Multan, 15 October 2024: Kamran Ghulam, who earlier became the 257^th player to don the Test cap for Pakistan, hit a brilliant century in his first outing in the Test career as Pakistan finished the first day of the second Test match with 259-5 in 90 overs at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

Kamran was dismissed for a well-made 118 off 224 balls hitting 11 fours and one six, in the 85^th over of the day after having walked into bat in the 10^th over with 19-2 on the board.

Along with Saim Ayub (77, 160b, 7x4s), Kamran shared a 149-run third-wicket partnership as the duo took Pakistan out of trouble before Saim departed in the 56^th over with the scorecard reading 168-3.

Earlier, after Pakistan opted to bat first, Jack Leach drew the first blood as he castled Abdullah Shafique for a 28-ball seven in the eighth over. An over later, Leach got rid of Shan Masood for just three as Crawley pouched the ball at short midwicket.

Pakistan amassed 79 runs for the loss of just two wickets on the stroke of lunch with Saim and Kamran having brought up their fifty-run stand off 85 balls. Saim reached his third Test half-century off 97 balls before succumbing to Matthew Potts just an over before Tea break, caught by Ben Stokes at short mid-off.

After Pakistan scored 94 runs in the second session giving away only one wicket, England began the third session with the vital scalp of Saud Shakeel (4, 14b, 1×4) as he was caught behind off Brydon Carse in the 61^st over.

With the scorecard reading 178-4, Mohammad Rizwan (37 not out, 89b, 4x4s) joined forces with Kamran to stabilise Pakistan’s innings as the duo put on a dogged 65-run fifth-wicket partnership. In the meanwhile, Kamran became the 13^th Pakistan player to score a century on Test debut and only the sixth batter to score a hundred on men’s Test debut while batting at No.4, when he hit Joe Root to midwicket for a boundary in the 74^th over.

Shoaib Bashir brought an end to Kamran’s 74.4-over stay on the crease when he got one to hit the stumps in the 85^th over with Pakistan 243-5. Salman Ali Agha (5 not out, 19b) and Rizwan closed the day for Pakistan with 259-5 on the board.

Scores in brief:

Second Test – Day 1 of 5; Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first at the Multan Cricket Stadium

Pakistan 259-5, 90 overs (Kamran Ghulam 118, Saim Ayub 77, Mohammad Rizwan 37 not out; Jack Leach 2-92)