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Imam-ul-Haq (132*) stars for Pakistan as they reach 245/1 at Stumps on Day 1 of the 1st Test

Adi_62945 said:
if they win, nobody will ask them their personal stats. because in the end win/loss matters not your personal milestones
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but if players don't hit personal milestones i.e. 100s/ 50s/ 5 wickets etc then chances are the team doesnt win, its a cycle
 
Concerned said:
250-1 would be a joke score at the end of day 1.

Keeping in mind they are batting on concrete.
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i think you also have to factor in first test at home for long time, abit of nerves, playing against aussies aswel who have always caused us mental problems, 250-1 would be a decent score to end the day one and platform for rest of the game
 
Nikhil_cric said:
The difference between the Indian pitch and thos Pakistani pitch is on display. While similar in most respects and especially so in terms of bounce, the Indian pitch is quicker and the game is moving along quickly but also all dismissals being either lbw/bowled. This Rawalpindo wicket is actually slow and requires attritional cricket.
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Incorrect assessment. Pindi pitch is not that slow. Ball is coming onto the bat nicely. It's probably just a combination of a far superior bowling attack plus cautious batting that run rate has been slower in Pindi compared to Mohali. I haven't watched India game so can't comment, maybe the pitch is slightly quicker (generally Mohali surface has nice carry) but you can't call this surface slow. I think our top 3 are generally cautious and less expressive than the Indian counterpart (Sharma and Agarwal are quite free flowing players and they set the tone.)
 
Concerned said:
250-1 would be a joke score at the end of day 1.

Keeping in mind they are batting on concrete.
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its people like u who would be cursing if it was 190-6

u obviously dont understand proper test cricket....

its the Aussies, not u bowling that they should have scored 450 / 1

Pak has done wonderfully well... build on it, bat once and force the aussies to collapse
 
silentkiller187 said:
i think you also have to factor in first test at home for long time, abit of nerves, playing against aussies aswel who have always caused us mental problems, 250-1 would be a decent score to end the day one and platform for rest of the game
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This score would have been acceptable had they been playing in Australia.

Keep in mind the expectation is a Pakistan win, with the batsmen being bought up playing on such pitches.
 
Rellu_Katta said:
its people like u who would be cursing if it was 190-6

u obviously dont understand proper test cricket....

its the Aussies, not u bowling that they should have scored 450 / 1

Pak has done wonderfully well... build on it, bat once and force the aussies to collapse
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190-6, have you seen the pitch? There is nothing in this for the bowlers. The Australian would have capitalised better if they were given the option to bat first.

A 37 years old Azhar Ali batting with ease should give you some view of how straight forward batting is.
 
They should try to hit a few runs before the new ball arrives.
 
Seen Sheen said:
Incorrect assessment. Pindi pitch is not that slow. Ball is coming onto the bat nicely. It's probably just a combination of a far superior bowling attack plus cautious batting that run rate has been slower in Pindi compared to Mohali. I haven't watched India game so can't comment, maybe the pitch is slightly quicker (generally Mohali surface has nice carry) but you can't call this surface slow. I think our top 3 are generally cautious and less expressive than the Indian counterpart (Sharma and Agarwal are quite free flowing players and they set the tone.)
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No. This particular pindi pitch is not quick at all. Lyon was right in his assessment. This is a very Dubai-esque wicket.
 
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Nikhil_cric said:
No. This particular pindi pitch is not quick at all. Lyon was right in his assessment. This is a very Dubai-esque wicket.
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No way it is a Dubai like wicket. Dubai wicket used to have score like 220-240 at the end of the day and I remember how Azhar used to struggle to time the ball always there. Here he has played some pretty nice drives through the off side. Imam's most productive area has been square of the wicket. You don't see too many runs being scored square/behind the wicket if the pitch is slow/Dubai like. I won't call it the quickest wicket but it is not slow.
 
I think both teams will score 400 plus scores in their first innings , day 4 and 5 will be tricky.
 
The Googly said:
Amjid yaar it’s not t20😀

Be grateful we not 167-8

Those comparing this to the India test 😅
Different pitch, different bowler class.
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im not calling it a T20 but there should be no reason not to score at 3 RPO on this wicket when both batsmen are well set.

Im not paying attention to anything across the border.
 
Flat deck. Azar Ali will score 200 . Pak 550 /3 declare. Australia will score 500 with Warner 150. Match heading towards draw.
 
Imams footwork against lyon has been excellent today, this is how left handers should play offspin.
 
It's early days in the series yet, but Australia seem to be struggling properly here.

I fear this is going to be a 3-0 borefest in favour of Pakistan.
 
Just tuned in. gr8 going by pak. good base being laid to really score heavily. If they get 400 + which looks likely, this mean they can have guys at short leg and sillypoint and really pressurize aus dad army of fading batsmen who r real duds in SC conditions agains spin.
 
Seen Sheen said:
No way it is a Dubai like wicket. Dubai wicket used to have score like 220-240 at the end of the day and I remember how Azhar used to struggle to time the ball always there. Here he has played some pretty nice drives through the off side. Imam's most productive area has been square of the wicket. You don't see too many runs being scored square/behind the wicket if the pitch is slow/Dubai like. I won't call it the quickest wicket but it is not slow.
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It obviously is not exactly like a UAE wicket. But it is certainly slower than a typical Indian pitch where it slides on to bat a fair bit quicker.

This is a pitch for attritional cricket.
 
silentkiller187 said:
but if players don't hit personal milestones i.e. 100s/ 50s/ 5 wickets etc then chances are the team doesnt win, its a cycle
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You got me wrong, Its all about priorities. Your team win should be the priority in this case because you are playing for a win and not for a century or 5wk haul.
 
Sloppy broadcasting. They didn't show Smith as 8th bowler in the bowling card. Also the way they show only surnames for some players and full names for others while showing stats etc. seems pretty slack and sloppy.
 
Got to be careful of greens yorkers here.

people crying on day 1 pitch, its a 5 day tests. Go watch T20 circus cricket if you have no attention span.
 
Amjid Javed said:
Got to be careful of greens yorkers here.

people crying on day 1 pitch, its a 5 day tests. Go watch T20 circus cricket if you have no attention span.
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Lol I saw that some overs ago, came out of nowhere and Azhar managed to keep it out.
 
Seen Sheen said:
Sloppy broadcasting. They didn't show Smith as 8th bowler in the bowling card. Also the way they show only surnames for some players and full names for others while showing stats etc. seems pretty slack and sloppy.
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yes confused me too!
 
been a bit of a slow day but if anyone offered pakistan the chance to finish day1 240 odd for 1 they would have gladly taken it.
 
Lyon has bowled more than 1/3 of the overs here.
 
Lovely scenes, cricket back in Pakistan, sun setting soon, Pakistan doing quite well. Just love it.
 
There is nothing in this pitch.Proper flat track.
Advantage to Pak, let's see how ball behave on day 4 & 5.
 
IAJ said:
Don't think so. Pakistan should look to bat only once here. The wicket will helper the spinners later on.

oh easy Imam, only 5 overs left.
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I hope so too.
Pitch should play differently by day 3, but today if Josh Hazelwood couldn’t take a wicket then it seems as if no one can.
 
Seen Sheen said:
Sloppy broadcasting. They didn't show Smith as 8th bowler in the bowling card. Also the way they show only surnames for some players and full names for others while showing stats etc. seems pretty slack and sloppy.
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AErzeUh.png
 
Classic old school test cricket Pakistan strangely playing well against Australia in red ball cricket not a common sight
 
Pak 245/1 - pakistan day with bat, need to get a move on with scoring rates as it got slower and slower as day went on.
 
Nothing is impossible Australia playing cricket in Pakistan for once thank you PCB
:taylor
 
Sensational day for us.. we've ensured we aren't losing this match. Tomorrow we should bat till tea and declare at around 450. 3rd day will be a moving day and should assist spinners. Proper test hammering in the making!
 
Magnificent day for Pakistan. Scoring rate no issue whatsoever. The pitch will wear. Our problem is our bowling attack. Three average spinners and a rookie pacer does not auger well but I’m hoping to be proved wrong.
 
Top class performance only loosing 1 wicket.Imaam took calculated risk. Need to get 500 then last half hour of day 2 have a bowl.
 
Am concerned by the fact that we are playing just 2 seamers, Wasim Jr should have been picked in place of Iftikhar. On this wicket you can't bowl your pacers to the ground especially if they bowl at 88-90 mph.
 
Savak said:
Am concerned by the fact that we are playing just 2 seamers, Wasim Jr should have been picked in place of Iftikhar. On this wicket you can't bowl your pacers to the ground especially if they bowl at 88-90 mph.
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Unless you prepare a dust bowl wicket,a rank turner - picking up only two seamers and three spinners means your bowling line up is very much imbalanced.
 
Hopefully, the pitch has something for bowlers in the coming days.
 
Imam speaking to the press:

"I cannot explain how I am feeling right now but this is a culmination of a process on which I had been working for one and a half year where I wanted to make a comeback to the Test side and to make it count when that happened; I had a belief that if I got a chance I would make it count and the Almighty has been very kind to me; The camp in Karachi was very useful as we played some good cricket over there and that helped"

"Last I played in Tests was against Australia , in Australia and then I got injured in New Zealand, and after that I didnt get a chance to play and was 12th man for last one and a half year, so I was just waiting for an opportunity and then I got this chance; These are the moments we play for and to be honest I cannot explain how I am feeling"

"I have played against Lyon before and I know that he is a quality bowler, and I played against him in Dubai as well and the shot I played against him is my goto shot; He is a quality spinner and if you give him time to settle, he will take your wicket; We have some good spinners in our squad as well so I practiced against them which allowed me to play with good intent and to push Lyon on the backfoot and to put him under pressure"

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Last edited:
A maiden Test century for opener Imam Ul Haq (132*) and solid innings from Abdullah Shafique (44) and Azhar Ali (64*) has given Pakistan a strong start against Australia in Rawalpindi.

Having won the toss and elected to bat first, Pakistan batters made full use of the flat batting paradise on offer in Rawalpindi. The famed Australian pace trio Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood couldn't generate much movement off the surface as the openers navigated through the opening exchange without much trouble.

It wasn't until Nathan Lyon was introduced that Australia started troubling Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique. The off-spinner managed to induce edges at will but none of them were straightforward chances that the visitors could gobble up.

Imam, who last played a Test in November 2019, looked in sublime touch on his comeback and got to his fifty in style with a boundary.

The openers almost went unscathed into the first session before a rush-of-blood moment from Shafique brought his downfall.

With an over left for lunch, the right-arm batter was one big hit away from a half-century and decided to take Lyon on for a maximum. However, he didn't make the desired connection and Pat Cummins covered good ground to take a tumbling catch charging to his right from mid-off. The wicket broke the 105-run opening stand as Pakistan went into the break at 105/1.

Imam, who had looked solid on the other end, was joined by Azhar Ali, and Pakistan's fortunes remained unchanged after the lunch break. Azhar took his time settling in the middle, while Imam got busy constructing his innings, aiming for a three-figure score.

Cummins rotated his pacers in short stints, and in search of a breakthrough, brought on Cameron Green for the first time, but the tall all-rounder too didn't find any success.

The visitors had begun to feel the need for another regular spinner in their lineup, but a hint of the reverse swing towards the end of session two reinvigorated Australia. Some signs of reverse swing in Hazlewood’s bowling prompted Mitchell Starc to bowl his first over after lunch. However, Imam and Azhar were up to the task and handled the period maturely, charging on the fuller-length deliveries from Australian pacers and adding runs for the team.

With no success in the middle session, the Australian skipper asked Marnus Labuschagne to roll his arms over. Pakistan went 171/1 for tea.

With only eight runs away from his maiden test century, Imam started steadily after the break. He eventually got to his maiden Test ton with a check drive off Starc in the 66th over.

While the batters completed a second-wicket century partnership, Azhar was cautiously approaching his half-century at the other end. He kept taking singles off the gaps and completed a gritty fifty.

Imam approached the spinners with more confidence after completing his century and began playing shots against them. The second new ball appeared to be Australia's only hope, but they still had overs left to avail it. With both batters set in the middle and the surface offering little help, Australia had no choice but to use their part-time spinners, Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne, before they could take the second new ball in the 83rd over.

Pakistan’s tidy batting display had already exhausted the Australian medium pacers but Starc and Hazlewood were given the second new ball in hand with the task to get the breakthrough for Australia. Lyon assisted the pacers to complete the day's quota as Imam (132*) and Azhar (64*) went through to stumps at 245/1.

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/2513508
 
Interim coach Andrew McDonald claims Australia's call to play one one spinner in the first Test in Pakistan can't be judged off just one tough day in Rawalpindi.

Pakistan went to stumps at 1-245 on Friday, giving Australia their hardest day in the field in more than three years to start their first tour of Pakistan since 1998.

On a dry wicket that offered nothing for the quicks, Imam-ul-Haq finished on 132no with his first Test century with Azhar Ali also unbeaten on 64.

Australia's bowlers did well to contain, with Pakistan going at just 2.72 an over and the visitors making a point to restrict after being asked to bowl first.

But the question for Australia all day was where a wicket could come from.

While Pakistan went with two spinners plus a spinning allrounder, Nathan Lyon was Australia's only frontline tweaker.

He was bowling by the eighth over, while Travis Head had the ball by the 17th and Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith also had spells.

All that came as Mitchell Swepson and Ashton Agar watched on from over the boundary.

Regardless though, McDonald said it was unfair to judge tactics off one day with the hope the ball will reverse earlier for the quicks as the match goes on.

"I'd like to think that we can judge over five days and not in isolation on one day," McDonald said.

"Clearly it was a tough day for everyone. For all the bowlers, including the spinners.

"There was a little bit of tack in the wicket early, which created the speculation it was going to spin.

"The Travis Head (spell) was more due to the tackiness in the wicket.

"But once that we can dried out, the spin decreased a significant amount and it clearly became tougher for both team's spinners."

McDonald did however admit that he expected slightly more out of the Rawalpindi wicket, which was better suited to quicks in the last on the ground.

Mitchell Starc showed some signs of danger early, unsuccessfully reviewing an lbw shout against Imam-ul-Haq on three as Australia's bowlers made a point of targeting the stumps.

The Pakistan opener remained watchful for parts of his innings, hitting Lyon for two sixes but also willing to soak up balls between a pull shot off Pat Cummins that brought up his 50 and brilliant cover drive from Starc for his hundred.

"I think it's going to be attritional cricket," McDonald said.

"It's still going to be very good for batting over the next couple of days. So it's important for us to be able to contain the runs and the tempo of the game whilst taking some wickets.

"Hopefully we can be batting at some stage tomorrow to even up the game.

"If Pakistan were to bat all day tomorrow then it starts to shift into potentially two results and not three."

https://7news.com.au/sport/cricket/judge-selections-over-five-days-mcdonald-c-5936622
 
pakistans vs Australia 2014 - UAE

1st test day 1 - 219/4 (454 All out) - Won
2nd test day 1 - 304/2 (570/6 Dec) - Won

pakistan vs Australia 2018 - UAE

1st test day 1 - 255/3 (470 All out) - Draw
2nd test day 1 - 282 All out - Won

just highlights importance of a good 1st day but also big runs in 1st inns.

Pak 245/1 (450 to 500 - would be ideal here).
 
Full highlights

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My very good friend @UP attended today's match and even showed me some of the live action and the players in a video call - most probably the closest that I ever will be to a cricket match in person. Beat this if you can! What a gesture from an incredible friend!
 
Savak said:
Am concerned by the fact that we are playing just 2 seamers, Wasim Jr should have been picked in place of Iftikhar. On this wicket you can't bowl your pacers to the ground especially if they bowl at 88-90 mph.
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That's what I saying that 3 seemers they can come in for quick short bursts.
 
gani999 said:
It's early days in the series yet, but Australia seem to be struggling properly here.

I fear this is going to be a 3-0 borefest in favour of Pakistan.
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They are still getting used to the conditions and the pitch has offered nothing for their fast bowlers if they bat for a day and a half they will draw the match slow batting by Azhar will cost Pakistan poor tactics again an aggressive batsman should’ve been sent to get a quick 50 or 100 once the first wicket fell.
 
Cric1234 said:
They are still getting used to the conditions and the pitch has offered nothing for their fast bowlers if they bat for a day and a half they will draw the match slow batting by Azhar will cost Pakistan poor tactics again an aggressive batsman should’ve been sent to get a quick 50 or 100 once the first wicket fell.
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Same thing happened in 1st test in 2018. Hafeez and imam put on 200 in 60 overs and then Azhar sucked the life out of the inns and next 200 or so runs took more than 3 sessions and game ended a draw. no one is asking batsmen to slog or play T20s, but dead batting everything on an ease paced pitched is a poor effort.
 
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