Runs galore as historic Rawalpindi Test ends in draw

Opening batter Imamul-Haq hit a century in each innings for Pakistan as Australia could bag only four wickets on a docile pitch in the drawn first Test on Tuesday. Imam followed his 157 in the first innings total of 476-4 declared with an unbeaten 111 in his first test since November 2019.

Imam’s opening partner, Abdullah Shafique, also prospered to record his maiden Test hundred and was unbeaten on 136 when Pakistan finished the fifth and final day on 252-0 in its second innings, leading by 269 runs. Both teams mutually agreed to end the game with an hour remaining. Shafique hit 15 fours and a six in his 242-ball knock while Imam was more watchful in raising his hundred and faced 223 balls, hitting seven fours and two sixes.

The second opening stand between Imam and Abdullah surpassed Pakistan’s previous best against Australia in 1964 when Khalid Ibadulla and Abdul Kadir combined for 249 in Karachi. Shafique and Imam also became the first Pakistan opening pair to share a century stand in each innings against Australia after combining for 105 runs in the first innings.

It was a tough start for Australia to resume playing Test cricket in Pakistan after 24 years on a benign Pindi Cricket Stadium pitch which didn’t offer any lateral movement to the visitor’s three frontline pacers or turn to ace spinner Nathan Lyon. Lyon bowled 78 overs and conceded 236 runs for the solitary wicket of Shafique in the first innings. Australia’s innings was wrapped up in the first four overs of the day when it was all out for 459 after resuming on 449-7. Left-arm spinner Nauman Ali took a career-best 6-107 on the grassless pitch to give Pakistan a 17-run, firstinnings lead. The 35-year-old Nauman, playing in his eighth Test, picked up two of the last three wickets.

The tail-enders added only 10 runs off 19 balls as Nauman bettered his previous best figures of 5-35, which he took on debut against South Africa last year. Shafique and Imam accelerated in the middle session as Australia resorted to Lyon and three part-time spinners without any success.

Abdullah raised his century in four hours off 183 balls in the last session when he tucked Cameron Green to fine leg for a single. Imam took half an hour more to complete back-to-back hundreds by lofting part-time spinner Travis Head over midoff for two.

The second Test begins in Karachi on Saturday. Lahore stages the final Test from March 21-25. The Test series will be followed by three one-day internationals and a one-off Twenty20 in Rawalpindi. (AP)

Scorecard
Pak 1st Innings 476/4d
Aus 1st Innings: Usman Khawaja c Imam b Ali 97
David Warner b Sajid Khan 68
Labuschagne c Shafi que b Shaheen 90
Steven Smith c Rizwan b Ali 78
Travis Head c Rizwan b Ali 8
Cameron Green c Iftikhar b Ali 48
Alex Carey † b Naseem Shah 19
Mitchell Starc lbw b Shaheen 13
Pat Cummins (c) c Imam b Ali 8
Nathan Lyon lbw b Nauman Ali 3
Josh Hazlewood not out 0

Extras: (b 6, lb 13, nb 8) 27 Total: (140.1 Ov, RR: 3.27) 459
Fall of Wickets: 1-156, 2-203, 3-311, 4-326, 5-407, 6-422, 7-444, 8-455, 9-459, 10-459. Sajid Khan 45-9-122-1,
Naseem Shah 21- 2-89-1, Shaheen Shah 30-5-88-2, Nauman Ali 38.1-9-107-6, Iftikhar Ahmed 3-0-20-0, Imam-ul-Haq 2-0-9-0, Babar Azam 1-0-5-0
 

Pak 2nd Innings:
Abdullah Shafi que not out 136
Imam-ul-Haq not out 111
Extras (lb 2, nb 3) 5 TOTAL (77 Ov, RR: 3.27) 252
Mitchell Starc 7-1-29-0, Josh Hazlewood 5-0-8-0, Nathan Lyon 26-5-75-0, Pat Cummins 4-0-15-0, Marnus Labuschagne 15-0--56-0, Travis Head 13-1-35-0, Steven Smith 2-0-15-0, Cameron Green 4-0-14-0, Usman Khawaja 1-0-3-0