Pakistan debutant Ghulam hits century to defy England in second Test

Multan: Kamran Ghulam hit a superb century on his debut to guide Pakistan to 259-5 on the opening day of the second Test against England in Multan on Tuesday.

The 29-year-old replaced out-of-form Babar Azam at No 4 and foiled England’s aggressive bowling and fielding to score a brilliant 118.

At close, Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha were unbeaten with 37 and five respectively.

The day ended Ghulam’s frustrating long wait for a place in the Pakistan team after he smashed a national record 1,249 runs in the 2020 season.

Ghulam led a fightback after Pakistan — who won the toss and batted — were struggling at 19-2 with England spinner Jack Leach striking twice in the first hour.

Ghulam added 149 for the defiant third wicket with Saim Ayub, who hit a career-best 77, and another 65 for the fifth wicket with Rizwan.

He reached three figures with a boundary off spinner Joe Root, taking 280 minutes and becoming Pakistan’s 12th batter to score a century in his first Test.

With just half an hour before stumps, Ghulam was bowled by spinner Shoaib Bashir, ending a resolute 323-minute knock spiced with 11 fours and a six.

England employed a short mid-off and two mid-wicket fielders to get wickets but the Multan pitch — the same used for the first Test — gave very little help to the spinners after some early promise.

Skipper Ben Stokes, one of two changes from England’s thumping innings win in the first Test, bowled five overs and showed no signs of the hamstring injury that forced him to miss the first Test.

Matthew Potts ended Ayub’s knock with a catch at short mid-off while Brydon Carse removed Saud Shakeel for four, the dismissals coming either side of the tea interval.

Leach has figures of 2-92 while Bashir, Carse and Potts have a wicket each.

Earlier, Abdullah Shafique was bowled by Leach for seven in the eighth over of the morning with the score on 15.

In his next over, the left-arm spinner had skipper Shan Masood caught low at short midwicket by Zak Crawley for three.

England lead the three-match series 1-0.

Pakistan’s defeat last week — their sixth in as many Tests — prompted the selectors to make wholesale changes, with Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed dropped.

Other than Ghulam, Pakistan also brought in the spin trio of Sajid Khan, Zahid Mahmood and Noman Ali, leaving them with only one fast bowler in Aamer Jamal.