Azhar leads Pakistan charge with fine ton
Azhar Ali became the first batsman to score a century in a day-night Test as Pakistan buried West Indies under a mountain of runs on the first day of the Dubai Test on Thursday (October 13). By stumps, Pakistan had scored 279 for 1, with Azhar unbeaten on 146 off 268 balls, having put on a mammoth 215 with Sami Aslam (90 off 212) for the first wicket.
Asad Shafiq (33 off 66) kept Azhar company at the end of the day at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, which played host to Asia’s first pink-ball Test.
In the lead-up to the match, West Indies had openly expressed its hope, and belief, that unfamiliarity with the pink ball would cause problems for the Pakistan batsmen. That turned out to be wishful thinking though, and by the end of a long, thankless day, the West Indians were at the receiving end of a dominant batting display from the home side.
It was a good start for Pakistan in its 400th Test. Misbah-ul-Haq won the toss and opted to bat after Pakistan handed debuts to Babar Azam and Mohammad Nawaz. West Indies had a chance early in the day, but Azhar was given a lifeline when he was on just 17, Leon Johnson failing to hold onto a sharp chance at gully off Miguel Cummins, the paceman.
Jason Holder, the West Indies captain, turned to spin midway through the first session, bringing on Kraigg Brathwaite, the part-time offspinner, in the 15th over and Devendra Bishoo, the leggie, in the 21st. However, there were no signs of spin at all.
In fact, as the day progressed, the batsmen grew more comfortable, and the boundaries increased in frequency. Azhar, playing his 50th Test, steered Cummins for a brace to reach his 21st half-century, and at the other end, Aslam was equally resolute, sending Roston Chase to the fence for his third fifty.
They resumed after tea at 81 for no loss, and continued the solid display of batting, going at a slightly higher clip to add 91 runs in the second session. West Indies seemed bereft of ideas, its spinners posing very little threat. It even used up both its referrals, first against Azhar after Holder struck him on the pads when he was 38, then against Aslam when Bishoo rapped him on the pads when he was on 69.
Heading into the dinner break, Azhar was just 11 short of three figures. It didn’t take him long to bring his 11th century on resumption. He guided Cummins behind point for four, and then brought up the landmark ton with another boundary, driving Chase through mid-off to jot his name down in the history books.
Thereafter, he was even more aggressive, picking boundaries off Chase and Holder, even as Aslam reached 90. However, that’s where the stand ended. Aslam looked to sweep Chase, but misjudged it completely and let the ball sneak through to the stumps. He fell ten short of a century, and West Indies finally had something to cheer about.
Its joy was short-lived as Shafiq joined Azhar in the middle, and settled in fairly easily. He didn’t quite shoot of the blocks – that was unnecessary – but worked the gaps and rotated strike. Azhar, meanwhile, was visibly troubled by cramps, having batted throughout the day, but West Indies was unable to capitalise. It took the new ball right on schedule, but that posed very few problems for the batsmen. Shafiq even stepped on the gas, picking three boundaries off Holder and Cummins.
Stumps were drawn shortly thereafter, much to West Indies’ relief.
