Pakistan’s top-order batters remained dominant on day 1 of the first Test match of the historic trophy against Australia. Left-handed batter Imam-ul-Haq made his come back in style as he first scored 105 runs in his opening stand with Abdullah Shafique and then made a 140-run partnership with Azhar Ali while ending the day at 245 runs at a loss of 1 wicket.
This is the first time in Australian Test history that the opposition team built a hundred-run partnership on the opening wicket and then another hundred-run partnership on the first wicket while playing the first Test match of the series.
It has also never happened before that the Australian Test side allows the opposite team to build a hundred-run partnership on the first and second wicket of the inning while bowling first in a test match. However, in the 1932-33 Ashes series also known as Bodyline, an English batter did this but in that match, Australia had batted first.
Talking about the match, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam won the toss and elected to bat first at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Australian spin bowler Nathan Lyon showed some resistance against the left-right combination but the opening duo played the bowler with great technique.
However, Nathan broke the first partnership at 105, and then Imam and experienced batter Azhar Ali lead the team to a safe zone and ended the day 1st at 245.