeping skills of Ben Foakes and yet another cricketing victim for Jack Leach, his third of the innings. His fourth and innings closing wicket would follow 4 runs and 4 minutes later.
12.07pm ABRAR AHMED bowled Leach (4).
One almighty swipe for a boundary 4 was immediately followed by a delicious delivery from Leach that drifted toward the batsman before spinning past his defence and into the top of his middle and off stumps. Ahmed looked aghast! But he would have the definitive last laugh shortly.
Bowling Pakistan all out for just 304 runs ensured England “won” the day comfortably, however their 15 minute spell at the crease at the end of the day was anything but comfortable. Opening batsmen Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett couldn’t “win” in this situation as survival to bat on tomorrow is the only aim.
Crawley lasted just 5 deliveries as Abrar Ahmed did indeed have the day’s last laugh.
12.21pm ZAK CRAWLEY lbw bowled Ahmed (0).
Abrar Ahmed debuted in the 2nd Test Match at Multan, posting a record breaking and astonishing 11 wickets in the process. Dubbed a “mystery spinner” for his ability to hide his variety of deliveries, the 24 year old completely bamboozled Crawley with a brilliant fizzing delivery that turned quickly past his defence before rapping on his pads right in front of his stumps. In that beautiful vernacular of cricket he was “plumb” in front, dead to rights, and didn’t even challenge the decision by DRS as he walked off disconsolately. Ahmed meanwhile was cartwheeling in celebration, and just slightly ahead of his ecstatic teammates chasing him.
Afterword
Day 1 has been comprehensively “won” by the tourists and their feat of dismissing their hosts, and all ten wickets in one day on a flat, dead and unresponsive wicket, shouldn’t be underestimated. Pakistan’s total of 304 is arguably 75–100 runs below a par score. England’s loss of Zak Crawley slightly evens the balance of power after Day 1.
Pleasingly, and as is so often in this wonderful elongated sport that I adore so much, tomorrow morning’s first hour and first session is absolutely crucial. Should the tourists score 100+ runs for the loss of a couple of wickets then they are very firmly in the driving seat to set a tempo and rhythm for the remainder of the day and indeed the Test Match. Should the hosts (and Abrar Ahmed in particular) use the new ball effectively in the morning and snag a bagful of English wickets, game on!
Another absorbing and intriguing day of Test Match cricket.
See you in the morning for another?
Thanks for reading. Please feel free to delve into the cave of wonders that is my archives and specifically the “Cricket” archives for my day by day recaps from the first 2 Test Matches of this tour of Pakistan.
Alternatively, linked below are my daily wrap ups from Day 1 in both Rawalpindi and Multan:
Record tumble in Rawalpindi as England put Pakistan to the sword
Pakistan v England — Rawalpindi Day 1.medium.com
Debutant puts England in a spin on day 1 in Multan
Pakistan v England — Multan Day 1.medium.com