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Senior ODI Player
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- Oct 21, 2012
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Before the honour of his first MCG Test century, Azhar Ali had to cope with a scoreboard horror.
The Pakistan opener has shone in the gloomy Melbourne weather that has hung over the first two days of the Boxing Day Test.
His patient 139no from 287 balls has been exactly what the tourists needed amid a succession of rain delays, pacing them to a solid first innings of 6-310.
But Azhar's 12th Test century only came after a particularly nervous time in the 90s.
First there was a short rain delay, then he was at the non-striker's end when Asad Shafiq hit a straight drive.
Bowler Jackson Bird deflected the ball onto the stumps and the umpire called for a regulation video review, although it was obvious Azhar was in his crease.
To the shock of everyone, especially Azhar, the initial message that flashed up on the scoreboard was that he was out.
"My reaction was 'excuse me, how is that out?'," said teammate Wahab Riaz.
"I (later) asked Azhar as well and he said 'what is this, what's happening?'
"He said the umpire told him to stop and obviously the decision was changed."
Azhar also had nervous moments on six and 112, when he went for quick singles and throws from Nathan Lyon just missed the stumps.
In the same over as the second run-out chance, wicketkeeper Matthew Wade also just failed to get his gloves under a low caught behind chance off Mitchell Starc.
But Azhar otherwise was outstanding as the ton meant he became only the fifth Pakistan player to score more than 1000 runs in a calendar year.
He is also the first Pakistan batsman to score an MCG century since Mohammad Yousuf's 111 in the 2004 Boxing Day Test.
"He was very committed, very determined ... from the first day as well," Riaz said.
"He wanted to score a century and see his name on the board at the MCG.
"He wanted to achieve something and the way he's played the last two days, the way the Australians are bowling, he took his time really well.
"Obviously we are very happy for him - and because of him as well, we have put some runs on the board."
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The Pakistan opener has shone in the gloomy Melbourne weather that has hung over the first two days of the Boxing Day Test.
His patient 139no from 287 balls has been exactly what the tourists needed amid a succession of rain delays, pacing them to a solid first innings of 6-310.
But Azhar's 12th Test century only came after a particularly nervous time in the 90s.
First there was a short rain delay, then he was at the non-striker's end when Asad Shafiq hit a straight drive.
Bowler Jackson Bird deflected the ball onto the stumps and the umpire called for a regulation video review, although it was obvious Azhar was in his crease.
To the shock of everyone, especially Azhar, the initial message that flashed up on the scoreboard was that he was out.
"My reaction was 'excuse me, how is that out?'," said teammate Wahab Riaz.
"I (later) asked Azhar as well and he said 'what is this, what's happening?'
"He said the umpire told him to stop and obviously the decision was changed."
Azhar also had nervous moments on six and 112, when he went for quick singles and throws from Nathan Lyon just missed the stumps.
In the same over as the second run-out chance, wicketkeeper Matthew Wade also just failed to get his gloves under a low caught behind chance off Mitchell Starc.
But Azhar otherwise was outstanding as the ton meant he became only the fifth Pakistan player to score more than 1000 runs in a calendar year.
He is also the first Pakistan batsman to score an MCG century since Mohammad Yousuf's 111 in the 2004 Boxing Day Test.
"He was very committed, very determined ... from the first day as well," Riaz said.
"He wanted to score a century and see his name on the board at the MCG.
"He wanted to achieve something and the way he's played the last two days, the way the Australians are bowling, he took his time really well.
"Obviously we are very happy for him - and because of him as well, we have put some runs on the board."
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