Dubai: Mohammad Hafeez’s comeback show with a gritty century helped Pakistan dominate the first two sessions of the first day of the first Test against Australia at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.
Everything went Pakistan’s way from the start, beginning with the toss. Openers Hafeez and Imam Ul Haq made full use of a placid wicket to give their team a dream start by posting 205 runs in 62.6 overs. Australians fought back in the last session when the ball got soft, ending the huge opening partnership and got rid of Azhar Ali too as Pakistan ended the day at 255 for three.
Thirty-seven-year-old Hafeez, returning to the Pakistan Test team after nearly two years, cracked 126 runs off 208 balls with 15 boundaries before being trapped leg before by Peter Siddle. It was his 10th Test century which came off 172 balls with 12 boundaries — his fourth in the UAE. Haq, playing in only his fourth Test match, hit a career best 76 runs before he cut spinner Nathan Lyon into hands of Australian wicketkeeper and captain Tim Paine’s gloves.
When Gulf News asked about his love for the UAE that has fetched him so many tons, Hafeez said: “We are playing our cricket here for the last 10 years. so I know the conditions well but at the same time, you need to do the basics right to perform well. It’s my first hundred in Dubai and had never scored a hundred here and I am happy to get it.”
Talking about his comeback and how he took on the challenge, Hafeez said: “I was looking forward to take that challenge. I was announced as the 18th member by the management later on. I was playing domestic cricket and scoring runs so I was expecting a recall. I was in a positive frame of mind that if I am going back into the team, then I will perform.”
After Hafeez departed, Azhar and Harris Sohail were tied down by the Australian bowlers. After the pair put on 22 runs in 17.2 overs, Ali fell for 18 to left-arm spinner Jon Holland, who had him caught by a diving Starc at long off. Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmad, who had revealed that he had sleepless nights during the recent Asia Cup, sat in the pavilion a happy man watching the openers pile up runs with ease while the Australians toiled hard in the stifling Dubai heat.
Australia introduced their left-arm spinner Jon Holland in the 14th over and in first hour’s play, Pakistan openers had posted 44 runs. In the 20th over, Haq came down the track and hit Holland for the first six of the match over deep midwicket into the empty stands.
Haq played Holland comfortably and hit him for two boundaries in one over — the first boundary was placed past mid-off and second one was cut wide off third man.
Hafeez was the first to reach his half-century, it taking him 96 balls with six boundaries. The 100-run partnership came in 35th over through a boundary from Imam off Lyon. Imam reached his half century in 128 balls with six boundaries and a six.
Debutant leg break bowler Marnus Labuschagne was also introduced in the 44th over hoping for a breakthrough. Hafeez, on 74, escaped being caught at long off when he smacked Holland and the ball hit Mitchell Marsh’s fingers before rolling over for a boundary.
With the field spread out, Hafeez played a few shots in the air while Imam continued to use his feet beautifully to pile up runs as Pakistan crossed the 150-run mark.
Scoreboard:
Pakistan 1st Innings
Imam-ul-Haq c Paine b Lyon 76
Mohammad Hafeez lbw b Siddle 126
Azhar Ali c Starc b Holland 18
Haris Sohail not out 15
Mohammad Abbas not out 1
Extras: (1b, 16lb, 2b) 19
Total: 255 for 3 wickets (90 overs)
Fall of wickets: 1-205, 2-222, 3-244
To bat: Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Sarfraz Ahmed, Yasir Shah, Bilal Asif, Wahab Riaz.
Bowling: Mitchell Starc 21-6-66-0, Peter Siddle 15-7-23-1, Nathan Lyon 33-10-63-1, Jon Holland 18-1-72-1, Marnus Labuschagne 2-0-9-0, Mitchell Marsh 1-0-5-0.
Australia team: Aaron Finch, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Tim Paine, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle, Jon Holland, Nathan Lyon
Toss: Pakistan.
Umpires: Richard Kettleborough and Richard Illingworth, England.
Third Umpire: Sundaram Ravi, India.
Match Referee: Ranjan Madugalle, Sri Lanka.
