Pakistan cricket team has completed a historic win to clinch the series which has marked the return of Test cricket in the country. In doing so, Pakistani cricketers broke plenty of records, both with the bat and the ball.
Centuries by Top 4
Abid Ali, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali and Babar Azam scored centuries in the Test to mark only the second instance in Test cricket’s 130+ year history where the top 4 of a batting line-up made tons.
The previous occasion was when all of India’s top 4 scored hundreds against Bangladesh. Dinesh Karthik, Wasim Jaffer, Rahul Dravid, and Sachin Tendulkar made the record in 2007.
It is the first time ever in Test cricket that a team’s top 4 have gone on to raise their bat in the second innings of a match. Shan Masood smacked 135, Abid Ali made 174, Azhar Ali scored 117 whereas Babar Azam finished unbeaten at 100 when Pakistan declared at 555/3 on the 4th day of the Karachi Test.
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Centuries in First 2 Career Matches
Abid Ali is also the first Pakistani batsman, and 9th overall, to score two centuries in the first two Tests. His 321 runs in 2 Tests is the highest for Pakistani batsmen, overtaking Yasir Hameed’s 316. Only three batsmen have scored more runs in the first two Tests overall.
4th Lowest Total at NSK
191 all out in the first innings is the 4th lowest score ever by Pakistan in a Test match at the National Stadium in Karachi.
2nd Highest Opening Stand
The opening pair, Abid Ali and Shan Masood, added 278 for the first wicket which is the second-highest ever for Pakistan; the highest being 298 by Ijaz Ahmed and Aamer Sohail against the West Indies in Karachi in 1997.
Openers Scored More Than The Whole Team
It was only the second instance for Pakistan when openers outscored the entire team’s first innings total. Pakistan posted 191 in the first innings, whereas the openers piled up 278 as the opening partnership in the second innings.
The previous instance was the iconic Barbados Test when Hanif Mohammad scored 337, the longest innings ever. Openers combined 152 in the second innings after the team folded for 106 in the first innings.
Centuries by Openers
This was the third instance that Pakistani openers scored centuries in a single innings, the previous instances being Saeed Anwar and Taufiq Umar in 2001 and Aamer Sohail and Ijaz Ahmed in 1997.
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A First in Test History
Abid Ali is the first Pakistani player in the country’s Test history to claim the man of the match awards in each of the first two matches.
A Stellar Record at Karachi
Since the first Test match in 1955, National Stadium Karachi has been a strong home venue for Pakistan. The Green Shirts have only lost 2 matches at the venue out of 42 Tests. Pakistan lost to England in 2000 and to South Africa in 2007.
Sunday Funday for Babar Azam
Babar Azam completed his 4th Test ton on Sunday in the second innings. Remarkably, all his centuries have come on Sunday.
Teenagers Are Future’s Stars
In the match, teenagers, Shaheen Shah and Naseem Shah, also registered their maiden five-wicket hauls, entering the list of youngest fast bowlers to achieve the feat. Naseem is now the youngest fast bowler in the history of Test cricket to take a five-for whereas Shaheen Shah is sixth youngest Pakistani pacer to bag five wickets in an innings.
Abid Ali was declared as the man of the match as well as the man of the series for his outstanding batting display, scoring 321 runs from 3 innings including a century on debut.
What are your thoughts on the story? Let us know in the comments section.
As an ex pti supporter I am ashamed of myself to support wrong people like immi zani playboy who didn’t bring any merit in cricket and didn’t select Fawad Alam and Abid Ali and Khurram Manzoor and Tabish Khan for 2019 world cup squad and even not for test squad.
Wow…someone really powerful in Pakistan does not want Fawad Alam to play. Not even the Army or the government can make him play in a single international match. Its like someone put his life on the line for a bet.
Great post